Last season, Bend High’s Keenan Seidel guided the Lava Bear boys to the first-ever Oregon School Ski Association championship by winning both the slalom and giant slalom at the organization’s state meet.

Look for more of the same from Seidel and the Bend High boys during the 2013 high school alpine season.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” Lava Bear coach Greg Timm said about how Seidel, a junior, handles being the top returning skier in the OSSA. “Some kids really adapt well to that and step up their game. For others, it can be more challenging, more of a distraction.”

Seidel will hardly be alone in trying to defend Bend’s OSSA championship. Senior Mitchell Cutter, junior Matthew Scheafer and sophomore Javier Colton are all back for the Bears after top-10 finishes in the 2012 season standings.

The Bend girls also look to repeat after winning the OSSA team title last March. Sophomore Elinor Wilson and senior Kiki Nakamura-Koyama, who placed third and fourth, respectively, in last year’s OSSA standings, both return for the Bears. Brooke Kelley, a junior who last raced for Bend as a freshman, also expects to make key contributions for Bend.

The Summit boys and girls both figure to challenge their Lava Bear rivals for OSSA titles. Jared Schiemer, William Mayer and Thomas Wimberly highlight the Storm boys team this season. Natalie Merrill and Lia Taus are expected to lead the Summit girls.

Other skiers to watch this OSSA season include Sisters’ Cammi Benson and Redmond’s Jesse Stevens in the girls competition and the Panthers’ Jeffrey Bierman and Conor Smith among the boys.

Off the runs and onto the trails, the Storm boys and girls nordic teams also look to have successful seasons. Both Summit teams won Oregon High School Nordic Organization state titles last February. Emily Hyde, OHSNO’s 2012 individual champion, leads the Storm girls, and Max Millslagle, who took second at state last season in the individual boys results, figures to pace the always strong Summit boys, who are shooting for a seventh consecutive state title.

Jack Widmer and Peter Schwarz both return for the Bend boys after top-10 efforts at the 2012 OHSNO championships, and Kira Smiley will likely lead the Lava Bear girls squad following a fourth-place finish at state.

In Redmond, Samantha Scholz should pace the Redmond High girls and Natalie Ulum is among the top skiers for Ridgeview. Joey Donahue is one of several Redmond High boys who could be competitive this nordic season.

Mountain View, whose nordic teams compete in the smaller Oregon Interscholastic Ski Racing Association, also can be expected to vie for state titles this year. The Cougar boys have won seven straight OISRA nordic titles, and the girls are three-time defending champions. Imran Wolfenden, a junior, returns to lead the Mountain View boys after winning the 2012 OISRA state classic race. Raeann Morelli is back for the Cougar girls following a top-10 combined standings finish (skate and classic) at state last season.

Summit’s Micaela Martin, who competes as part of the Storm’s independent team in the OISRA, finished second last year in the combined state standings and could contend for an individual championship in 2013.

Club ski organizations

Oregon Interscholastic Ski Racing Association (nordic division)

State meet, Feb. 22 and 23, Willamette Pass

Web: www.oisra.org

Oregon High School Nordic Organization

State meet: March 1 and 2, Mt. Bachelor

Web: www.ohsno.com

Oregon School Ski Association (alpine skiing)

State meet: March 1 and 2, Mt. Bachelor

Web: www.oregonschoolskiassociation.com