Congratulations to the Class of 2017
Graduation from high school is a milestone for SVSEF athletes, and not just from an academic perspective. Student-athletes who have participated in SVSEF programming have managed to juggle academic requirements with time-intensive training and competition schedules – not to mention all of the other hobbies and interests they have invested in beyond school and snowsports. This year, SVSEF saw 19 student-athletes graduate from high school and from the organization; 16 from Community School and three from Wood River High School. Of those, 10 athletes have made their way through the programs and teams of SVSEF since they were 12 years old or younger.
Twelve SVSEF athletes are going on to top colleges and universities across the country. Making the transition to higher education programs are Brody Buchwalter (Montana State), Cooper Dart (Bowdoin College), Blake Deilke (University of Denver), Lukas DeWolfe (University of Puget Sound), Addy Jacobsen (Western State University), Kiran Merchant (Brown University), Keene Morawitz (Dartmouth College), Katelyn Rathfon (St. Mary’s College of California), Sage Rheinschild (Santa Barbara City College), Nikki Sabiers (Montana State Honors Program), Alexandra Schaffner (Whitman College), and Peter Wolter (Middlebury College). Keene Morawitz and Peter Wolter will both continue in their sport of cross country skiing at their respective schools; Keene will represent the Big Green at Dartmouth, and Peter will race for the Panthers at Middlebury.
Six graduates will be staying with SVSEF for a post grad year on the alpine FIS team. John Blackburn (deferred at Montana State University), Charlie Lamb, Noah Leininger, Erin Smith, Hayden Terjeson and Spencer Wright (deferred at University of Denver) will continue to train and compete under the tutelage of top FIS coaches here in the Wood River Valley.
The final graduate is Filippo Collini, who attended Community School as an international student and was a member of the FIS team. Filippo will return to Italy for another year of school.
With the graduation of our athletes, we look forward to seeing how courage will supersede conformity, how passion will dispel fear of failure, how a sense of self will bolster resilience, and how all of these qualities will support an inclination to embrace opportunity, gain new perspective and continue to grow as individuals and as community members. Congratulations, Class of 2017!
Coach Nate Schwing and Volunteer Heather Flood Daves Receive Intermountain ACC Recognition
Something that stands out about the SVSEF community is the passion and dedication; from the athletes to everyone who comprises the vast network of support behind them, these qualities seem to come easily to many. These attributes did not go unnoticed at the close of the 2016-2017 season, when the Intermountain Division Alpine Competition Committee named SVSEF Men’s FIS Head Coach Nate Schwing as “Coach of the Year,” and longtime volunteer Heather Flood Daves as “Volunteer of the Year.”
Nate Schwing has been an alpine coach in the Wood River Valley for 12 years. He began with the Hailey Ski Team for two seasons before jumping into the position in which he finds himself today, as the men’s FIS team head coach. Nate’s knowledge of the sport, professionalism surrounding his role as coach and mentor and commitment to his athletes have stood out consistently throughout his time with SVSEF. Program Director Scott McGrew commended the coach on his recent recognition, saying, “this is an amazing honor for Nate and the contribution he has made to the club, to the athletes, and the Intermountain division over his career; I’m super proud of Nate.”
Like Nate, Heather Flood Daves has been involved with SVSEF for a long time. She grew up in Sun Valley and skied with SVSEF, and has since returned to the organization as both a parent and a volunteer. Her commitment to the cause runs deep, and is reflected in the positive attitude and poise she brings each time she lends her time and talent. Remarked McGrew, “this is a testimony to her countless hours dedicated to helping the SVSEF run and present amazing events and experiences for the athletes and families of the division.”
SVSEF is humbled to be able to call two such standout individuals integral to this organization, and sends a congratulations to both on a job well done for both SVSEF and the Intermountain division at large.
Academic Accolades for the 2016-2017 Season
From Academic Director Erika Rixon
What an amazing season! This was by far one of the best snow years that these student-athletes have experienced in their lifetime. The snow-covered mountains coupled with the outstanding performances by student-athletes from all disciplines within SVSEF made for an extraordinary 2016-2017 ski and snowboard season. The rigorous schedule of trying to balance school, personal life, family, and sport is an enormous challenge. All of the kids in SVSEF deserve a round of applause for this very important life skill that they all get to practice every day throughout the winter months. But, it doesn’t stop there! SVSEF is a year-round program; therefore, this skill is constantly being fine-tuned. Congratulations to all of you for your hard work and dedication 12 months of the year.
This year we launched a tutoring program with instructors that had subject specific knowledge. It was a successful program that we are looking forward to building on next year. I would like to thank our tutors for their time and commitment. More importantly, I want to give a huge congratulations to those that attended tutoring consistently so that they could continue to excel in school just like they do on snow. At any given time, there were anywhere between five and ten students taking advantage of our academic support. The effort by the student-athletes was truly amazing!
