BIWABIK — It was a smaller contingent than most recent years, but the Stillwater alpine skiing program delivered some impressive performances during the state meet on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at Giants Ridge.
Senior Cash Jaeger closed out his prep career with a second-place finish in the boys individual standings while senior teammate Ethan Stabenow joined him in earning all-state honors with a ninth-place finish.
For the Stillwater girls, freshman Paige Stabenow narrowly missed becoming the second member of her family to earn all-state honors after placing 23rd in the standings. Senior Maycie Neubauer straddled a gate on her first run to take the individual Section 4 champion out of contention at state.
It was an atypical state meet for Stillwater, which was not represented by one or both squads in the team competitions for the first time since 2015. The Stillwater boys and girls each placed third in the section standings, with only the top two teams advancing to state.
“It was hard for me because it feels like we’re just missing something,” Neubauer said. “It’s a lot easier when we have both teams up there. It just feels more comfortable because that’s what we’re used to.”
But there were definitely highlights from those who did advance.
Jaeger finished as the state runner-up for the second year in a row, placing just behind conference rival Anthony Petkov of Irondale, who claimed the title with a two-run time of 1:15.69 (36.76-38.93). Jaeger ranked third after the first run and moved up a spot into second with a total time of 1:16.63, about a second behind Petkov.
Jackson Reents of Hastings, who finished just .04 ahead of Jaeger to capture the individual title in Section 4 a week earlier, led all skiers with a first run of 36.56, but did not finish the second run, leaving Petkov and Jaeger in the top two spots. Jack Shideman of Orono placed third with a time of 1:16.78.
“Anthony came down and his run looked almost flawless,” Neubauer said. “He was definitely the best skier of the day. There wasn’t much that he didn’t do right. Jackson was probably about two or three gates from the bottom and he straddled.
“It just looked like those three were going to go at it and have a heckuva day. Watching Cash come down, he had a turn or two where it wasn’t off, but maybe just the conditions were starting to erode a little bit and it was a little different track. He came 27th out of the house so the run had some wear and tear that you could tell, but these guys are so talented they make it look a lot easier. A couple of turns made your heart beat a little quicker, but there were great recoveries by all the competitors. They’re amazing skiers.”
Neubauer wasn’t surprised to see Jaeger engaged in another tight competition with his conference and section rivals.
“He’s beyond his years as a ski racer and a competitor because he has competed in so many venues and all over the country,” Neubauer said. “He’s seen a lot and I think he also realizes that any given day the order can change on any given run. It was AP’s day and that’s what it came down to. Cash has gotten him and AP has gotten him as well, it’s just ski racing.
“Cash is definitely a student of the sport, without a doubt. He is pretty quiet and reserved, but he is always working on something. He’s just a great overall kid with a great temperament and there’s never any highs for him, never any lows. It’s been an honor to be part of his learning curve and watch him grow.”
Ethan Stabenow ranked 14th after the first run with a time of 38.06, but delivered the fourth fastest time on Helsinki course (39.73) to climb up to ninth in the overall standings with a time of 1:17.79.
“I think the guys skied great,” Neubauer said. “They stuck together and had a game plan like they have been all year. They’re good friends, good competitors and good teammates.”
Stabenow’s performance was even more impressive after he suffered a wrist injury over the weekend that impacted his preparations and created some uncertainty for his final prep race.
“We found a nice thinner wrist support or brace and it seemed to do the trick,” Neubauer said. “He just kind of went for it and went ahead and skied really, really well. He finished his second run and his whole right arm wasn’t feeling very good. He skied two runs in pain and got through it and skied really well.
“Him competing wasn’t going to be a question, it was how he was going to be able to ski as effectively without causing further injury. Nothing really felt comfortable and it was not the normal way for him to ski, but it felt a little better. He just said I’m going to ski and that’s what he did.”
It wasn’t their preference, but Neubauer said the athletes were able to ski aggressively without worrying about the team scoring.
“When you have a team there and you’re one of the top skiers for the team you tend to put your own needs in the back seat because the team is what you’re focused on,” Neubauer said. “Yes, you’re going to ski hard and fast, but I always sense the kids take a little bit off the race when the team is involved rather than just skiing purely for themselves. I’m very happy for them. Considering the competition in the field, they did fantastic.
“It’s a great achievement and I’m very happy for the boys. We were all pulling for Cash to get the state title and he has always been one of the top 10 skiers in the state the last four or five years. That was the ultimate goal was going for a state title and we really thought he was going to be able to pull it off.”
Like her older brother, Paige Stabenow climbed several spots on her second run. She ranked 30th after the morning session before moving up to 23rd place with the 17th fastest run Innsbruck (41.80) to finish at 1:27.15.
“The sun came out at lunch and both Stabenows shined,” Neubauer said.
