STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Steamboat Springs senior James Lahrman was 0.23 seconds away from being a state champion in giant slalom at the Colorado High School Activities Association State Alpine Skiing Championships.

The Sailor finished second, leading all Steamboat skiers across all four races. Lahrman also earned second in slalom. He was just over a second behind Aspen freshman Chase Kelly, who won both boys races.

“It has been so much fun watching James ski this year,” said Steamboat Springs head Alpine coach Mike Farny. “He has added so much to the team, inspiring his teammates. Unfortunately, the rest of the boys team was plagued with costly mistakes. In (giant slalom), we knew the flat hill did not favor us as we train on the famous steep and challenging Howelsen Hill.”

Kai Scott was unlucky in the slalom race, not finishing his first run, but in giant slalom, he was the second-fastest Steamboat skier, taking 25th.

Steamboat junior Annika Ort was the top finisher for the Sailors in the girls giant slalom race, taking ninth with a time of one minute, 50.96 seconds. She finished 35th in the slalom race.

Farny said it was perhaps the best GS skiing he’s ever seen from Ort.

Emily Schneider took 17th in the GS race and Eliza Fox finished 25th.

In the slalom race, Schneider was the fastest Sailor girl, earning 13th with a time of 1:42.29. Not far behind her, Fox finished 18th and Romy Tauscher took 29th.

The girls finished sixth as a team with 530 points. Aspen won with 670 points. The team score is accumulated by taking the results of the top three skiers from each school. The Alpine scores are combined with the Nordic scores to get a final calculation.

The boys team was fifth with 549 points as Aspen won with 683 points.

“Unlike normal ski racing where it is about the individual performance, high school skiers are skiing for the team and their teammates,” said Farny. “Skiing for your high school and for your teammates puts tremendous pressure on the athletes. It is hard to see or feel this pressure when you are watching. They make it look so easy, but believe me, as their coach, I feel it and see it. Mistakes that you would not normally see all of a sudden show up. These skiers feel a whole new level of pressure, just the slightest mistake affects their team. The level of high school skiing is incredible. Every year, it gets better and better. More and more kids are choosing to get involved and compete for their school.”

Alpine state skiing

Girls team scores: 1. Aspen 670. 2. Summit 644. 3. Middle Park 577. 6. Steamboat Springs 530. 7.

Girls giant slalom: 1. Ella Snyder, S, 1:45:03. 2. Jenna Sheldon, S, 1:45.96. 3. Stella Sherlock, A, 1:46.7. 9. Annika Ort, SS, 1:50.96. 17. Emily Schneider, SS, 1:53.24. 25. Eliza Fox, SS, 1:55.71. 32. Audra Gowdy, SS, 1:58.55. 42. Allie Van Ness, SS, 2:07.49.

Girls slalom: 1. Olivia Snyder, S, 1:28.48. 2. Sheldon, S, 1:30.59. 3. Sherlock, 1:34.96. 13. Schneider, SS, 1:42.29. 18. Fox, SS, 1:44.14. 29. Romy Tauscher, SS, 1:47.94. 35. Ort, SS, 1:54.22. 38. Sophia Gowdy, SS, 1:56.96. 41. VanNess, SS, 1:58.66. 44. Norah Pietras, SS, 2:01.79.

Boys team scores: 1. Aspen 683. 2. Battle Mountain 581.5. 3. Middle Park 570. 5. Steamboat Springs 549.

Boys giant slalom: 1. Chase Kelly, A, 1:38.17. 2. James Lahrman, SS, 1:38.4. 3. Toby Scarpella, 1:39.07. 25. Kai Scott, SS, 1:43.89. 33. Dawson Holmes, SS, 1:46.7. 34. Fisher St. John, SS, 1:47.28. 38. Erik Sandvik, SS, 1:49.98. 39. Alden Wade, SS, 1:50.02.

Boys slalom: 1. Kelly, A, 1:30.87. 2. Lahrman, SS, 1:31.93. 3. Davis Colon, A, 1:33.05. 24. Sandvik, SS, 1:43.63. 25. Wade, 1:43.67.