While the various sports teams make up a pretty sizable amount of the school culture and spirit, some teams are much larger than others. One of the more obscure teams at McDaniel is the ski team, a very small but tight knit group of passionate skiers. 

Sophomore and ski team member Richard Graves emphasized the smallness of the group. 

“We have five total members. Four boys, and one girl,” Graves said. 

While some sports teams might be hindered by such a low number of members, Liam Evans, another sophomore and member of the team seemed to view it in a positive light, and even as an opportunity for the members of the team to bond. 

“I like to keep it niche,” Evans said, when asked about whether or not he enjoys being a part of one of the smallest sports teams that McDaniel offers.

Even though the ski season hasn’t officially started, seeing as the team’s first competition takes place later this month, the team hasn’t used that as an excuse to slack off. In order to prepare for the season, they participate in dryland training, which consists of running and skiing drills, among other things. Sophomore Bee Naue described dryland training as difficult but rewarding.

“We have training at Cleveland and Grant during the week, and on the weekends we go to Mount Tabor and we run,” Naue said.

During the season however, is when the team actually participates in skiing, by going up to Mt. Hood every week. This frequent visit to the mountains is what makes the grueling dry land training all worth it.

“My favorite part of being on the ski team is the fact that I get to go up to the mountain every Thursday,” Graves said. 

Because the team is so small, the ski team is combined with Grant, Cleveland, Benson, and Franklin to make up what is known as the Eastside Highschools Racing Team. The team was founded in 2006 by Head Coach Randy Hewitt, according to their official website.Although skiing isn’t an official OSAA registered sport, the McDaniel skiers are working hard and are determined to have a successful season.