Athlete of the Month, January 2017 – Cole Morgan
Each month, we’ll be featuring an SVSEF athlete who has been selected by program directors in recognition of exceptional results in their respective sport.
Cole Morgan, a first-year Gold Team skier, has been making his mark in cross country sprint races this season. Following promising early-season Super Tour finishes, Cole approached U.S. Nationals at the beginning of January with confidence and tenacity, skiing smart qualifiers and heats that landed him in third on the American podium in the classic sprint. With this result along with earlier season points, Cole qualified to represent the U.S. at World Championships in Lahti, Finland, which will be held this month. Following these successes, Cole represented the U.S. at the U23 World Championships at Soldier Hollow, Utah. His focus at the week-long event was the classic sprint; if any pressure was felt, this being the only race he would partake in for the week, it went unnoticed by spectators; Cole skied all the way into the semifinals, where he finished fifth in his heat, putting him in ninth overall. This result secured his selection to the U.S. Team for World Cup Finals, which will be held in Quebec City in March.
Cole is originally from Bozeman, Montana. He spent a post-graduate year skiing for SVSEF back in 2012, before attending the University of Vermont. He leaves for Finland on February 16.
The Week in Review: 2/7/17
I AM SVSEF
This is the fifth week of I am SVSEF: an opportunity each week to highlight our athletes for demonstrating the core values of the organization.
Sportsmanship • Citizenship • Character • Teamwork • Creativity • Passion • Perseverance
Here are the I Am SVSEF athletes featured for the week of February 7, 2017:
ALPINE: Jett Carruth is an eighth grader at Community School and a member of the Alpine IMD Team. Said James Tautkus, Head IMD Coach:
Jett has always had the speed but has struggled putting a whole run together. At the end of January Jett opted out of going on the road and took advantage of staying at home to train. He took a step back from his speed and worked on his focus of execution and technique. The result of his effort materialized into his first hardware ever. Jett placed 5th in the first SuperG qualifying race at Snowbasin over the weekend and backed it up with a 14th and 12th thus proving to himself that if he puts in the work the results will follow. A real inspiration to his teammates and coaches.
CROSS COUNTRY: Chloe Tanous is a tenth grader at Community School, and this is her second year on Comp Team. Ashley Knox, Head Comp Team Coach, observed:
She has quietly made significant gains in both her technique and fitness. She is the kid that shows up, puts in the work, and always has a positive attitude. Chloe doesn’t really draw much attention to herself, but really adds to the dynamic of the team and sets a great example of how hard work pays off. She is quietly motivated, she has great internal motivation and knows herself well. Chloe brings a great attitude and, as with every kid, we know she has days that are easier and days that are harder, yet is a constant positive presence and is constantly driving to make gains in her skiing and reach her goals.
FREESTYLE: Hunter Diehl has been chosen this week, for his commitment in the past few weeks (he’s had near perfect Air Barn attendance). Hunter is a tenth grader at Community School. Said John Grigsby, Freestyle Head Coach, “Hunter’s focus and commitment has really shown through and has really paid off, as is evident with his improved results. On top of that, Hunter doesn’t shy away from lending a hand; he’s been a great helper with course maintenance.”
PARK & PIPE: Jack Verhaeghe, a sixth grader at Community School, has been described as hard-working, fired up, focused. Pat Lee, Snowboard Team Manager, has observed how Jack’s stoke and passion make waves on the team:
“Jack is a hard-working snowboarder, he is always fired up when he shows up for team. he has been focusing on half pipe and slopestyle. He excels in just about every field of competition, even slalom and giant slalom; he likes to go for the all-around competitor experience. Jack has a strong passion for competition and it shows every time he crosses the finish line, always giving it 100%. He is an awesome teammate, always keeping the stoke high, slapping high fives and giving props to the rest of the crew. We have only had a halfpipe for a one and a half weeks and I have watched him progress every time we strap in. I am fired up on his performance this week as he has proved himself to be a well-rounded athlete.”