Lastly, at the end of every season, we recognize those student-athletes who were able to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher. As stated before, this is a challenging task and they deserve recognition. Congratulations to the following:
Laine Allison
Ben Anderson
Wyatt Barth
Jackson Bevers
John Blackburn
Grace Bloomfield
Isabella Bourret
Lily Brunelle
Aidan Burchmore
Cailin Chandler
Henry Cherp
Skylar Cooley
Cash Dart
Cooper Dart
Caroline Dean
Hunter Diehl
Blake Deilke
Wilson Dunn
Katherine Estep
Will Everitt
Madison Ferris
Lily Fitzgerald
Ellie Gorham
Jake Gorham
Buey Grossman
Eva Grover
Johnny Hagenbuch
Joe Hall
Ashley Helm
Sage Holter
Kate Horowitz
Merumo Ishimaru
Addy Jacobsen
Anja Jensen
Eve Jensen
Kaia Jensen
Libby Kaiser
Tom Klose
Ella Kopplin
Walter Lafky
Alex Lafleur
Charlie Lamb
Sascha Leidecker
Libby Lindstrom
Ridley Lindstrom
Emma MacGuffie
Elle Mann
Eliza Marks
Katherine Markthaler
Sophia Mazzoni
Kiran Merchant
Molly Milgard
Wyatt Minor
Keene Morawitz
Max Moss
Max Noddings
Jenna Nurge
Landon Nurge
Michaela Petty
Grace Pepin
Julian Plank
Carlota Pomes-Rovira
Henry Raff
Addison Rafford
Alli Rathfon
Katelyn Rathfon
Sage Rheinschild
Nikki Sabiers
Meeks Sanchez-DuPont
Alexandra Schaffner
Rosa Schaffner
Bergen Schmidt
Zoe Simon
Erin Smith
Jack Smith
Bennett Snyder
Elk Spencer
Kate Stone
Charlie Stumph
Chloe Tanous
Hayden Terjeson
Sarah Troxel
Bentley Walker-Broose
Carley Walther-Porino
Keegan Webber
Ella Wolter
Peter Wolter
Spencer Wright
Tia Vontver
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2016-2017 End of Season Awards
Thanks to everyone, from athletes to parents, from coaches to sponsors to community members, who supported SVSEF throughout the season and helped make it an exceptional one. We’re proud of all of our athletes’ efforts, and are constantly impressed by how hardworking and inspiring they are.
With banquets this April came season-end awards; here are this year’s recipients. Congratulations to all SVSEF athletes on a great year!
Freestyle
A Team
Male Athlete of the Year: Luke Rizzo
Female Athlete of the Year: Eliza Marks
MVP: Holden Largay
Most Inspirational (voted on by the athletes): Luke Rizzo
Most Improved: Mikel Sanchez-duPont
Dark Horse: Toby Rafford
John R. Kalik True North Scholarship: Rainey Wilson
Volunteer / Community Service: Wilson Dunn, Brody Buchwalter, Hunter Diehl, Axel Diehl, Esmee Verheijen, Rainey Wilson
B Team
Most Improved: Paola Alvarado
Most Inspirational: Anton Holter
Most Dedicated (based on attendance): Quincy McGraw
Freeski
Halfpipe Award (most improvement in halfpipe): Harper Mallet
World Traveler Award: Hanna Blackwell
Style Award: most improved in style and flow in his overall skiing – Joey Markthaler
Big Air Award: Will Griffith
MVP: Ridge Dirksmeier
Snowboard
Stand Out/MVP Girl: Zoe Bacca
Stand Out/MVP Boy: Jack Verheaghe
Dark Horse: Caleb Hothem
Most Improved: Emma Schmillen
Travel Team
Stand Out/MVP: Payton Bacca
People’s Champ Award: Phebe Ericksen
Alpine
Howard Dean Scholarship: Sky Leininger
Mountain Kidd: Cooper Dart
Life Coach Award: Galen Webster
John R. Kalik True North Scholarship: Kaia Jensen
SVSEF Alpine Longevity Award: Katelyn Rathfon, Noah Leininger, Lukas DeWolfe
Peggy & Sigi Engl Award Alpine Women: Katelyn Rathfon
Peggy & Sigi Engl Awards Alpine Men: Hayden Terjeson
Leif Odmark, FIS Women: Kaia Jensen
Leif Odmark, FIS Men: Max Noddings
Gary Black Jr. Memorial Race
Billy Klein Award – U12 Boy: Tor Johnston
Bonnie Russel Trophy – U14 Girl: Jessica Blackburn
Christin Cooper Award – U16 Girl: Cailin Chandler
Kathleen Harriman Mortimer – U12 Girl: Paige DeHart
Smith Goggle Award – U14 Boy: Ben Goitiandia
Gretchen Fraser Award – U10 Girl: Ella Shaugnessy
Pete Patterson Award – U10 Boy: Quintin Buoncristiani
Roy Hobson Award Women: Jessica Blackburn
Roy Hobson Award Men: Ben Goitiandia
IMD Team
Most Improved Boy: Skye Leininger
Most Improved Girl: Anwhei Kirk
Passion Award Boy: Jett Carruth
Passion Award Girl: Lola Street
Performers Boy: Ryder Sarchett
Performers Girl: Merit Kaiser
Most Inspirational Boy: Skye Leininger
Mini World Cup Team
Coaches Award Boy: Owen Walker
Coaches Award Girl: Audrey Morawitz
Outstanding Skier Boy: Tucker Smith
Outstanding Skier Girl: Taylor Hovey
Most Improved Boy: Quintin Buoncristiani
Most Improved Girl: Eden Gardner
Mini World Cup Women: Taylor Hovey
Mini World Cup Men: Tucker Smith
North Series Team
“Cheeso” Memorial – North Series Perpetual: Tommy Normand
Most Improved Boy: Bodin Lee
Most Improved Girl: Maeve Bailey
Coaches Award Boy: Hank Moss
Coaches Award Girl: Paige DeHart
Most Inspirational Boy: Jesse Keefe
Most Inspirational Girl: Charlotte Davis-Jeffers
USSA Team
Most Improved Boy: Wyatt Barth
Most Improved Girl: Cailin Chandler
Passion Award Boy: Bennet Snyder
Passion Award Girl: Merumo Ishimaru
Most Inspirational Boy: Wyatt Barth
Most Inspirational Girl: Lily Fitzgerald/Carlota Pomes
FIS Team
Most Improved Boy: Charlie Lamb
Most Improved Girl: Erin Smith
Passion Award Boy: Fillipo Collini
Passion Award Girl: Haley Cutler
