A half dozen Sisters High School athletes have been given the opportunity to team up with Nordic skiers from the schools in Redmond in order to compete in the Oregon Interscholastic Ski Racing Association (OISRA) Northern League for the 2021-22 season.

Evan Eby, a senior who transferred from Ridgeview High to Sisters last year, wanted to continue his Nordic ski career, but Sisters had dropped its program. He was able to work with his former coaches to take part last year, which opened the door for five other Outlaws to join him for this season.

The OISRA is the organizing body for both Nordic and alpine skiing in Oregon. Skiing is not part of the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) that governs nearly all other high school sports in Oregon.

The team competed Saturday, January 8 near Mt. Hood at the Teacup 4.5-kilometer classic race. Eby, along with fellow seniors Jackson Griffin and Kaleb Briggs, raced among 56 other boys from Bend, Summit, Hood River, Redmond, and Ridgeview.

Brooklyn Liddell, Ella Bartlett, and Josie Berg competed among 52 girls starters in the race.

Complete results were not available at press time.

The team also competed on December 15 at the Classic Season Opener 3-kilometer race at Meissner Sno-Park.

Next up for the team is the XC Oregon Invitational at Mt. Bachelor on Saturday, January 22, which will include racers from the Southern Division and the Mt. Hood Division as well.

It’s so cool that I’ve been able to have five teammates from the cross-country team join me on the Nordic team this year. They’re doing well and we’re having a good time together.

— Evan Eby