THE WEEK IN REVIEW – 2/7/17
SNOWBOARD/FREESKI
Big Mountain West Series
The Big Mountain West Series features five stops throughout the winter, which lead up to Nationals. Last weekend was the third stop and was based here in Sun Valley at Dollar. It was a well-attended event, with four boardercross competitions, as well as slopestyle and halfpipe. According to Andy Gilbert, SVSEF Snowboard Coach who is no stranger to staging events here, having orchestrated a number himself over the years, commented that, “the word is out that we have some of the best venues in the country as far as park and pipe goes. We had a group from Mt. Bachelor show up this year and riders from Montana, so we’ve had a pretty good showing. USASA kids who are trying to qualify for Nationals are putting us on their calendars, because we have great venues and put on very professional events.” With amazing parent volunteers and event organizers, the standard has been set for a level of professionalism that’s expected at this event.
Standout performances in snowboarding for the weekend came from Jack Verhaeghe, who rode really well in the pipe; he was first in the halfpipe for the boys’ 10-11 age division. Jack competed in all four events, and did well throughout; he podiumed in boardercross (first, two seconds and third) and was second in slopestyle. Maddie Hothem also had a great weekend with great results (second in 12-13 age class for halfpipe, second in boardercross #4). According to Gilbert, “she’s a young rider who is starting to figure out her game plan and how she wants to do things. She’s getting more confident all the time and riding really well.” Channing Curci saw good results (third in boardercross #4, third in slopestyle and third in halfpipe for 12-13 age group), as did Walker Pate (fourth male in 10-11 age group in halfpipe) and Tague Higgins (seventh in slopestyle for 12-13 aged boys). Zoe Bacca secured a win in the 12-13 girls group in all boardercross competitions.
On the freeskiing side of things, Ridge Dirksmeier topped a field of 20 boys in the 12-13 age class in slopestyle. Joey Markthaler was fourth and Harper Mallett fifth. Will Griffith won the open class. In the halfipipe, Ridge Dirksmeier again won in the 12-13 age class, and teammates Harper Mallett, Dylan MIlls and Lachlan McFarland went fourth fifth and seventh. Tyler Conway, Head Freeskiign Coach, noted that, “as a team, we are gaining strength, and people are noticing that SVSEF is a Freeskiing powerhouse with lots of potential.”
SVSEF athletes represented well on their home turf, with an athlete stepping up onto nearly every podium for every age group throughout the weekend. Gilbert attributed the snowboard team’s comfort transitioning into the pipe to all the freeriding they’ve put in and all the miles under their feet with all the snow we’ve had; “for us to be able to put a halfpipe in front of them at this point is less daunting due to how much riding they’ve done leading up to it.” Gilbert also offered praise to the SVSEF coaching staff, who have worked hard to recognize where an athlete might need some work, and to tailor training based not necessarily on age but on how and where they’ll best be able to improve on that particular skill that could use more attention. As a result, the ages are intermixing, and teammates are building friendships and relationships regardless of their differences in years. This camaraderie is not bound to training; you’ll see an eight year old cheering on his thirteen year old as she makes her way down the course, and vice versa.
On top of the awards for specific event results, SVSEF presented the Beverly Hay Snowboard Cup for combined freestyle performances (halfpipe and slopestyle). The award is named for Beverly (Hay) De Chevrieux, who has been a huge, integral Snowboard Team supporter since day one. As a SVSEF board member, she was instrumental in ushering in the formation of the team, and continues to this day to champion the program and the kids who participate.
The trophy lives at the SVSEF Warm Springs office, and past recipients include Olympian Graham Watanabe and Olympic Champion Kaitlyn Farrington. This year’s winners were Malia Quigley (Park City), who was first in slopestyle (65.25) and first in halfpipe (81.25), and Hunter Goulet (Park City), who also won both slopestyle (90.00) and halfpipe (83.00).
Full results here
The next venue is Jackson Hole for the Big Mountain West Series, which the team is looking forward to visiting. The features are smaller, allowing athletes to throw tricks they might not be able to here.