Most Inspirational Boy: Duncan Fuller
Most Inspirational Girl: Sage Rheinschild
Cross Country
Comp Team
Outstanding Boy and Girl: Johnny Hagenbuch, Sophia Mazzoni
Most Improved Boy and Girl: Landon Paschall, Katherine Estep
Rookie Boy and Girl: Cash Dart, Anja Jensen
Most Inspirational Boy and Girl (voted on by teammates): Peter Wolter, Ella Wolter
Coaches Award: Henry Raff
Engl Award: Peter Wolter, Lily Brunelle
Torin Norton Tucker Scholarship Award: Joe Hall
John R. Kalik True North Scholarship Award: Sophia Mazzoni
Prep Team
Outstanding Boy and Girl: Blake DeHart, Logan Smith
Most Improved Boy and Girl: Alex Shafer, Kelby Whitehead
Coaches Award Boy and Girl: Sebi Radl-Jones, Taylor Dorland
Most Inspirational Boy and Girl (voted on by teammates): Sebi Radl-Jones, Luci Ludwig
Photos courtesy of (L-R): Jennifer Diehl, Glen Allison, Glen Allison, Rick Millet
The Week in Review: 4/18/17
Freeskiing
The Freeskiing Team wrapped up competition at USASA Nationals at Copper in Colorado. SVSEF athlete Ben Fethke had a strong halfpipe finish, coming in second in the Menehune (10-11) boys field of 38 competitors. For other top results, see last week’s Week in Review.
Full results here
A total of 60 athletes from across the country have been invited to participate at the 2017 USSA Project Gold camp, to be held May 15-22 at Mammoth Mountain. Criteria for invitation was based on results from the Revolution Tour, Junior Nationals, USASA Nationals and select discretion. Five SVSEF Freeski athletes have earned a spot at the camp: Ben Fethke, Harper Mallet, Ridge Dirksmeier, Hanna Blackwell and Jed Waters have all made the cut. Athletes will have access to a 22-foot pipe with air bags, Mammoth’s Unbound Terrain Park, and a private jump with airbag. Athletes will work with U.S. Freeskiing Team coaches, including SVSEF alum Ben Verge, along with top program coaches from around the country. The aim of this camp is for athletes to work on setting goals, learn new tricks and improve skills.
ALPINE
FIS
Despite two cancelled races for both men and women last week, SVSEF FIS athletes capitalized on the downhill and super G events, held at Mammoth April 15-16. In a field of nearly 40 athletes, Spencer Wright charged to a win in the downhill. Hayden Terjeson finished 14th and Filippo Collini 17th. In the women’s field of 23, Erin Smith was eighth, Skylar Cooley 9th and Kaia Jensen 17th. Haley Cutler did not finish her first run, but bounced back the next day in the super G, claiming victory in the women’s competition. Erin was ninth, Kaia 20th and Skylar did not finish her first run. In the men’s super G, Filippo led the men in fourth, Spencer was seventh and Hayden 16th.
Full results here
FIS/USSA
The Snowbird Snowcup Series/Last Chance wrapped up on April 12, with a giant slalom instead of the scheduled super Gs (one day of racing was lost earlier in the week because of deteriorating snow conditions). In the women’s race, SVSEF claimed two podium spots, with Alli Rathfon in second and Lily Fitzgerald in third. Three other SVSEF racers made the top 20; Maddie Ferris was 12th, Merumo Ishimaru 14th and Carlota Pomes 17th. SVSEF placed a remarkable eight out of the top 20 men in the giant slalom; Jack Smith was seventh, Max Noddings ninth, Noah Leininger 11th, Bennett Snyder 13th, Will Snyder 14th, Thomas Klose 16th, U14 Ryder Sarchett 19th and Buey Grossman 20th.
Full results here
In the Intermountain Cup, SVSEF dominated both individual disciplines and the overall 2017 Bryce Astle title. Jack Smith and Lily Fitzgerald were overall champions. SVSEF men swept the downhill podium, as did the women, and SVSEF had a representative on every podium except the men’s giant slalom.
Downhill Men: Duncan Fuller-1, Spencer Wright-2, Charlie Lamb-3
Downhill Ladies: Erin Smith-1, Ruby Marden-2, Skylar Coolie-3
Super-G Men: Jack Smith-1, Jeremy Mathers-2, Bridger Harrison (OV)-3
Super-G Ladies: Lily Fitzgerald-1, Alli Rathfon-2, Elena Zipp (RM)-3
Giant Slalom Men: Holden Parazette (JH)-1, Sam Dupratt (UU)-2, Max Miller (PC)-3
Giant Slalom Ladies: Lily Fitzgerald-1, Alli Rathfon-2, Anya Mulligan (RM)-3
Slalom Men: Holden Parazette (JH)-1, Bennett Snyder-2, Hunter Carlson (FLO)-3
Slalom Ladies: Lily Fitzgerald-1, Merum Ishamura-2, Danika Mannelin (RM)-3
IMD
IMD U14 Spring Project, Grand Targhee, April 8-10, overall results
The Week in Review: 4/11/17
ALPINE
FIS
SVSEF athletes finished out a week of spring series racing at Mammoth on a high note; Haley Culter won both ladies’ giant slalom races on April 5. Katelyn Rathfon had solid results, with a 13th and 14th place finishes. Erin Smith was 16th and 11th and Skylar Cooley 18th and 16th. In the men’s slalom races on the same day, Will Snyder finished fifth in the first event, and John Blackburn 11th. Yuri McClure was 17th and Cooper Dart 19th. Will Snyder maintained composure, with a 7th place in the second event of the day. Filippo Collini made top 20 in 15th. Super G competition for both men and women, scheduled for April 7 & 8, was cancelled.
