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DCWST alpine team members Kara Opfer and Chase Desjardin were recently named the 2025 – 2026 Savage Squirrel Awardees. This is the highest honor DCWST bestows on members of the program. This Savage Squirrel Award, named after a combination of the race hill (Squirrel Cage) and and the original park (the Savage Terrain Park), is given annually the skiers and/or snowboarders who most embody the DCWST ethos of sportsmanship, positive attitude, athletic achievement, and an overall love of the sport. As model DCWST athletes the Savage Squirrel Awardees are not only recognized at the annual team banquet, but they also add their name to the Savage Squirrel helmet and have their names engraved on the Savage Squirrel plaque displayed in the Mulderig Training Center.
Qualifying Deep Creek Winter Sports Team (DCWST) athletes traveled to represent the western Pennsylvania region the last two weekends for State Championships. These Championship races are only available to very exclusive U12-U16 racers who have worked hard to qualify by accumulating World Cup points throughout the winter season. Excitingly, DCWST athlete Trent Bray finished first overall in the U16 State Championships and will go on to represent Pennsylvania in the Eastern Championships in Sugarloaf, ME March 16-20. DCWST athlete Vale Braun also finished third overall in the U12 State Championships and will also represent PA in the Francis Piche Invitational at Gunstock Mountain Resort, NH March 11-15. DCWST athletes U10 and under competed in a speed race at Wisp Resort on February 15th. Podium results include Kearney Guidera (1st, U8 1F); Abigail Furer (1st, U8 2F), Sammy Eakes (2nd, U8 2F); Kasey Follett (1st, U10 1M), Graham Lizzi (2nd, U10 1M), Elon Nushi (3rd, U10 1M); Sawyer Guidera (1st, U10 2F), Cecilia Perfetti (2nd, U10 2F), Allie Beitzel (3rd, U10 2F); Chase Niesslein (1st, U10 2M), Kieran Dixon (2nd, U10 2M), and Luke Teter (3rd, U10 2M). The U12 State Championships was hosted at Ski Roundtop the weekend of February 21-22. Top finishing athletes from DCWST were Brady Guidera (14th overall – 13th in SL and GS) and Vale Braun (3rd overall – 4th in SL and 3rd in GS). DCWST athletes also representing western include Josephine Haigh, Jason “JJ” Bergin, Silas Cavazos, and Benjamin Goodier.
With the completion of the regular season of racing last weekend, many DCWST athletes have skied very well over the course of the season so far. Some athletes have also now qualified for upcoming PARA State Championship events. The PARA U12 State Championships will be held at Roundtop Mountain Resort in Lewisberry, PA on Feb. 21 – 22. DCWST will be represented at that event by Brady Guidera, Josephine Haigh, Vale Braun, JJ Bergin, Silas Cavazos, and Ben Goodier. The PARA U14 State Championships will be held at Seven Spring Resort in Champion, PA on Feb. 21 – 22. DCWST will be represented at that event by Emma Easterday, Arden Braun, Mary Tusing, Eliot Eckel and Jack Haigh. The PARA U16 State Championships will be held at Blue Mountain Resort in Palmerton, PA on Feb. 27 – Mar. 1. DCWST will be represented at that event by Isla Norrington, Trent Bray, Gavin Grunseich, and Troy Bray. DCWST is proud of the accomplishments of all of our athletes, but we give a special shout out to all of our states’ qualifiers – way to go!