ALPINE
IMD Team
The Alpine IMD Team traveled to Snowbasin over the weekend for their second qualifying event, which featured a training run and three super G races. Marit Kaiser had a solid showing throughout, with three top-ten finishes (eighth, second and fourth). Jett Carruth had a breakthrough weekend, earning his first hardware with a fifth place in the men’s first race. He was the top male SVSEF finisher in that race. He followed that up with a 14th and 12th, and was the team’s third fastest boy. Other notable finishes came from Jessica Blackburn, who was seventh and fourth in the first two races, Logan Lindstrom, who finished 11th in the first race, and Anhwei Kirk, who finished 10th in the second women's race. Not far behind Jett in the first men's race were Nathan Gowe in 10th, Colin Hanna in 14th, and Joe Goitiandia in 15th. Ryder Sarchett was fifth in the second and second in the third men's races. Nathan Gowe was a rock, finishing in 10th all three races.
James Tautkus, IMD Head Coach, noted that “the remainder of the 37 SVSEF athletes competing showed their strength with solid intensity and finishes. For many it was their first super g race experience. The coaches are very proud of the results, however choose to hang their hats on the technical and tactical gains from the mid season speed block. There is a lot of competition season left, with great experience and effort to help them all excel further.”
Full results here
North Series Team
The North Series Team traveled to McCall, Idaho, where they battled wind, rain and snow throughout the weekend. The event included two U10/U12 slalom races. Head coach Scott McGrew was pleased with the effort made by the team, saying, “Slalom can be a tough at times because of all the moving parts and the heightened potential for mistakes and DQ’s. That being said, we were proud of the way everyone carried themselves and brought out a new level of skiing. The collective progress we have made in the past two weeks has been staggering!”
In the first slalom event, Maya Lightner and Paige DeHart went one and two for U12 girls; teammates Laura Daves and Lowie Watkins went four and five. Reece Walther-Porino and Natalie Gowe made big gains, each moving up a significant number of spots. Max Meucci, Tor Johnston and Hank Moss did the same in the men’s race, moving up from rankings in the 60’s to third, 10th and 14th, respectively.
In the second race, Maya and Paige again went one and two, this time with Paige on top of the podium in first. SVSEF girls dominated the race, taking nine out of the top ten spots. Goldie Kirk was fourth, Chloe Vogel fifth, Lowie Watkins sixth, Reece Walther-Porino seventh, Charlotte Davis-Jeffers eighth, Isabella Hattrup ninth and Laura Daves tenth. Cole Curci was second for men, and Max Meucci stayed steady for the weekend, landing in eighth. In the U10 division, Scarlet Carruth skied a strong race, finishing third.
Full results here
FIS Team
The FIS Team finished up a week of racing at Schweitzer Mountain in northern Idaho with giant slalom and super G races. Yuri McClure finished second in the men’s giant slalom on February 1, John Blackburn was fourth and Spencer Wright 10th. The women raced a super G the same day. Erin Smith skied a great race, taking the win for the day. Teammate Skylar Cooley was fourth and Katelyn Rathfon 10th. In the men’s giant slalom the next day, Spencer Wright and Duncan Fuller finished 14th and 17th. The women had another super G race, and Erin just missed first again, coming in second. Skylar was again fourth, and Katelyn was eighth.
Full results here
Earlier recap here
Haley Cutler headed to Colorado for the NorAm series. At Vail, she was 42nd in the first slalom and 45th in the second, February 1-2, in a very competitive field with top U.S. athletes, as well as Canadian and European skiers. At Copper, she finished 38th in the February 3 giant slalom, 31st in the giant slalom the next day, 14th in the first downhill and ninth in the second. Erin Smith headed down to join her after Schweitzer, and was 45th in the giant slalom, 25th in the first downhill and 26th in the second.
Results from Vail
Results from Copper
CROSS COUNTRY
SVSEF took part in the Sun Valley Nordic Festival, which included Town Sprints and the Zions Bank Boulder Mountain Tour.
