Rainier Gillis

The BSM alpine ski team celebrates a successful competition at the sections tournament.

As winter sports seasons start to come to a close, many teams reflect on the successes and memories of their past season. The Benilde-St. Margaret’s ski team is among those teams. While they have officially wrapped up their 2024-2025 season, the team has positively reflected on their successful season as well as the hard work and fun that went into it.

The team put in a lot of hard work this season. Practicing for multiple hours a day at Hyland Hills Ski Area and traveling throughout the state to competitions, the skiers dedicated a lot of time and energy to their sport. “We have practices Monday through Thursday for two hours where we run courses and do drills. I’m a captain this year, so I helped set [the courses and drills] up,” junior captain Rainier Gilliss said.

Along with the hard work and dedication the skiers put into their individual and team success this season, they also made sure to balance their hard work with fun. The team especially made sure to enjoy each other’s company and their shared love for the slopes this season. “I’d say [the thing I enjoy most about BSM ski] is the community and getting out of school to go do something I love,” senior David Birch said.

While the skiers put in a lot of effort and had fun, this season was not without challenges. This year, participation numbers were low as the team graduated many of their best skiers, such as state qualifiers Lara DePauw and Grace Horesji, last year. However, despite losing talented athletes, other skiers stepped up. Senior Bennett Erickson and sophomore Mackenzie Gleason followed in the footsteps of DePauw and Horesji, representing the team and BSM at state. The rest of the team is proud of the skiers’ efforts not only at state but also the reward of trying their best and making it to such a prestigious competition. “Bennett Erickson and Mackenzie Gleason went [to state]. And they both fell at state, but that’s all right because they made it there, and they tried [their best],” Gilliss said.

As the team reflects on this past season, they also hope for even more participation in future seasons. Many current skiers just learned how to ski this year, so the team encourages current and upcoming Red Knights to try out BSM skiing regardless of their skill level. “Do it because it’s a pretty easy sport to learn how to do. We had people join this year who didn’t know how to ski. [We] teach you how to ski and how to ski well…I just recommended it for anyone who wants a winter activity. You can varsity in it too, you get a letter for that so that’s pretty cool,” Birch said.

Overall, the BSM ski team had a very successful and rewarding season. While they are proud of their achievements on the slopes, what many of the skiers most cherished about the past season was the strong community and relationships they built on the slopes. “I’d say [the thing I enjoy most about BSM skiing] is the community. The bus rides are pretty fun too. Everyone’s pretty positive and wants to be there and have fun,” Gilliss said.