This past weekend, Deep Creek Winter Sports Team (DCWST) athletes posted an impressive sweep of results at home race Giant Slalom at Wisp Resort and at a Slalom race away at Hidden Valley Resort in Pennsylvania. At Hidden Valley, DCWST athletes swept the bronze podium across the board: for females, U12 Brady Guidera, U14 Arden Braun, and U16 Isla Norrington, and for males, U12 Vale Braun and U14 Eliot Eckel. At Wisp, DCWST female athletes received a podium placement: U8 Kearney Guidera silver, Abigail Furer bronze; U10 Sawyer Guidera gold; U12 Brady Guidera gold; U14 Emma Easterday bronze; and U18 Avabella Perfetti gold. For males: U10 Kai Diffenderfer gold; U12 Vale Braun gold, Jason “JJ” Bergin silver; and U14 Eliot Eckel silver. This was the last qualifying event for the State Championships hosted at Ski Roundtop, Seven Springs, and Blue Mountain Pennsylvania in the coming weeks for U12-U16 athletes. U16 and older athletes have the opportunity to participate in a series of 8 races that make up the Pennsylvania (Pa.) Cup series. Three races were held this past weekend at Blue Mountain: Super G, Giant Slalom (GS), and Slalom (SL). Gavin Nolan, Trent Bray, Chase Desjardins, Abigail Mullin, Alexa Hester, Isla Norrington, and Kara Opfer represented the DCWST in select races — notably, Isla Norrington finished in second place in the U16 category in Super G and U16 Trent Bray finished first in SL. Bray was in fourth place for U16s in the GS when the call was made to cancel the second run due to extreme wind. Full article at https://www.wvnews.com/garrettrepublican/sports/dcwst-racers-medal-in-successful-weekend/article_1d8c9c70-172f-4099-ada3-d12b8a851a36.html
DCWST athlete Chase Desjardin (seen above) was recently featured on the “Air and Opportunity” podcast. Listen to the episode for some insight into what drives him both on and off the slopes.
DCWST Athlete Chase Desjardins Wins Gold at Season Kickoff Race Nearly 100 Deep Creek Winter Sports Team (DCWST) athletes successfully completed their mini camp training series at Wisp Resort sponsored by Garrett Regional Medical Center from December 27-30th. The training camp was the first event of the season for the DCWST which marked the kickoff for US Ski and Snowboard alpine competitions from January through March across the western Pennsylvania region. U14-U21 DCWST athletes participated in the first Slalom competition of the season this past Saturday, January 3rd at Seven Springs Resort in Pennsylvania. Chase Desjardins brought home an impressive podium result for the DCWST this weekend, winning a Gold medal for a first place finish in the U18 men’s division. DCWST U14 women’s Emma Easterday posted a stellar third-place finish in her second run following a DSQ first run. DCWST had an extraordinary showing of 37 athlete participants in the race. Next weekend will bring PA Cup races for upper age divisions, followed by races at home Wisp Resort (January 25th, February 8th) and away as athletes work to qualify for State Championship events at the end of the season. The month will be capped off with a Skills Quest competition at Hidden Valley Resort in Pennsylvania where athletes are graded on proficiency in a variety of skills, and another opportunity to earn points towards the State Championships.
The Deep Creek Winter Sports Team (DCWST) will host it’s annual informational meetings for parents and athletes on Dec. 9. The U8/U10 meeting will run from 6 – 7pm. The U12/U14/U16 meeting will run from 7 – 8pm. The U18+ meeting will run from 8 – 9pm. Team members and their families will receive meeting info/links via email. Info can also be found on the calendar in TeamSnap. Hope to see you there!
DCWST is a volunteer, nonprofit organization run by parents with a passion for winter mountain sports. The fees from each of our member families each year help us pay for coaching and maintain the wide array of specialized technical equipment that it takes to run the program and and host our events. But there is so much more support we need, and we are grateful to our parent community for all that they give to DCWST as volunteers. Volunteer opportunities exist in many areas, such as: The DCWST Board The On Snow Events Committee The Athlete Recognition and Team Banquet Committee The Coach Support (SSS) Crew In addition, one of our greatest ongoing needs are parents to fill the roles of certified Alpine Officials on race days. These are highly rewarding positions, and we must have them filled to host events on our “home field”. Information about these positions and resources for those who are interested in filling these crucial roles are below. Becoming A USSS Alpine Official (AO) and the Pathway to Certification AO Exam Study Guides AO Certification Pathway Timeline Not only does volunteering help our athletes and DCWST, it is a most rewarding experience on its own. Being part of and learning in detail all there is to learn about these wonderfully exciting and challenging sports is truly an experience to treasure. To sign up for a volunteer position (or get more information) email volunteers or the DCWST Snowsports Director . Volunteer today and help us keep DCWST great!
The leaves are falling and winter is right around the corner – time to sign up for a season of winter fun with DCWST! Registration information can be found at https://www.dcwst.org/join/ . We will be accepting members to our Alpine Team and our newly retooled Race Ready Adult Team . Make sure you are ready to roll by reviewing our the registration instructions prior to for signing up. And make sure you complete the process by our registration deadline of Dec. 1! Sign up today to come rip with us – we can’t wait to see you out there!