A 400-meter course was set up in west Ketchum, around which teams of two competed in A, B, youth and exhibition categories. The husband-and-wife team of Brian and Caitlin Gregg won the overall competition by a hair, beating out the local duo of Gold Team skiers Mary Rose and Cole Morgan. The sprints were a nice showcase and a good way to kick off the Nordic Festival. The real deal for SVSEF athletes was the Boulder Mountain Tour, the 34km race from Galena Lodge all the way down the Harriman, which was met with fresh snow and extremely varied conditions, and boasted what some have claimed to be some of the toughest conditions yet in the 42-year history of the race. SVSEF Comp and Prep Team athletes who have their sights set on the last JNQ event next weekend in West Yellowstone opted to not participate in the Boulder. Top finishes at the Boulder came from Gold Team skiers Rogan Brown, who was fourth overall in the field of 631, and Mary Rose, who was third in the women’s category. Deedra Irwin was fourth for women and teammate Annie Pokorny was sixth. In the Half Boulder, Prep Team skier Crosby Boe finished eighth overall in the field of 200, and fourth for women. Teammate Quinn Closser was ninth overall and the fifth female finisher.
BMT results here
Half BMT results here
The last cross country JNQ event takes place this coming weekend in West Yellowstone, with freestyle sprints on Saturday and a 5k/10k mass start classic race on Sunday.
FREESTYLE
Freestyle Travel Teams head to Deer Valley this Thursday for the Deer Valley Mogul Grand Prix.
The Week in Review: 1/31/17
I AM SVSEF
This is the fourth week of I am SVSEF: an opportunity each week to highlight our athletes for demonstrating the core values of the organization.
Sportsmanship • Citizenship • Character • Teamwork • Creativity • Passion • Perseverance
Here are the I Am SVSEF athletes featured for the week of January 31, 2017:
ALPINE: This week’s I am SVSEF athlete for Alpine is Ashley Helm, a member of our USSA U19 team and an eleventh grader at Community School. Scott McGrew, Alpine Program Director, noted, “Ashley has been unwavering in her commitment to improve and work hard this season. She is always on time, organized, and is an awesome teammate for those around her. This past week she had a phenomenal performance at the Soldier Mountain downhill, grabbing two top-five overall finishes. We are proud of Ashley and her commitment to her craft.”
CROSS COUNTRY: Lizzie Lipman is relatively new to Cross Country, having joined this season. The Wood River Middle School sixth grader works extremely hard at the sport, embraces the challenges and the ups and downs and takes pointers and advice with poise and maturity well beyond her years. Said Kelley Sinnott, Prep Team Head Coach, “Lizzie is quiet and unassuming, but when you’re around her, her infectious smile and positivity rub off.” She listens intently to coaches, giving them her full attention, and is able to apply what they’re saying to her technique and form with that big smile and seeming ease.
FREESTYLE: Henry Cherp, a member of the Freestyle Travel A team and a tenth grader at Community School, has made big improvements this past week in his jumping. He’s trying a different trick that is out of the norm and that you don’t typically see in competition, pushing the boundaries of creativity within the sport. Henry is one of three guys in the region who does that trick– a loop truckdriver grab. Commented John Grigsby, Freestyle Team Manager, “it’s a technical jump to be throwing for mogul skiing, but he’s pursuing it with intent and dedication. Commitment to preseason training in the Air Barn has helped him to make strides on snow.” On top of that, Henry is open-minded, helpful to coaches, and a role model for younger athletes.
PARK & PIPE: Jennifer Diehl, Freestyle/Freeski Prep and Devo Team Manager, had this to say about Charles Goodyear, a member of the Freestyle/Freeskiing Prep Team, a fifth grader at Community School, and this week’s Park & Pipe “I am SVSEF” athlete:
Charles shows passion for skiing in his willingness to push himself outside his comfort zone and try new things. He shows up for training early, always with a positive attitude and eager to know what’s in store for the day. He is inclusive with teammates and encourages others to follow suit. Although our team had zero access to a slopestyle course or a mogul course in the early season, Charles jumped at the opportunity to compete in both disciplines at the Utah Olympic Park, landing him on the podium for both U12 events. Two weeks later, he competed in slopestyle and moguls at the Sun Valley Freestyle Spectacular, a much more competitive playing field. However, seeing all the experienced skiers did not intimidate Charles. He went out and gave it his personal best. Charles shows tremendous grit and a winning spirit in his continuing efforts to push himself and improve. He sets the tone for his teammates by giving it his all, whether in training or in competition. Way to go Charles!
