It didn’t come easy but half a dozen Penticton skiers are now off to the BC Winter Games in Vernon after impressive showings during an Apex-hosted tournament last weekend.
Oliver Parilak, Sam Marshall, Maddie Seddon, Leah Evans, Sophia Jaron-Flower and Lily Raymond have qualified for the winter games this March, following their performances at the annual Teck Okanagan Zone Race for U12 to U16 skiers, on Jan. 14 and 15.
Events organizers were forced to contend with power outages, fallen trees and foggy conditions, while ensuring all 140 skiers in attendance had the chance to compete in the slalom races, according to Apex media coordinator Lesley Evans.
Along with local athletes, competitors from Silver Star, Big White, Revelstoke, Sun Peaks and the Yukon appeared at the Okanagan’s first ski race of 2023.
“Despite significant technical and environmental factors working against the hosts, a successful race weekend was accomplished,” said Evans. “I’m so proud of everyone.”
The following Apex-based skiers finished the weekend with top-10 results:
U12 Male
• Joshua Marshall
• Gavin Hill
U12 Female
• Eileen Roche
• Charlotte Johncox
U14 Male
• Hikaru Noguchi
U14 Female
• Leah Evans (1st place on the race’s final day)
• Sophia Jaron-Flower
• Julia Johncox
• Olivia Evans
• Avery Warriner
U16 Male
• Gavin Santoro
• Oliver Parilak
• Samuel Marshall
• Andre LaCock
U16 Female
• Eva Wyse
• Maddie Seddon
• Lily Raymond
• Marie Droppo
“Although the fog was not ideal, athletes managed to turn in some great performances, and the atmosphere and energy among competitors was terrific,” Evans added.
The 2023 BC Winter Games take place from March 23 to 26 in Vernon.
In the meantime, Apex-based U16 skiers will be at Sun Peaks Ski Resort, located northeast of Kamloops, next weekend for Canada Games qualifiers.
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