Strong slalom weekend

Mercersburg Academy’s alpine ski team competed in a two-day slalom event at Seven Springs on January 10-11, delivering strong performances despite a small roster and limited preparation time. Julia Krugh ’26 placed 6th on day one and 10th on day two, Audrey Stambaugh ’27  rebounded from a first-day disqualification to finish 5th on day two, Stewart Allen ’27 skied into the top 20 for the boys before bobbles prevented a finish, and Adrienne Howard ’26 finished 4th-place overall and 1st in the U21 category on Saturday, despite not finishing on Sunday. 

Krugh said, “For me, the most challenging part was just staying early through the tough conditions and being ready for combinations. The weekend showed the importance of balancing being risky and maintaining control. It affects your decision-making because you have to take a risky line, but you don't want to be super risky. You still need to set up and have time to react to any mistakes that you make.”

Stambaugh added, “The most challenging part of the course at Seven Springs is the way that the mountain builds speed and kind of comes together at the end. Inspection and planning are so important and make all the difference.” 

Even after failing to finish on day one, she remained confident in her skiing. “I was proud of my run that I didn't finish; that aligned with the way I had been training,” she said. Her patience paid off on day two. “I skied a little safely but put together two great runs, which gave me points.” Stambaugh continued, “Going into the season, I am looking forward to locking down the way I ski like the way I did at the beginning of the weekend; I want to make it consistent.” 

Allen said, “One run that I was especially really proud of was my first run on Saturday. It was my first run back after doing a lot of work over the off-season through working out and then skiing as well.” That effort showed. “It was a really solid first run. During that run, my main goal was simply to finish, but then in  the second run I focused on being more fluid while skiing more aggressively.”

Head alpine ski coach Dave Holzwarth added, “The team performed surprisingly well, given the fact we had one day of slalom training,” he said. “Ski racing is an individual sport, but they all push each other in training and even competition… healthy competition.” Holzwarth added, “There was some inward focus, but as each of the racers came down, everybody was cheering each other individually through the finish, which creates a supportive atmosphere.”

With multiple top finishes and clear signs of technical and mental growth, the Seven Springs weekend marked a positive first step for Mercersburg skiing as the season continues.