The Prior Lake/Farmington girls Alpine ski team was back on the state slopes Feb. 13 for a second straight year with hopes of contending for a state title.

Last winter, the Lakers were second in the state team standings behind Hill-Murray, but the team couldn’t match that performance this time around at Giants Ridge in Biwabik.

Instead, Prior Lake finished seventh in the team standings with 99 points. Minnetonka won the title with 168 points, followed by Minneapolis Washburn (141), Brainerd (137), Duluth East (119), Edina (118) and Minneapolis Southwest (104).

Cloquet-Esko-Carlton ended up eighth (70).

Like last year, all six of the Laker skiers who competed at state were underclassmen, so the team will have its entire lineup back next winter.

Ninth grader Elizabeth McCroskey had the team’s best state finish taking 44th overall with a combined time of 1:30.62 on her two runs.

Sophomore Kovyn Rice ended up 48th for the Lakers with a time of 1:31.58, followed by eighth grader Olivia Reid in 50th (1:32.53), sophomore Annika Meyer in 67th (1:39.33) and sophomore Emily Reid in 69th (1:43.39).

Junior Annabel McCann, who led the Lakers to the Section 6 title with a third-place overall finish, had a tough state meet. She was ninth overall after her first run with a time of 41.87, but she didn’t finish the second run and ended up 82nd.

McCann finished 10th at the state competition last year to lead Prior Lake to the runner-up state finish.

Meanwhile, senior Blake Stout represented the Prior Lake boys at the state race. He was the team’s lone qualifier.

Stout was making his second straight appearance after finishing 29th last year. He was a couple spots shy of that finish this time around taking 31st overall with a time of 1:22.36.

Anthony Petkov of Irondale was the boys’ individual champion with a time of 1:15.69, while Vivien Pihlstrom of Blake was the girls’ winner (1:20.66).

Minneapolis Washburn was the boys’ team champion with 154 points, three better than runner-up Minnetonka.