THE WEEK IN REVIEW – 1/31/17
SNOWBOARD
Payton Bacca qualifies for Junior Worlds
Payton Bacca, a tenth grader at Wood River High School and a member of the Snowboard Comp Travel Team, has been invited to compete at the FIS Snowboard Junior World Championships in Klinovec, Czech Republic, February 14-20. Only six athletes per sex/discipline are selected to represent the U.S. at the event, and are chosen based on the FIS World Cup point scoring system.
Chase Josey Fourth at Aspen X Games
Chase Josey, Gold Team and U.S. Team snowboarder, just missed the podium last weekend at the Aspen X Games in the men’s superpipe. Chase was fourth behind two Americans, Taylor Gold (third) and Matt Ladley (second), and Scotty James, an Australian who won the event and who finished second last week behind Chase at the LAAX Open Halfpipe in Switzerland. Chase is currently in Mammoth, California, for the final stop on the 2017 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix tour, which is the first 2018 U.S. Olympic qualifier for halfpipe and slopestyle. He’ll head home for a bit before shifting gears and traveling to South Korea mid-February for the Olympic test event.
Full results here
ALPINE
Follow-up: IMD Team at Grand Targhee
SVSEF U14 athletes had the opportunity, as mentioned in last week’s recap, to participate in an Intermountain speed camp at Grand Targhee. Maile Dorland and Lena Nelson were named most improved for their groups at the camp, demonstrating their ability to take and apply feedback in a way that lead to concrete progress. The camp was beneficial to all, and the experience was both memorable and helpful when looking towards future downhill endeavors.
Said Charlotte Gourlay, an IMD assistant coach who joined the SVSEF athletes for the trip, “for many of them, it was their first trip traveling without their parents. They did a great job of taking care of themselves and their friends. On the hill, they learned to glide on a glide track, and how to gain speed on a wave track. General consensus was that hitting the speed jumps was their favorite part.”
Follow-up: Sammis Camas Cup
By Scott McGrew, Alpine Program Director
Going into this year’s Soldier Mountain Downhill and Sammis Camas Cup, we had a huge task in front of us. There was a significant amount of new snow on the hills, with the weather still coming strong. With the work of the SVSEF coaching staff, along with some phenomenal volunteer help, we were able to build the track and prep the safety protection in quick fashion. The crew down at Soldier Mountain was amazing. They gave us absolute access to the cat groomers and their operator. Josh Ivie is a second generation cat driver on Soldier Mountain and he did a phenomenal job shaping the terrain, building jumps, and grooming a nice firm base to the 2.5 km track. The tack continued to improve over the three day event culminating in an incredible day on Wednesday with blue sky, firm snow and 90 competitors across Masters and Junior divisions.
On Monday and Tuesday we had a great cohort of U12 and U14 athletes who, for many, this was their first introduction to downhill. The track was a phenomenal teacher and the youngsters were able to push their limits, go over jumps, and get coaching from our incredibly knowledgeable Speed staff. It was great to see the confidence building with each and every run as our athletes were able to partake in something that very few athletes that age have the opportunity to do.
Downhill is a strong tradition in our community and, although a tremendous organizational challenge, I’m excited that we were able to capture the moment and offer this experience to our athletes. It was unique, challenging, appropriate, and a super fun event.
Mini World Cup
The Mini World Cup team staged a slalom competition on Dollar on Sunday, January 29. The athletes’ hard work and effort showed through in the event. Tor Jensen, Head Mini World Cup Coach, said it was “great to see the energy, excitement and some nervousness at a race. We’re proud of everyone that stepped into that start gate and kicked that wand.”
