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--> --> Dec. 12: Grizz ready to hit the mountain By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Ashland High ski coach Steve Wasserman isn't just optimistic about this year's boys team. He's downright giddy, and you need only check out the Grizzlies' lineup to see why. The Ashland boys return four stars along with several capable supporting skiers from last season's team, which took the Southern Oregon Conference championship for the second year in a row before finishing fourth at state. Wasserman said this year's team could go all the way. "We have excellent skiers," Wasserman said. "Competition is extremely tough, but this year I believe I have the guns to possibly take it all." Leading the way for the Grizzlies will be team captain Griffin Loop, Dustin Way, Josh Romberg and Chris Newton, all seniors. Also in the fray will be juniors Darren Yondorf, Brook Golling, Wes Tygerson and newcomer Brian Westerberg. The Grizzlies open the season Jan. 5 at the Mount Warner Ski Area in Lakeview, where they will face league foes Grants Pass, North Medford, South Medford, Lakeview and St. Mary's in a non-league race. The first league race will be Jan. 18-19 at Mount Ashland against the same schools. Wasserman - in his 10th year as the Ashland boys and girls ski coach - says his team is ahead of schedule thanks to a good snow season at Mount Ashland. "I've increased their number of practices," Wasserman said. "This year mother nature has given us some prime conditions. We're way further along this year than we were last year. Both physically and skill wise, the kids are going to be ready." That goes for the girls too, who took a hard hit to graduation after finishing second in league last season. Returning for the girls will be captain Megan Hald, a two-time varsity member, and sophomore Sarah Camp. The Grizzlies will also field newcomers Jana Javorikova, a senior exchange student from the Czech Republic, and freshmen Camila Thorndike and Lindsay Warren. "The girls have set high goals this year, not only to win district, but to excel at state and make a name for ourselves," Wasserman said. Snowboard preview Coming off its second straight league championship season, the Ashland boys snowboarding team is primed for another run at a league title in 2001-02. The team, which was co-founded three years ago by current head coach Matt Faurot, is 16 snowboarders strong this season and kicks off its Southern Oregon Conference league schedule Dec. 21 at Mount Ashland. "I'm definitely looking for them to be top contenders in the conference again," Faurot said. "We lost a couple of really solid guys to graduation, guys that were in the top four (Robbie Stewart and Clayton Mattson). We don't dominate, we just basically are going to be really strong in every event." The Grizzlies will be led in the giant slalom competition by juniors Asa Cates, Tyler Bryan, Hudson Thomas and Owen King. Bryan and Thomas will compete in the slope style competition and the border cross competition. "Asa has been on every team, and Hudson and Owen have been on the team all three years," Faurot said. "It's those guys who I will definitely coach next year just to see them through all four years." The Ashland girls will also be exciting this year, thanks to its biggest turnout yet - nine. Junior Aurora Dolan and sophomore Marie Chase will headline the girls team. Dolan placed third in the conference last season while Chase placed sixth. Paving the way for the Grizz future will be sophomores Stephanie Elliot, Ella Street, Emma Kurtz and Heather Tomiyama. "I'm looking forward to just a real positive year," Faurot said. "I expect that with the increased amount of girls that they'll be progressing well and really pushing each other." Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing