It was a beautiful sunny weekend as the Diamond Peak Ski Team’s J3s traveled to Mammoth Mountain for their first race of the season on Dec. 10 and 11.The Clifford Mann Classic is a slalom race open to athletes through age 19 from all over the West. Despite being some of the youngest competitors at 13 and 14 years of age, Diamond Peak J3 ladies skied well in their first event of the season, showing great promise as the ski racing season moves forward. Lauren Keller proved she will be the one to beat, as she earned an award both days, stepping up to the podium in third place among J3 ladies on Saturday and earning a fourth-place award on Sunday. Awards are given to first- through fifth-place finishers at the J3 level. Amanda Pretti and Annika Hansen skied to seventh- and eighth-place finishes, respectively, among J3 ladies on Saturday and eighth and ninth on Sunday. “I’m really pleased with how well our Diamond Peak J3s raced against a varied and much older competitive field,” said Diamond Peak J3 Coach Eric Garyoa. “Our men did well and the ladies were outstanding. I am looking forward to a stellar season.”— This article was submitted to Sports Editor Sylas Wright at swright@tahoebonanza.com