The coach was not surprised about the strong showing in her first state meet, building on an outstanding section meet.
“I really like how she skis and her attitude, she’s just a fun kid to be around,” Neubauer said. “She had some little flaws in her skiing that she has cleaned up and she’s a smarter skier. She skied like a seasoned veteran and just owned it. I can’t wait to see her in the years to come.”
There were higher expectations for the last of Stillwater’s three seniors competing at state. Maycie Neubauer finished atop a strong Section 4 field and was shooting for a top-10 finish at state, but fell out of contention after a missed gate on her first run and placed 79th overall with a time of 2:05.45.
“A couple sections on the course we weren’t quite sure how they were going to ski and she came out in the first four or five skiers,” coach Neubauer said. “That can be a blessing and a curse. The blessing is you get the best track, but the downside is you don’t get to see enough skiers and you’re kind of the guinea pig. I thought she skied the top section great and came off the pitch on a super high line and looked great. She came through the technical section in the course and came through the combinations where there were a couple really tight gates and one of them got her. She was going for it.
“It came down to one gate that punished her for having too much speed. I was pleased she hiked and skied the rest of the course — most of the individuals won’t finish — and got a second run. She was heartbroken, but that’s ski racing. We move forward and there’s nothing you can do. You can’t have this perfect run every time.”
Maycie’s final competition also marks the end of an era for her family at the state meet. She is the youngest of four family members who have competed for the Ponies. Maycie contributed to second-place finishes for the Ponies in 2020 and 2022 while Hunter Neubauer also skied on two boys state runner-up teams. Older sister Maddie was a member of Stillwater’s state championship squad in 2018.
“All four skied, but the last three really got into it,” Kevin Neubauer said. “It was fun to watch them ski and collect some hardware. For a lot of kids just getting to the state meet is the finish line, but we’ve been really lucky to have a number of kids every year go up there competing for a podium spot with their team and usually coming back with hardware.
“For her and I as father and daughter, coach and athlete, the last 10 years there has been at least one Neubauer in the state meet. She wanted to deliver a state title and cap the career so there was a little more meaning behind that run than just the run itself.”
• Jaeger and Maycie Neubauer each qualified for represent Team Minnesota in the Western US High School Championships in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., on March 12-14. The team will consist of 12 athletes based on the top three finishers from each of four section meets.
• Minnetonka cruised to the state team championship on the girls side with 168 points, finishing comfortably ahead of Minneapolis Washburn (141) and third-place Brainerd (137). Washburn and Minneapolis Southwest were the team’s that finished ahead of the Ponies in Section 4.
Vivien Pihlstrom of Blake was the girls individual state champion with a time of 1:20.66 (40.16-40.50).
Minneapolis Washburn finished second behind Hill-Murray in the boys section standings, but racked up 154 points to hold off second-place Minnetonka (151) and third-place Hill-Murray (151) for the top spot at state.
• Artin Amariayan of St. Croix Preparatory Academy placed 38th in the boys individual standings at state with a time of 1:23.72 (39.88-43.84).
Boys team standings
1. Minneapolis Washburn 154; 2. Minnetonka 151; 3. Hill-Murray 151; 4. Cook County/Silver Bay 135; 5. Hopkins 125.5; 6. Rosemount 98.5; 7. Duluth East 98; 8. Mankato West 86.
Top five, Stillwater results
1. Anthony Petkov (Irondale) 36.76-38.93—1:15.69; 2. Cash Jaeger (St) 37.01-39.62—1:16.63; 3. Jack Shideman (Orono) 37.06-39.72—1:16.78; 4. Tate Wilker (Eden Prairie) 37.14-39.81—1:16.95; 5. Toren Piltingsrud (St. Thomas Academy) 37.25-39.85—1:17.10; 9. Ethan Stabenow (St) 38.06-39.73—1:17.79.
Girls team standings
1. Minnetonka 168; 2. Minneapolis Washburn 141; 3. Brainerd 137; 4. Duluth East 119; 5. Edina 118; 6. Minneapolis Southwest 104; 7. Prior Lake 99; 8. Cloquet-Esko-Carlton 70.
Top five, Stillwater results
1. Vivien Pihlstrom (Blake) 40.16-40.50—1:20.66; 2. Courtney Bumpers (Eagan) 40.39-41.03—1:21.42; 3. Charlotte Kinzer (Minnetonka) 40.02-41.65—1:21.67; 4. Ally Adair (Edina) 40.22-41.46—1:21.68; 5. Grace Horjesi (Benilde-St. Margaret’s) 40.47-41.54—1:22.01; 23. Paige Stabenow (St) 41.80-45.35—1:27.15; 79. Maycie Neubauer (St) 43.52-1:21.93—2:05.45.
Contact Stuart Groskreutz at stuart.groskreutz@apgecm.com
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