The MWC team will follow this competition with a MWC Skills test on February 19, and then with a slalom and giant slalom for the Monroe Cup IMD North Series Race at Sun Valley on February 25 and 26.
Full results here
FIS at Schweitzer Mountain Resort
FIS is in the midst of competition at Schweitzer Mountain Resort, where they’ve already been seeing some good results. A training downhill on January 27 showed promise at the event for Erin Smith, Ruby Marden, Skylar Cooley and Kate Rathfon, who went six, 10, 11, and 16 in the first run of the day. A large group of SVSEF men saw similar positive reinforcement, with Spencer Wright taking third, Duncan Fuller fourth, Yuri McClure fifth, Charlie Lamb sixth and John Blackburn seventh.
On January 28 in a field of 52 competitors, Skylar Cooley led the charge for SVSEF women, taking ninth overall in the downhill. Three teammates also broke the top 20, with Ruby Marden in 11th, Erin Smith 12th and Katelyn Rathfon 13th.
Duncan Fuller had his first FIS win in the men’s downhill race the same day, besting a field of 77. Spencer Wright finished fifth, and Walter Lafky, Yuri McClure and Charlie Lamb went seven-eight-nine. Rounding out the top finishes were John Blackburn in 14th and Hayden Terjeson in 19th.
In the second downhill of the series on January 29, Erin Smith just missed the podium in fourth. Ruby Marden stayed consistent, taking seventh and Katelyn Rathfon followed suit, finishing ninth.
Spencer Wright and Duncan Fuller continued their streak of top-10 results on January 29, finishing second and third, respectively. Charlie Lamb moved up from bib 19 into eighth. Yuri McClure was 10th and Hayden Terjeson 15th. Jake Blackburn made moves, improving from bib 42 to 30th place.
On January 30, the women switched to giant slalom. Erin Smith was SVSEF’s top finisher in fifth, followed by Katelyn Rathfon in sixth, Ruby Marden in ninth and Skylar Cooley in 13th. The men competed in super G the same day, and Duncan Fuller showed versatility, again claiming victory. Hayden Terjeson came in 17th, and Charlie Lamb 23rd. The athletes still have two more days of competition, featuring more giant slalom and super G.
Full results here
CROSS COUNTRY
Prep Team/Comp Team Updates
Ten Prep Team athletes ventured out to Fishhook Yurt this past weekend for a couple days of exploring, building jumps and spending time in the backcountry. A portion of the team will compete this Saturday in the Boulder Mountain Tour.
The Comp Team is gearing up for their final Junior National Qualifier, which will be in West Yellowstone the weekend of February 11-12. This is the last opportunity for SVSEF athletes to make Junior Nationals, which run March 3-11 in Lake Placid, New York.
Gold Team
Gold Team athletes Cole Morgan, Jack Hegman and Kelsey Phinney are at Soldier Hollow in Utah for U23 World Championships. Racing starts today with classic sprints; find the whole schedule here, or better yet, watch the races online at nnf.ski/tv.
FREESKIING/FREESTYLE
Sun Valley Freestyle & Freeskiing Spectacular
Sun Valley and SVSEF hosted the Sun Valley Freestyle & Freeskiing Spectacular at Dollar and Bald Mountains over the course of four days. The event came with great sunny weather and temperatures reaching the mid-30s, providing an ideal setting for competition. There was a full field of 100 competitors, with athletes from California, Utah, Montana and even a couple from the east coast. Sun Valley Ski Company grooming came through to make the venue possible, not to mention all of the volunteers and parents who helped with everything from starting to score recording to score running, and the businesses that donated time and resources. Said John Grigsby, Freestyle Team Manager, “this event showed how our community comes together in support of the athletes; thank you to all who helped make the event a success.” Tyler Conway, Freeskiing Head Coach, echoed these sentiments, saying, “it was great to see all the support from parents and people in the community, and to have the halfpipe and slopestyle courses open for SVSEF athletes to show off their tricks for the hometown crowd.”