Full results here
IMD
Six athletes just finished up a short ski and skill building camp at Targhee. Lena Nelson, Colin Hanna, Paige DeHart, Cole Curci, Nils Galloway and Jessica Blackburn attended.
FIS/USSA
SVSEF put three athletes in the top 10 in both men and women’s slalom races to get the week started at the Snowbird Snowcup Series/Last Chance. Lily Fitzgerald and Merumo Ishimaru took gold and silver for women, and Maddie Ferris was seventh. Cailin Chandler and Marit Kaiser both moved up considerably; Cailin from bib 39 to 16th, and Marit from bib 42 to 17th. Jack Smith made the podium in third for men, Bennett Snyder was sixth and Charlie Lamb ninth. Ridley Lindstrom made moves, going from bib 53 to 16th. Ryder Sarchett was the second fastest U14, and 29th overall.
In the second slalom event on April 9, Merumo Ishimaru kept the momentum going with another second place, and Lily Fitzgerald stayed up there in fourth. Maddie Ferris was sixth, Katelyn Rathfon ninth and Alli Rathfon 14th. Bennett Snyder was SVSEF’s top male finisher in seventh; four others broke the top 20, with Charlie Lamb in 11th, Carter Jendrezak 12th, Buey Grossman tied for 16th and Ryder Sarchett with another great performance in 18th. He was the top U14 finisher in this race.
A giant slalom race scheduled for April 10 was cancelled due to bad snow.
Preliminary results from Live Timing show Will Snyder in fifth and Jack Smith in sixth in the men’s giant slalom on April 11, and five women in the top 10; Alli Rathfon in first, Lily Fitzgerald i second, Maddie Ferris seventh, Merumo Ishimaru eighth and Carlota Pomes ninth. Competition continues tomorrow with super G.
Full results here
Live timing men’s GS
Live timing women’s GS
FREESKI
Nine SVSEF Freeski athletes are at Copper in Colorado for USASA Nationals. In halfpipe competition that took place on April 10, SVSEF Breaker boys (12-13) stood out, landing four athletes in the top 15 out of 45 competitors; Harper Mallett just missed the podium in fourth, Ridge Dirksmeier was fifth, Joey Markthaler eighth and Dylan Mills 15th. In the women’s open class for halfpipe, Hanna Blackwell was third. Competition continues tomorrow with slopestyle and halfpipe competition.
Full results here
The Week in Review: 4/4/17
FREESTYLE
SVSEF athletes competed at U.S. Freestyle Championships in Steamboat Springs, CO, March 30-April 1. Athletes took to the course on Voodoo, with moguls qualifications on March 30 and 31, finals on March 31, and dual moguls on April 1. SVSEF had some topnotch results in fields representing the best talent in the country. Field sizes were 50 and over, and ages ranged from 14 to 29.
Eliza Marks was SVSEF’s top female finisher in the moguls competition, ending up 41st overall. Katie Markthaler was right behind in 42nd, Esmee Verheijen 49th and Rainey Wilson 51st. Two SVSEF athletes broke the top 20 in the men’s competition; Holden Largay, who has had an exceptionally strong season, finished 13th overall. Teammate Luke Rizzo stepped it up and finished 20th, and Wilson Dunn was 37th; all solid results in a field of 60 athletes.
In duals, Eliza Marks moved into the round of 32 and finished 24th overall. Rainey Wilson, Esmee Verheijen and Katie Markthaler did not finish. Wilson Dunn ended the weekend of competition with an impressive 18th place finish in duals. Holden Largay was 22nd overall. Luke Rizzo moved into the round of 32, but crashed halfway through his run, putting him in 31st.
Full results here
SNOWBOARDING
SVSEF snowboarders headed to Copper Mountain Resort for USASA Nationals; in that group, veterans like Payton Bacca made the return to the yearly event, alongside some fresh faces who are just starting to get the feel for national-level competition. Nearly 2,000 athletes are in attendance, representing all 32 regional series. SVSEF is part of the third largest series in the country, and the quality of riders that are making an appearance at nationals is being noticed.
SVSEF athletes are doing well across the board, scattered as they are throughout various disciplines. There have been a number of top 10s, lots of kids landing runs, working really hard, and learning from the experience.
Competition began April 2 and continues through April 6. Maddie Hothem rode to 12th place in the halfpipe Breaker Girls (12-13) category, in a field of 26. Zoe Bacca finished 14th in the same age class. Olive Gilbert secured 23rd in the halfpipe in her Menehune (10-11) age class. Jack Verhaeghe finished 13th in Menehune (10-11) boardercross, and Caleb Hothem was 30th in the field of 63. Nico Lerner finished 17th in Grommet (8-9) boys in the halfpipe.
