Girls Alpine Skiing: State Meet Recap
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 - 7:33 PM
Hill-Murray freshman Taylor Voigt had the two fastest runs of the day to not only win the individual crown during the Girls Alpine Skiing State Meet, but also send the Pioneers to the team title.
Hill-Murray freshman Taylor Voigt knew she had a blazing time in her first run of the Minnesota State High School League’s Girls Alpine Skiing State Meet on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at Giants Ridge. What she didn’t know was just how quick. By the looks of her smooth and sleek first run, everyone assumed she surged into the lead, but no one knew for sure. Even in an electronic age of instant results, Voigt had to wait.
Not knowing her time initially threw her off a bit in preparation for her second run. She walked off nervous energy and chatted with supportive friends until word arrived from meet officials that her first-run time had been verified. That time paved the way to a convincing two-run time of 1 minute, 15.32 seconds to capture the individual championship. She placed third during the state meet in 2022.
Voigt’s first-run time was 38.27 seconds, which was a half-second quicker than Minnetonka junior Marisa Witte.
“When I didn’t have a time, that threw me off,” Voigt said. “It freaked me out a bit; they hadn’t released it yet (because of the verification process). I just didn’t know where I was.”
Relief in knowing turned to preparation for her second run and a chance to make school history as the first Girls Alpine Skiing State champion.
“I have some room to work with here,” she said of the half-second advantage. “(The second run) was a bit scarier. It was really fast.”
In an increasing rain, Voigt captured the championship with an even-faster run of 37.05 seconds. Witte was second overall in 1:16.00 and Blake sophomore Vivien Pihlstrom was third in 1:16.17.
Voigt was proud of the historical aspect of her victory: “It is cool and a great honor,” she said.
Voigt’s performance fueled Hill-Murray to another historical feat: The first Girls Alpine Skiing team title.
The Pioneers finished with 163 points to outrace Prior Lake/Farmington, which was runner-up with 144. Blake was third with 141.
In addition to Voigt, scoring for Hill-Murray were: sophomore Kate Reardon, eighth-grader Hailey Voigt and junior Liz Peroutka.
Hill-Murray won the Girls Alpine Skiing Team Title for the first time in school history on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023 at Giants Ridge.