2025 Monroe Cup Goes to SVSEF’s Alex Grant and MWSC’s Mia Anderson

The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation hosted the annual Monroe Cup alpine ski race at Rotarun Ski Area Feb. 22-23. Named after ski racing coach and legend Lane Monroe, the Monroe Cup brings nearly 200 U10, U12, and a handful of U14/U16 athletes from across the region to compete in this Intermountain Division (IMD) Qualifier event for the IMD Championships.

“We had a fantastic two days of racing at Rotarun!” said SVSEF Alpine U12 North Series Head Coach, Claudia Stern. “Racing there brings out some of the best skiing from our kids all around. What a perfect race venue!” 

Monroe was the Program Director and Head Alpine Coach at SVSEF from 1970-1996, with a hiatus between 1973 and 1976 to serve as a U.S. Ski Team coach. From 1973-1974 Monroe was the Men’s Special Teams coach and then the Head Women’s Coach from 1975-1976. The Monroe Cup was first held in 1997 on Bald Mountain, and continued there until 2021 when it moved to Rotarun Ski Area to continue as a slalom-only event. This was the fifth year the event has been held at Rotarun.

SVSEF Alpine U12 North Series coaches Adele Savaria and Skip Merrick were coached by Monroe and both went on to compete for the U.S. Ski Team.

Monroe was on site to present the awards on Saturday. “It’s so great to have Lane show up every year for his annual Monroe Cup race to hand out the awards,” said Savaria. “He is so honored to have this race named after him and it’s always great to see his smiling face.” 

Matt McNeal, who won the first Monroe Cup in 1997, handed out the awards on Sunday, while getting to watch both his son and daughter race this weekend.

The 2025 Monroe Cup featured two slalom races (four runs) on Saturday for the boys under mostly sunny skies with on-site race commentary by NBC Sports announcer, Steve Porino. The girls raced in snowy conditions for most of Sunday, but their spirits were high with lots of smiles and face glitter! Overall, the SVSEF Alpine U12 North Series and U10 Mini World Cup teams had strong showings with several podium finishes across the U10 and U12 age classes.

The competition was fierce, with athletes traveling to Rotarun from the North Series of the Intermountain Division including McCall Winter Sports Club (MWC), Jackson Hole Ski Club (JHSC), Bogus Basin Ski Education Foundation (BBSEF), Grand Targhee Ski and Snowboard Foundation (GTSSF), and Alyeska Ski Club (ASC).

At the conclusion of both races on Saturday, SVSEF’s Alex Grant was awarded the Monroe Cup for his second and first place overall finishes; and Mia Anderson from McCall Winter Sports Club (MWSC) won the Monroe Cup on Sunday with first and third place overall finishes for the girls. 

Awards were presented to the top five finishers for each race in the U10, U12, and U14 age categories.

Top SVSEF Athlete Results:

Boys – SL Saturday, February 22

Race #1 Overall

• 1st – Asa Sattler
• 2nd – Alex Grant
• 3rd – Breclan McCarthy
• 7th – Chase Martens
• 9th – Halsten Bruun
• 12th Walker Gove

Race #2 Overall

• 1st – Alex Grant
• 2nd – Breclan McCarthy
• 3rd – Asa Sattler
• 8th – Halsten Bruun
• 11th – Chase Martens
• 12th – Ford Rixon (First Place in U10 age class)
• 14th – Wyatt Mathews

Girls – SL Sunday, February 23

Race #1 Overall

• 3rd – Tea Smither
• 4th – Presley Jensen
• 5th – Sophie Robins
• 6th – Kayla Kloster (First Place U10 age class)
• 9th – Amelia Beck
• 10th – Marie McNeal
• 11th – Lauren Larabee

Race #2 Overall

• 1st – Alta Questad
• 2nd – Presley Jensen
• 5th – Tea Smither
• 6th – Marie McNeal
• 9th – Lauren Larabee
• 10th – Kayla Kloster (First Place U10 age class)
• 11th – Sophie Robins
• 12th – Amelia Beck

For complete overall and class race results, please visit the links below:

Boys Race #1 Overall
Boys Race #1 By Class
Boys Race #2 Overall
Boys Race #2 By Class

Girls Race #1 Overall
Girls Race #1 By Class
Girls Race #2 Overall
Girls Race #2 By Class