Payton Bacca, who is competing in the NorAm class against top-level U.S. and international athletes, rode to the boardercross small final, finishing eighth overall. Phebe Ericksen had a big result, grabbing a second place finish in the halfpipe Junior Women (16-17) age bracket in a field of 14. Coach Andy Gilbert observed that “it’s been a long time coming for Phebe – it was really cool to see someone with such a great attitude and work ethic be so successful. She had great amplitude on her air, and she’s been pushing really hard to learn some new tricks at the end of the season; it has certainly paid off.”
Competition continues tomorrow with slopestyle and halfpipe.
Full results here
CROSS COUNTRY
Gold Team
The Cross Country Gold Team finished out their season up in Fairbanks, Alaska, at the SuperTour Finals. Following the skiathlon, athletes competed in a skate sprint on March 29. Matt Gelso made it to semifinals and ended up seventh overall. Cole Morgan made heats and finished 30th overall. In the women’s race, all SVSEF Gold Team women advanced to heats. Kelsey Phinney advanced to the finals and had a strong finish in fifth. Annie Pokorny skied to 14th overall, while Mary Rose was 23rd and Deedra Irwin 25th.
A mixed 4x5km relay followed sprints; SVSEF’s team of Annie Pokorny, Matt Gelso, Kelsey Phinney and Cole Morgan finished sixth overall in a field of 24 teams.
The final event of the week was a mass start skate race, with distances of 50 and 30 kilometers for men and women. Rogan Brown was the top SVSEF male finisher in 13th. He was followed by Cole Morgan in 22nd and Jack Hegman in 36th. Matt Gelso did not start. Mary Rose was the top SVSEF female finisher, just missing the top 10 in 11th. Annie Pokorny wasn’t far behind in 14th and Deedra Irwin finished 22nd. Kelsey Phinney did not start.
Full results here
ALPINE
FIS
FIS athletes are in the midst of competition at Mammoth, fresh off of strong results at Nationals. Athletes have completed one giant slalom and one slalom event; they continue with one more giant slalom and slalom and two super G races.
John Blackburn and Yuri McClure broke the top 10 in the first giant slalom, finishing sixth and ninth. Both athletes again made the cut in the second GS, going seventh and tenth. Filippo Collini was just out of the top 10 in 11th. SVSEF had a nice string of finishes in the top 20 as well, with Spencer Wright, Will Snyder and Max Noddings going 15-16-17. Haley Cutler was fifth in the women’s first slalom and ninth in the second. Teammate Erin Smith finished eighth in the second slalom.
Results here
USSA
Qualified SVSEF athletes competed at U16 Nationals at Sugarloaf in Maine, March 31-April 3. Athletes competed in super G, slalom and giant slalom. A giant slalom scheduled for April 4 was cancelled.
A highlight of the event was Alli Rathfon’s third place overall title, following a seventh place finish in the super G and a spot on the podium in second in the giant slalom. Ryder Sarchett also had standout results in his age class, taking first for U14s in the super G and slalom, and second in the giant slalom.
Lily Fitzgerald’s top finish was fourth place in the giant slalom, and Maddie Ferris’ best result was in the slalom in 22nd.
In the slalom, Bennett Snyder narrowly missed the podium in fourth. Jack Smith had a stellar race and finished 10th. Ryder Sarchett had his best result of the week, finishing 19th, as did Wyatt Barth in 24th. Jack Smith’s best came in the super G, where he finished fourth overall.
Super G - Women
Super G - Men
Slalom - Women
Slalom - Men
Giant Slalom - Women
Giant Slalom - Men
All disciplines
The Gary Black Jr. Memorial, formerly known as the Hobson Memorial, took place on Sunday, April 2 and invited SVSEF of all disciplines to compete in a dual style slalom and end the day with a BBQ and awards. Athletes came decked out in costumes of all sorts; fitting for an end-of-the-season celebration under bluebird skies.
Jessica Blackburn and Ben Goitiandia were the overall winners for the day. Tommy Normand received the 2017 Cheeso Mountain Kidd Award. Full results can be found here.
David Concannon took more than 700 photos of the event and is willing to share with parents and friends of SVSEF. Please feel free to reach out to him at david@explorerconsulting.com to see if he captured your son or daughter at the Gary Black Jr. Memorial.
Full results forthcoming.
SVSEF FIS Skiers, Alums Make Their Mark at U.S. Nationals
Nine current and former SVSEF athletes made the cut to compete at U.S. Alpine Nationals, held at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine, March 25-28. This is the most that have qualified for national championships since the early 90s. Athletes competed across super G, slalom and giant slalom events. As stated by USSA, "the U.S. Championships are a vital part of the USSA's national development program, pitting top club athletes from regional teams around America against U.S. Ski Team veterans from the Audi FIS Ski World Cup tour." The newly instated U19 and U21 Junior National Championships followed right on the heels of Nationals, March 29-30.
RESULTS:
3/25: Super G
Haley Cutler – 10th
Skylar Cooley – 18th
Kipling Weisel (alum/Gold athlete) – 5th
Tanner Farrow (alum) – 23rd
John Blackburn – 45th
Yuri McClure – 48th
3/26: Slalom
Cutler – 40
Cooley – DNF 1st run
Will Snyder (alum) – 29th
McClure – DNF 1st run
Blackburn – DNF 1st
Weisel – DNF 2nd run
Farrow – DNF 2nd run
3/27: Women’s Giant Slalom
Cutler – 9th
Cooley – DNF 1st run
3/28: Men’s Giant Slalom
Weisel – 10th
McClure – DNF 1st run
Blackburn – DNF 1st run
Snyder – DNF 1st run
Farrow – DNS 2nd run
3/29: U.S. Junior Nationals Giant Slalom
Cutler – 5th
Cooley – 24th
Blackburn – DNF
McClure – 39th
The Week in Review: 3/28/17
CROSS COUNTRY
Gold, PG and Comp Teams
SVSEF athletes wrapped up racing at Canadian Nationals in Canmore, Alberta. In the senior classic sprints on March 22, Gold Team skiers Deedra Irwin and Mary Rose and Annie Pokorny all made the B final for senior women, and finished seventh, eighth and tenth overall. Laura Anderson was the top U.S. junior finisher, ending up in 13th. In the U16/U18 classic sprints the next day, Katherine Estep made the B final and finished eighth overall, second in the B final.