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DCWST alpine team members Kara Opfer and Chase Desjardin were recently named the 2025 – 2026 Savage Squirrel Awardees. This is the highest honor DCWST bestows on members of the program. This Savage Squirrel Award, named after a combination of the race hill (Squirrel Cage) and and the original park (the Savage Terrain Park), is given annually the skiers and/or snowboarders who most embody the DCWST ethos of sportsmanship, positive attitude, athletic achievement, and an overall love of the sport. As model DCWST athletes the Savage Squirrel Awardees are not only recognized at the annual team banquet, but they also add their name to the Savage Squirrel helmet and have their names engraved on the Savage Squirrel plaque displayed in the Mulderig Training Center.
Qualifying Deep Creek Winter Sports Team (DCWST) athletes traveled to represent the western Pennsylvania region the last two weekends for State Championships. These Championship races are only available to very exclusive U12-U16 racers who have worked hard to qualify by accumulating World Cup points throughout the winter season. Excitingly, DCWST athlete Trent Bray finished first overall in the U16 State Championships and will go on to represent Pennsylvania in the Eastern Championships in Sugarloaf, ME March 16-20. DCWST athlete Vale Braun also finished third overall in the U12 State Championships and will also represent PA in the Francis Piche Invitational at Gunstock Mountain Resort, NH March 11-15. DCWST athletes U10 and under competed in a speed race at Wisp Resort on February 15th. Podium results include Kearney Guidera (1st, U8 1F); Abigail Furer (1st, U8 2F), Sammy Eakes (2nd, U8 2F); Kasey Follett (1st, U10 1M), Graham Lizzi (2nd, U10 1M), Elon Nushi (3rd, U10 1M); Sawyer Guidera (1st, U10 2F), Cecilia Perfetti (2nd, U10 2F), Allie Beitzel (3rd, U10 2F); Chase Niesslein (1st, U10 2M), Kieran Dixon (2nd, U10 2M), and Luke Teter (3rd, U10 2M). The U12 State Championships was hosted at Ski Roundtop the weekend of February 21-22. Top finishing athletes from DCWST were Brady Guidera (14th overall – 13th in SL and GS) and Vale Braun (3rd overall – 4th in SL and 3rd in GS). DCWST athletes also representing western include Josephine Haigh, Jason “JJ” Bergin, Silas Cavazos, and Benjamin Goodier.
With the completion of the regular season of racing last weekend, many DCWST athletes have skied very well over the course of the season so far. Some athletes have also now qualified for upcoming PARA State Championship events. The PARA U12 State Championships will be held at Roundtop Mountain Resort in Lewisberry, PA on Feb. 21 – 22. DCWST will be represented at that event by Brady Guidera, Josephine Haigh, Vale Braun, JJ Bergin, Silas Cavazos, and Ben Goodier. The PARA U14 State Championships will be held at Seven Spring Resort in Champion, PA on Feb. 21 – 22. DCWST will be represented at that event by Emma Easterday, Arden Braun, Mary Tusing, Eliot Eckel and Jack Haigh. The PARA U16 State Championships will be held at Blue Mountain Resort in Palmerton, PA on Feb. 27 – Mar. 1. DCWST will be represented at that event by Isla Norrington, Trent Bray, Gavin Grunseich, and Troy Bray. DCWST is proud of the accomplishments of all of our athletes, but we give a special shout out to all of our states’ qualifiers – way to go!
