South Medford’s Van Horn, Crater’s Hokanson race to state ski wins
Published 3:03 pm Thursday, April 3, 2025
South Medford girls ski team members pose together at Mt. Ashland after joining forces to place fourth in the OISRA alpine ski race state championships. (Photo courtesy of Katie Stumpff)
Crater's Ivar Hokanson won the boys individual slalom OISRA state championship and finished fourth in the boys combined standings. (Photo by Tyler Maddox)
South Medford's Alyana Van Horn won the girls combined OISRA state championships title after placing first in the slalom and second in the giant slalom. (Photo by Tyler Maddox)
Ashland's Anya Saturen finished runner-up in the girls combined OISRA state championships after placing third in the slalom and fifth in the giant slalom. (Photo by Tyler Maddox)
South Medford's Josh Kalina placed fifth in the boys individual giant slalom at the OISRA state championships. (Photo by Tyler Maddox)
Panther girls finish fourth overall in slalom, giant slalom and combined standings to pace local efforts at Mt. Ashland
Southern Oregon’s finest made the most of their home-turf advantage during the Oregon Interscholastic Ski Racing Association championships at Mt. Ashland, with South Medford’s Alyana Van Horn and Crater’s Ivar Hokanson leading the charge in March.
Van Horn earned the girls individual combined championship after placing first in the slalom in 1 minute, 25.21 seconds and second in the giant slalom in 1:40.04 for a combined title-winning effort of 3:05.25.
Van Horn pieced together runs of 40.61 seconds and 44.60 seconds to collect her winning time in the girls individual slalom. In the giant slalom, her run times were 49.55 and 50.49 to put her just behind the winning effort of Hood River Valley’s Emily Teets (1:38.35).
Ashland’s Anya Saturen was runner-up in the combined standings (3:08.54) after finishing third in the girls individual slalom (1:26.86) and fifth in the girls individual giant slalom (1:41.68).
With the junior Van Horn leading the charge, South Medford’s girls team was also able to place fourth in each of the slalom, giant slalom and combined team standings during the alpine championships.
Amirah Stumpff finished 24th overall in the girls combined standings (3:37.21), Birkley Maddox was 33rd (3:47.43) and McKenzie Gallagher finished 38th (3:49.41) to allow the Panthers to finish behind Hood River Valley (10:07.01), Bend (10:07.24) and Sisters (10:12.88) in the combined team standings at 10:16.73.
Ashland was sixth in the girls combined team standings (10:35.76) — with Teagan Filoon at 28th overall (3:38.12) and Leila Allen 35th (3:49.10) — and the St. Mary’s girls team finished 15th (11:50.32) behind a leading effort from Viola Wilson, who was 41st in the combined standings (3:53.99).
Hokanson put forth a championship performance in the boys individual slalom after runs of 39.60 seconds and 37.22 seconds created a winning time of 1:16.82.
Hokanson finished ninth overall in the boys giant slalom with runs of 53.22 and 46.71 for a total time of 1:39.93.
His two-day results left Hokanson fourth in the boys individual combined standings (2:56.75), trailing Wilsonville’s Kaden Bertell (2:51.54), Styopa Myagkov of Sisters (2:53.31) and Ashland’s Bjorn Austbo (2:56.50).
Austbo placed fifth in the boys slalom (1:20.64) and fourth in the boys giant slalom (1:35.86).
South Medford’s top individual boys showing was turned in by Josh Kalina, who was fifth in the boys individual giant slalom (1:39.38), and Garrin Gosse finished 15th in the boys individual slalom (1:27.12).
The Panthers placed eighth as a team in the boys combined standings, with Grant Caswell posting the top combined effort to finish 27th overall in those standings at 3:33.05.
Ryann DeBoer had the top showing for the Cascade Christian girls after finishing 36th overall in the combined standings (3:49.11), and Gwen VanWart paced the Crater girls in 37th (3:49.26).
Crater’s Reed Kuther tied for 11th place in the boys individual giant slalom (1:40.48).
Alpine skiing is not a sanctioned sport through the Oregon School Athletic Association, but has deep roots through efforts by the OISRA.
Reach sports editor Kris Henry at kris.henry@rv-times.com or 458-488-2035