Full results here
Gold Team
The Gold Team is currently in Fairbanks, Alaska for SuperTour Finals; this event features a week of racing, with fields comprised of the top U.S. skiers, to round out the season. The first race of the week was a 22.5km skiathlon on Monday, March 27. Competitors switched from classic to skate halfway through the race at the 11.25km mark. SVSEF’s top finisher was Matt Gelso, who is coming off races at World Cup Championships, held in Quebec City. Matt finished 12th in a field of 44. Teammate Cole Morgan, who also competed at World Cup Champs, finished 15th; a good result for an athlete who is traditionally sprint-focused. Rogan Brown was 19th. The women’s race was a 7.5km classic/7.5km skate – 15km overall. Kelsey Phinney was 13th, Mary Rose 15th, Annie Pokorny 16th and Deedra Irwin 20th. The next event is a skate sprint on Wednesday.
Full results here
ALPINE
FIS
SVSEF had the opportunity to host a FIS Open series, drawing collegiate and top-level athletes to the valley for four days of racing. The first two days featured giant slalom races on Upper Greyhawk, Hemingway and Greyhawk, and the final two days featured slalom races on Hemingway and Greyhawk.
Ella Pepin had a strong, consistent weekend of racing, landing 14th in the first ladies’ slalom, 13th in the second, 20th in the first giant slalom and 22nd in the second. Erin Smith finished 10th in both giant slalom events.
Filippo Collini posted a top-20 result in the men’s first slalom with a 15th place finish. Charlie Lamb showed versatility with two 17th places, one in the slalom and another in the giant slalom.
A National Junior slalom race was held on Monday; Erin Smith and Ella Pepin made the podium in second and third, and Ruby Marden finished eighth. Filippo Collini led the SVSEF men in sixth; Hayden Terjeson was 13th.
Full results here
Cheeso Day
SVSEF Alpine skiers celebrated the memory of Craig “Cheeso” Kjesbo with a day of skiing the bowls on Saturday. A yearly tradition, Cheeso Day is held in honor of Kjesbo, a former SVSEF coach. Program Director Scott McGrew explained why the athletes take time each year for this special day. “Cheeso embodied everything this organization is about: passion for the mountains, unflappable determination to make the most out of every day, and a profound dedication to the kids of this community.”
IMD
The IMD ALpine Team traveled to Snowbird for the Tri Divisional Championships, March 23-25. Competition included Intermountain, Northern, and Alaska Divisions. Despite tough weather conditions, SVSEF found a way to fight through. Notably, SVSEF placed four out of the top five U14 men in the slalom; Ben Goitiandia, Leo Molter, Skye Leininger and Nils Galloway dominated the event.
U16’s:
Sage Curtis – 5th GS, 2nd SG, 1st SL
Shaw Dean – 7th in SL
U14’s:
Hannah Ferris – 5th in GS, 14th in SG, 1st in SL (was third overall for both U14 and U16)
Logan Lindstrom – 8th GS, 3rd SL
Tatum Minor – 9th GS, 6th SL
Lily Dean – 3rd in SG
Lola Street – 13th in SL
Laci Jermunson – 13th SG
Ben Goitiandia – 4th GS, 5th SG, 1st in SL. (4th overall for both U14 and U16)
Jett Carruth – 9th GS, 7th SG.
Leo Molter – 14th SG, 3rd SL
Nils Galloway – 12th SG, 5th SL
Colin Hanna – 6th in SG
Skye Leininger – 4th in SL
Shaw McCoubrey – 9th in SL
Full results here
FREESTYLE
SVSEF junior freestyle athletes ended their season with the Future Freestylers Mogul Competition on Sunday, March 26. Freestyle & Freeski Prep & Devo Team Manager Jennifer Diehl observed that the kids “showed courage, showed grit, showed sportsmanship and showed us everything they have worked on all season long! This is our amazing future team of freestylers and freeskiers.”
Future Freestylers photos
FREESKI
Hanna Blackwell traveled to Crans Montana, Switzerland, for the FIS Junior World Ski Championships. Hanna competed in the ladies’ halfpipe; in a tough field and tough conditions (due to weather, they only had one run), she finished eighth. This was great exposure to the world of travel for competition.
Full results here
Ethan Marx and his younger brother Abel took on their first Big Mountain competition at Summit at Snoqualmie Alpental, which saw nearly 90 athletes, mostly from the Pacific Northwest, charging down the Chair 2 (Edelweiss Chair) line. Although this was the Marx brothers’ first exposure to a Big Mountain event, you wouldn’t know it; Ethan won his U14 age group, beating 23 other competitors. Abel finished second in his U12 category, in a field of 19.
Full results here
The Week in Review: 3/21/17
I AM SVSEF
“I am SVSEF” is an opportunity each week to highlight our athletes for demonstrating the core values of the organization.
