Donning their Steamboat Springs High School uniforms for the final time at home in competition, 16 seniors on the Sailors Alpine ski team raced down the face of Howelsen Hill for the team’s only home event of the season on Thursday, Jan. 19. 

It is a large group of seniors that has been skiing their whole lives together. Head Alpine coach Ryan Seyedian says it has been incredible watching the senior group lead the team and finish out their season strong. 

“This is a really awesome group of seniors,” Seyedian said. “It’s my first year coaching the team and a lot of the seniors are the ones that recruited me to come coach them. They were in need of a coach before the season started and that’s why I decided to do it.”

One of those seniors is Audra Gowdy who has spent all four years in high school as a member of the team. 

Gowdy was excited to race on her home hill one last time and said she was happy with how things went. 

“There was a lot of emotion,” Gowdy said. “I think we’re all just happy to be here, happy to be on our home hill. It’s always fun having everyone here and skiing on our own hill, we’re really confident on it which is nice because a lot of people aren’t.”

The Sailor women did prove to be confident at Howelsen, taking three of the top five places and earning an overall team victory.

Gowdy was a major contributor to that effort, taking fifth place with a combined time of 1 minute, 33 seconds, 99 milliseconds. 

“It’s definitely nice to finish out well,” Gowdy said. “Last year I crashed here, so being able to finish and having that confidence to carry with me, I’m very happy that was my last race here.”

Now halfway through the season, Gowdy has already qualified for the slalom race for the state competition but has yet to get in for giant slalom. Alpine athletes have just three more chances to put up quick times and qualify for state. 

The Sailors will be back in action on Jan. 27, competing on a giant slalom course they have already been on this season. 

“We’re going to Keystone, which is where our first race was this year, where I didn’t qualify,” Gowdy said. “I’m hoping for a better result.”

Boys Top 10:
1. Chase Kelly, A, 1:19.95. 2. Colin Kagan, SS, 1:20.82. 3. Kenny McPhee, A, 1:24.61. 4. Michael Cheek, S, 1:26.33. 5. Erik Sandvik, SS, 1:26.52. 6. Andrew Conley, BM, 1:27.95. 7. Turner Estock, A, 1:28.22. 8. Henry Regrut, BM, 1:28.26. 9. Nico Smith, A, 1:28.58. 10. Fisher St. John, SS, 1:28.63. 

Other Steamboat boys finishers:
13. Nolan Laird, 1:32.72. 15. Tomas Niedermeier, 1:33.73. 16. Harrison Sherman, 1:36.06. 17. Dawson Holmes, 1:36.44. 22. Jake Genereux, 1:41.18. 30. Caleb Haack, 1:47.72. 33. Cameron Daly, 1:52.53.

Girls Top 10:
1. Stella Sherlock, A, 1:25.64. 2. Emma McHaffie, SS, 1:27.60. 3. Ruthie DeMino, BM, 1:30.17. 4. Kinsley Jacobson, SS, 1:33.92. 5. Audra Gowdy, SS, 1:33.99. 6. Madeline Hicks, A, 1:35.53. 7. Ava Crowley, VM, 1:36.43. 8. Kristiana Stoyanova, S, 1:36.92. 9. Zala Smalls, A, 1:37.28. 10. Keena Shikverg, BM, 1:38.62. 

Other Steamboat girls finishers:
13. Neve Wade, 1:42.62. 31. Kyra Kiser, 1:54.43. 32. Kaylen Fix, 1:56.04. 33. Aspen Bennett-Manke, 1:56.28. 34. Finley Danielson, 1:56.48. 36. Allie Keefe, 1:58.46. 40. Taylor Connelly, 2:01.46. 42. Harper Danielson, 2:04.95. 46. Grace Felinczak, 2:08.30. 48. Cate Thompson, 2:09.92. 54. Maggie Wilson, 2:24.74.