Second Set of USSA Super Tour Races in the Books
The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation welcomed a high-caliber field of nearly 200 competitors for USSA Super Tour races Saturday and Sunday at Lake Creek.
Classic was the discipline for sprint and distance racing on the Lake Creek Trail System, which was made possible by Mother Nature and the hard work of volunteers. SVSEF Assistant Program Director Kelley Sinnott remarked, “Visiting coaches and officials at the event were complimentary of the recently revamped 2.2k and 1.3k courses and were impressed that with the help of many volunteers and shovels SVSEF was able to provide such a high-quality course so early in the snow season.”
As expected, one of the nation’s leading sprinters, Dakota Blackhorse-Von Jess of Bend Endurance Academy won the men’s sprint final over Reese Hanneman of Alaska-Pacific University. SVSEF Gold Team member Miles Havlick claimed the B Final, finishing seventh overall. Former SVSEF post-grad Kevin Bolger (University of Utah) was runner-up to Havlick. Gold racers Ben Lustgarten, Cole Morgan and Matt Gelso bowed out in the quarterfinals.
APU’s Becca Rorabaugh led the women’s sprints over Craftsbury Racing Project skiers Kaitlynn Miller and Caitlin Patterson. SVSEF Gold Team racer Deedra Irwin was seventh overall and the winner of the B Final. SVSEF alum Sloan Storey (University of Utah) and Annie Pokorny (Statton Mountain School) both cracked the top 20.
In the Junior Women’s sprint, SVSEF’s Annika Landis landed on the podium in third place – the same day she learned of her acceptance at Middlebury College. Lily Brunelle, a second-year U16, was sixth overall. Teammate Ella Wolter was 12th.
APU swept the top spots on the podium Sunday with former SVSEF Gold Team racer Chelsea Holmes winning the women’s10k in 31:29. She crossed the finish line .09.7 ahead of teammate Rorabaugh. Patterson was third. Once again, Irwin had a great day finishing 14th in 34:25. Storey was 11th in 34:05 and Pokorny 16th in 34:29.
Scott Patterson was a half-minute ahead of the field, winning the men’s 15k in 40:35. Colorado University’s Mads Stroem was second in 41:07 and Eric Packer (APU) third in 41:09. A trio of SVSEF racers cracked the top ten Havlick eighth in 41:54, Lustgarten ninth in 42:02 and Gelso tenth in 42:17. Rogan Brown was 12th in 42:36.
“Racers were greeted by another beautiful Sun Valley blue sky day and despite low snow conditions were able to compete on a well groomed but difficult hilly course,” Sinnott said.
Older junior racers competed over the same distance as seniors. Lukash Platil (33rd overall) stepped up on the podium in third place with a time of 45:48. Thomas O’Harra of APU won the race in 43:58. Max Polito was sixth in 47:26, Leo Lukens ninth in 48:06, Danny Graves 10th in 48:14, Eli Jensen 11th in 48:48, Carter Ros 13th in 49:36, Keene Morawitz 17th in 50:43, Henry Raff 18th in 50:45, Luke Brecheen 22nd in 52:58, River Vorse 24th in 53:35, Landon Nurge 28th in 54:45. Max Tanous did not finish.
Stratton Mountain’s Katharine Ogden won the junior class 10k in 32:37. Landis (28th overall) clocked in at 37-minutes flat to place seventh. Ellie Polk was 18th in 42:07, Loni Unser 20th in 43:10 and Emily Siegel returned from last year’s knee injury with a 21st in 43:13.
U16 racers competed over a 4.4-kilometer distance. Johnny Hagenbuch was second in 15:05. Joe Hall placed sixth in 16:04 and Aidan Burchmore seventh in 20:40. Lily Brunelle’s time of 17:30 vaulted her in to third place. Teammates Sophia Mazzoni (18:01), Ella Wolter (18:10) and Jenna Nurge (18:22) went 4-5-6.
SVSEF girls and boys swept the U14 2.2 kilometer race. With a time of 9:07, Anja Jensen led teammates Logan Smith (9:11), Luci Ludwig (10:16) and Elle Mann (11:14) placing first through fourth. SVSEF boys repeated the feat with Cash Dart (8:20) first, followed by Sebi Radl-Jones (9:53), Jake Gorham (10:12) and Alex Shafer (10:46).
“All in all it was a great weekend of skiing and competition at Lake Creek,” Sinnott said.
Complete results may be found at www.svsupertour2015.com.