Girls Alpine Ski Team Makes Hill-Murray History
The Hill-Murray Alpine Ski team captured the school’s first-ever state title behind incredibly strong performances by the entire lineup, most notably freshman Taylor Voigt and sophomore Kate Reardon.
The Pioneers finished with 163 points, 19 better than Prior Lake Farmington, which finished as runners-up. The state meet was held on Feb. 14 at Giant’s Ridge in Biwabik, MN.
Voigt won the individual state title while Reardon finished 6th overall. All five Pioneers skiers finished in the top 23 among team score competitors.
Eight years ago, Hill-Murray head coach Don Shipp took over a program that had tied for last in a 24-team section meet. The Pioneers are now a proven powerhouse in Alpine Ski. Something that obviously makes Shipp proud.
Shipp told the Pioneer Press this:
“We’re creating a ski racing culture at Hill-Murray,” Shipp told the media outlet. “We’re here with the best teams in the state that all have very solid ski racing cultures. So I think more in terms of trying to create a culture where kids love to ski race. It’s meant to build them up. They set goals and they work hard and they rise, and it’s an individual sport and a team sport, simultaneously. If you get a big enough collection of athletes that are truly motivated and inspired, this can happen. It’s terrific.”
