ROCORI Student Competes At Western U.S. High School Skiing Championship

(KNSI) – A local skier helped power Team Minnesota to a second-place finish at the 2023 Western U.S. High School Alpine Championships on March 10th and 11th.

ROCORI’s Ella Dols qualified for the team thanks to a great finish in MSHSL sectionals. Six states participated in two different races, slalom and giant slalom. Dols explains the difference.

“The poles are just closer together. It’s more of a slower race and it takes a lot more energy out of you. And then GS is just giant slalom. You go much faster because you don’t have to turn so often.”

She says she prefers the slalom because it is more common in Minnesota. Most hills in the state have runs that last for hundreds of feet compared to the 2,000-foot courses at Mt. Hood, Oregon, where the championship was held. Dols says that makes the tighter slalom course a better option for state competitions.

Dols is part of two teams, a co-op squad for area high schools called the Breakaways. Another is at the club level which takes her across the country. Dols has skied at Mt. Hood in Oregon before. Her heart is here, though, and she already has her eye set on being a Minnesota state champion in 2024.

“When I was in sixth grade and elementary school, I used to go watch the state tournament just to see what it was like. And I would think of these girls as the fastest people I have ever seen. And now it’s just cool to be one of them.”

Team Minnesota came in second place, fighting through three feet of fresh snow. Dols said that was the toughest thing for her teammates to adjust to.

Dols says she has already gotten some interest from colleges. As of right now, she is leaning towards racing for Northern Michigan University.

Full results from the championships are here.

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