Sportsmanship • Citizenship • Character • Teamwork • Creativity • Passion • Perseverance
ALPINE: The I am SVSEF athlete for this week is Ryder Sarchett, a skier on the Alpine IMD Team. Ryder won two out three races at Alpine Meadows last weekend, in the super G and slalom, representing SVSEF at the Western Region U14 Championships. This helped him earn a bid to U16 Nationals the week after next at Sugarloaf, ME. Coach James Tautkus explained how Ryder has demonstrated the SVSEF core values. “Aside from Ryder’s success as an athlete, he is a great teammate to his peers and leads by example. Very few athletes display the desire and determination Ryder Sarchett does. He skis more than most. He watches video more than most. He eats, sleeps and breathes ski racing. To be cool in ski racing you don’t have to be good, ya just gotta love it. Ryder demonstrates both of these characteristics.”
CROSS COUNTRY: From Comp Team Head Coach Ashley Knox:
Kiran Merchant is absolutely wonderful to have as a part of any group. Kiran is fun, generous, welcoming, and incredibly smart. On the ski trails and in the gym, he is a hard worker and will dedicate himself to whatever task he has set for himself. ‘Dirty Merch,’ as we all lovingly know him, has an amazing sense of humor and a quick wit to go with it. He excels in school and brings such a refreshing perspective to this crazy sport we do. He loves training and skiing and from what I can tell, everything it brings with it; good friendships, lifelong fitness, and an appreciation for where we live. We will miss Kiran next year as he takes on his next chapter of adventures at Brown University.
FREESTYLE: Sawyer Vogel is a skier on the Freestyle Prep Team. Said Freestyle/Freeskiing Prep & Devo Team Manager Jennifer Diehl, “Sawyer is tough, witty and willing to try anything. She is a natural athlete but also works hard to succeed. Her mogul skiing has progressed tenfold this season, and her confidence and technique with her tricks and airs really shines. Skiing with Sawyer makes her coaches feel successful because she listens and works hard on the drills and technique that is being presented to her, then she shows pure joy when she applies what she has learned to her skiing. Sawyer is a magnetic teammate and encourages those around her to jump in and enjoy the day. Keep it up, Sawyer!”
PARK & PIPE: Emma Schmillen, a snowboarder for SVSEF, is this week’s I am SVSEF athlete. Snowboard Team Manager Pat Lee noted that, “Emma entered our program late, after coming to the ‘ride with the team day.’ She had a great time and decided to join the squad. We have all seen progression in her riding on all aspects of the slopes. She is very coachable and has shaken off the timidness we saw when she first entered the program.”
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: 3/21/17
FREESTYLE/FREESKIING
SVSEF hosted the USSA Freestyle & Freeskiing Junior Nationals at Sun Valley, March 16-19. SVSEF Athletic Director Phil McNichol reflected on the weekend. “The 2017 USSA Freestyle & Freeskiing Jr. Nationals was a tremendous success. It truly was a St Patrick’s on our side with regards to good luck with the weather. All events went smoothly and the competitors, coaches, officials and families left Sun Valley with the memories of a world-class event experience. We once again congratulate the winners and all the athletes for sharing their talents, efforts and gracious attitudes with our community.”
Representing SVSEF in slopestyle were Will Griffith, Ryan Dobi, Ridge Dirksmeier, Harper Mallet and Ben Fethke. SVSEF athletes who competed in big air were Will Griffith, Joey Markthaler and Ridge Dirksmeier. Will Griffith’s big air trick was a rodeo 720 Japan. Joey Markthaler threw a cork 900 safety and Ridge Dirksmeier went with a Rodeo 540 bow arrow. All of the tricks were performed with style and perfect execution.
SVSEF halfpipe were athletes Joey Markthaler, Harper Mallet, Ben Fethke, Ridge Dirksmeier, Charlie Price, Lachlan McFarland, Liesel Byres and Hanna Blackwell. Unfortunately, Harper had to pull out of the competition because of injury, which occurred during training. Head Freeski Coach Tyler Conway commended the athlete. “Harper has been training so hard for the competition this week and it is unfortunate that he didn’t get to compete.” Teammates Ridge and Lachlan went out and destroyed the halfpipe – Ridge finished first and Lachlan third in their age class. Ben was second in his age class, while Hanna Blackwell was first in his age class and fourth overall.
Sammy Smith was SVSEF’s top female finisher in the moguls event on Thursday, March 16, ending up in 20th in a field of 71. In the men’s moguls finals on Friday, Holden Largay narrowly missed the podium in a field of 78, finishing fourth overall and third in his M19 age group. Luke Rizzo performed well, ending with an impressive 12th place finish. Brody Buchwalter made the top 30 in 28th.
CROSS COUNTRY
Gold Team
World Cup Championships, Quebec City
From Head Coach Chris Mallory:
This past weekend the SVSEF XC Gold Team had three racers competing in the World Cup Finals as part of the US Nations group quota. They were some valuable starts and learning experiences for the guys, and the event and city park setting couldn’t have been better. The city received close to two feet of snow a couple days prior to racing which made for unbelievably good conditions once it set up and mixed in with the manmade base.The sun came out and over ten thousand North American fans packed the venue each day, which featured a rolling 3.5 km loop.
Each of the guys were able to put together a solid race over the three day mini tour. Cole Morgan started things off with a 34th in the skate sprint, narrowly missing the rounds. Matt Gelso had a great classic 15km mass start which went out hard right from the gun, taking 37th. Jack Hegman finished the weekend with an encouraging 15km skate pursuit with the 50th place time on the day.