This past weekend, Deep Creek Winter Sports Team (DCWST) athletes posted an impressive sweep of results at home race Giant Slalom at Wisp Resort and at a Slalom race away at Hidden Valley Resort in Pennsylvania. At Hidden Valley, DCWST athletes swept the bronze podium across the board: for females, U12 Brady Guidera, U14 Arden Braun, and U16 Isla Norrington, and for males, U12 Vale Braun and U14 Eliot Eckel. At Wisp, DCWST female athletes received a podium placement: U8 Kearney Guidera silver, Abigail Furer bronze; U10 Sawyer Guidera gold; U12 Brady Guidera gold; U14 Emma Easterday bronze; and U18 Avabella Perfetti gold. For males: U10 Kai Diffenderfer gold; U12 Vale Braun gold, Jason “JJ” Bergin silver; and U14 Eliot Eckel silver. This was the last qualifying event for the State Championships hosted at Ski Roundtop, Seven Springs, and Blue Mountain Pennsylvania in the coming weeks for U12-U16 athletes. U16 and older athletes have the opportunity to participate in a series of 8 races that make up the Pennsylvania (Pa.) Cup series. Three races were held this past weekend at Blue Mountain: Super G, Giant Slalom (GS), and Slalom (SL). Gavin Nolan, Trent Bray, Chase Desjardins, Abigail Mullin, Alexa Hester, Isla Norrington, and Kara Opfer represented the DCWST in select races — notably, Isla Norrington finished in second place in the U16 category in Super G and U16 Trent Bray finished first in SL. Bray was in fourth place for U16s in the GS when the call was made to cancel the second run due to extreme wind. Full article at https://www.wvnews.com/garrettrepublican/sports/dcwst-racers-medal-in-successful-weekend/article_1d8c9c70-172f-4099-ada3-d12b8a851a36.html
DCWST athlete Chase Desjardin (seen above) was recently featured on the “Air and Opportunity” podcast. Listen to the episode for some insight into what drives him both on and off the slopes.
DCWST Athlete Chase Desjardins Wins Gold at Season Kickoff Race Nearly 100 Deep Creek Winter Sports Team (DCWST) athletes successfully completed their mini camp training series at Wisp Resort sponsored by Garrett Regional Medical Center from December 27-30th. The training camp was the first event of the season for the DCWST which marked the kickoff for US Ski and Snowboard alpine competitions from January through March across the western Pennsylvania region. U14-U21 DCWST athletes participated in the first Slalom competition of the season this past Saturday, January 3rd at Seven Springs Resort in Pennsylvania. Chase Desjardins brought home an impressive podium result for the DCWST this weekend, winning a Gold medal for a first place finish in the U18 men’s division. DCWST U14 women’s Emma Easterday posted a stellar third-place finish in her second run following a DSQ first run. DCWST had an extraordinary showing of 37 athlete participants in the race. Next weekend will bring PA Cup races for upper age divisions, followed by races at home Wisp Resort (January 25th, February 8th) and away as athletes work to qualify for State Championship events at the end of the season. The month will be capped off with a Skills Quest competition at Hidden Valley Resort in Pennsylvania where athletes are graded on proficiency in a variety of skills, and another opportunity to earn points towards the State Championships.
The Deep Creek Winter Sports Team (DCWST) will host it’s annual informational meetings for parents and athletes on Dec. 9. The U8/U10 meeting will run from 6 – 7pm. The U12/U14/U16 meeting will run from 7 – 8pm. The U18+ meeting will run from 8 – 9pm. Team members and their families will receive meeting info/links via email. Info can also be found on the calendar in TeamSnap. Hope to see you there!
DCWST is a volunteer, nonprofit organization run by parents with a passion for winter mountain sports. The fees from each of our member families each year help us pay for coaching and maintain the wide array of specialized technical equipment that it takes to run the program and and host our events. But there is so much more support we need, and we are grateful to our parent community for all that they give to DCWST as volunteers. Volunteer opportunities exist in many areas, such as: The DCWST Board The On Snow Events Committee The Athlete Recognition and Team Banquet Committee The Coach Support (SSS) Crew In addition, one of our greatest ongoing needs are parents to fill the roles of certified Alpine Officials on race days. These are highly rewarding positions, and we must have them filled to host events on our “home field”. Information about these positions and resources for those who are interested in filling these crucial roles are below. Becoming A USSS Alpine Official (AO) and the Pathway to Certification AO Exam Study Guides AO Certification Pathway Timeline Not only does volunteering help our athletes and DCWST, it is a most rewarding experience on its own. Being part of and learning in detail all there is to learn about these wonderfully exciting and challenging sports is truly an experience to treasure. To sign up for a volunteer position (or get more information) email volunteers or the DCWST Snowsports Director . Volunteer today and help us keep DCWST great!
The leaves are falling and winter is right around the corner – time to sign up for a season of winter fun with DCWST! Registration information can be found at https://www.dcwst.org/join/ . We will be accepting members to our Alpine Team and our newly retooled Race Ready Adult Team . Make sure you are ready to roll by reviewing our the registration instructions prior to for signing up. And make sure you complete the process by our registration deadline of Dec. 1! Sign up today to come rip with us – we can’t wait to see you out there!