Full results here
Gold Team, PG Team, Comp Team
A group of SVSEF Cross Country athletes is currently racing in Canmore for Canadian Nationals; many of the top Canadian skiers are in the mix, fresh in from World Cup finals, which just took place in Quebec. Competition got underway on Sunday, with Deedra Irwin taking the final podium spot in a field of 68. The women’s Gold Team placed 3rd-6th in the opening 5km Skate race.
Athletes representing SVSEF range from Comp Team skiers to PGs, guests and Gold Team racers. Head Post Grad Coach Tom Smith noted that the event today featured “ warm spring conditions, making for stellar klister skiing for the interval start classic races on brutally tough World Cup courses.”
In the senior women/overall 10km race on March 21, Gold Team skier Mary Rose took a spot on the podium in second. Teammate Annie Pokorny finished ninth, and Deedra Irwin 11th. In the U16 men’s 7.5km race, Bentley Walker-Broose finished 34th in a field of 100. Katherine Estep had a strong finish, with a top-20 result in 14th in the U16 women’s 5km. PG skier Laura Anderson was 17th in the U20 10km, Bjorn Schou was 14th in the U20 men’s 15km and Carter Ros was 33rd. Gold Team skier Rogan Brown finished 14th in the senior men’s/overall 15km race. The athletes have two more races to go, with senior and U20 classic sprints tomorrow, and U16/U18 classic sprints on Thursday.
Full results here
The season wraps up in Fairbanks for US Super Tour Finals.
Alumni
SVSEF alumni Jake Adicoff continued racing at the international level, with another race in PyeongChang, South Korea, before moving on to Japan for the Para World Cup finals. In the men’s 10km classic race in PyeongChang on March 15, Jake finished in third in the visually-impaired class, guided by Sawyer Kesselheim. In Sapporo, Jake continued his streak of podiums, with a silver medal in the 10km in a field of 10 competitors on March 18 and a win in the 5km.
Sapporo 5km
Sapporo 10km
ALPINE
North Series
North Series athletes traveled to Park City for Intermountain Championships, March 17-19. The series featured a slalom, giant slalom and duals. Paige DeHart ended up second overall in giant slalom and took the overall win in the ladies’ slalom. Maya Lightner was fifth overall in giant slalom, and stepped onto the podium with Paige in second for slalom. In U12 duals, Maya took the win. Reece Walther-Porino made a move from bib 62 to 10th in the giant slalom; similarly, Charlotte Davis-Jeffers went from bib 56 to 11th place in the slalom. In the men’s competition, three SVSEF athletes broke the top 10 in the giant slalom overall; Cole Curci was fourth, Max Meucci fifth, and Tucker Smith eighth. In the slalom, Tucker Smith finished on the podium in second for his U10 age group; Cole was 10th for U12s.
Full results here
IMD
IMD skiers were at Alpine Meadows in California March 17-19 for the Western Region U14 Championships, where athletes competed in fields of 40-50 of the top Western Region competitors. Marit Kaiser repeatedly broke the top five, with a fourth place finish in the super G, a second place in the giant slalom and another fourth place in the slalom. Teammate Jessica Blackburn was also consistent, finishing 12th in the super G and 10th in the giant slalom. Marit Kaiser had a standout result in the slalom, ending up in fourth; teammate Saba Grossman was just behind in fifth. Anhwei Kirk was 11th in the same race.
Ryder Sarchett took a win on the first day of competition for the men in the super G. Josh Blackburn finished fifth. Nathan Gowe was third in the giant slalom; Josh Blackburn again finished in the top 10 in ninth. On the final day of competition, Ryder Sarchett was again victorious in the slalom. Axel Hattrup had a standout performance, moving up from 51st to finish 11th.
Full results here
IMD athletes were also at IMD Finals at Snowbasin, March 18-19. There were slalom and giant slalom events. In the women’s giant slalom, Dakota Barth was SVSEF’s top finisher in third, followed by Lena Nelson in fifth. Three other athletes were in the top 10, with Mattigan Monschke in seventh, Tanner Lee in ninth and Maile Dorland in 10th. In the men’s U14 category, Russell Stumph was ninth. In the slalom, Maile Dorland had a great race, ending up in second in the ladies’ event. Dakota Barth was fourth and Anabel Viesturs fifth.
Full results here
USSA
SVSEF athletes went big at the Western Region U16 Championships in Big Sky, Montana. SVSEF pulled a win in every men’s race and one women’s. Jack Harris topped the podium twice, in the giant slalom and the super G. Bennett Snyder won the slalom by over a second. Wyatt Barth finished second in the giant slalom. Alli Rathfon claimed victory in the super G, while Lily Fitzgerald ended second in the giant slalom.
U16 results forthcoming.
Seven SVSEF racers have qualified for U16 Nationals at Sugarloaf, including U14 athlete Ryder Sarchett. The team leaves Sunday.
FIS
FIS athletes rounded out a week of competition at Schweitzer with a slalom event on March 14. Haley Cutler took the win for the women’s race. Ella Pepin broke the top ten in eighth, and Molly Milgard narrowly missed the grouping, finishing 11th.
Filippo Collini likewise took the win in the men’s race; this was his first overall FIS victory. Teammate Spencer Wright was 11th.
Haley Cutler and Erin Smith ended up first and second overall for women in the series. It was a good week of racing, with many age class and overall podiums over the course of the week.
SVSEF athletes return to their home turf here in Sun Valley for FIS races, which begin on Thursday.
Full results here