Freestyle athletes found the podium often; Hanna Blackwell won both halfpipe events on Thursday, as did Ridge Dirksmeier for the men. Teammate Harper Mallett was second in the first halfpipe event. SVSEF athletes Sam Ware, Lachlan McFarland and Charlie Price went six-seven-eight in the same competition. In the slopestyle events the following day, SVSEF’s Talbott Palmer won the women’s event. Mabel Ashburn, a SVSEF F15, stepped up and into second in the second slopestyle event. Ridge Dirskmeier and Will Griffith had the top men’s finishes for the day, landing in ninth and tenth in the second event of the day.
Freestyle athletes skied extremely well over the course of the weekend, with podiums in each age group from U11 to U19. Tatum Ware grabbed first place in her age group, while Holden Largay podiumed again both days, making this his fourth consecutive weekend with overall podium finishes. Hunter Diehl had his top result of the year, coming in ninth in a tough field. Another highlight was Toby Rafford making it into the round of 16 as a young competitor and in a large field (there were 92 total duals across the board; you typically see around 60). Addie Rafford finished fifth in duals, and Holden was second in the men’s event.
Full results here
Dollar will be staging another event this weekend, the USASA Big Mountain West Series featuring snowboarding and freeskiing, February 2-5. Come on out to watch SVSEF athletes get some big air; you can find the schedule here.
The Week in Review: 1/24/17
I AM SVSEF
This is the third week of I am SVSEF: an opportunity each week to highlight our athletes for demonstrating the core values of the organization.
Sportsmanship • Citizenship • Character • Teamwork • Creativity • Passion • Perseverance
Here are the I Am SVSEF athletes featured for the week of January 23, 2017:
ALPINE: Madda Mourier-Floyd, a fourth grader at Community School, recently moved to the valley from California. Her ski experience prior to relocating was minimal, in the form of the occasional ski trip with her family. Even from the start of dryland training, Madda’s coaches recognized her athletic potential. Madda has worked hard to turn that potential into personal growth and progress; after essentially just one month of skiing, she was the second SVSEF finisher in the first Nastar girl’s race. Coach Brian Caulkins credits her development to not solely her athleticism, but her willingness to give 100% every day, her positivity and the respect and support she shows to her teammates.
CROSS COUNTRY: Ava Lavigne, age eight, attends Hailey Elementary School. Dave Bingham, Cross Country Devo Head Coach, recounted how Ava constantly come to practice eager to learn and improve:
Ava approached me after New Year's asking for a training plan to make her a better athlete. She has focused on learning technique perhaps more than any Devo skier I've ever seen, exemplified by her daily requests to work on specific technical skills and her pursuit to earn advanced ‘skill badges,’ usually only achieved by older team members. With dogged enthusiasm and a hard driving work ethic, Ava sets a positive example for the whole team.
FREESTYLE: Sammy Smith, a fifth grader who spends winter in Sun Valley and fall and spring in Boise, is a member of both the Freestyle Travel B Team and the Cross Country Prep Team. Talented beyond her years and stature, you wouldn’t know it unless you saw her for yourself out on the course; she is quietly fierce, extremely hardworking and incredibly humble. Eager to help her coaches, congratulate her teammates and take on whatever challenge comes next, Sammy is an athlete who even older teammates look up to.
PARK & PIPE: The Park & Pipe “I am SVSEF” athlete this week is Lachlan McFarland, a sixth grader at Community School. Conor Davis, Freeski B Team Coach, describes how Lachlan faced challenge head-on in Park City, persevering through any doubt and apprehension that naturally came with initial exposure to the halfpipe.
As a coach I was really impressed with Lachlan’s first travel trip to Park City this past week. All of our athletes were thrown into the halfpipe contest last Thursday morning with no prior training this year. In the hour of training before the contest, I was really impressed to see all of the athletes putting their game faces on. After his first training run, Lachlan commented as we were riding up the chairlift, “I forgot how scary the half pipe is.” By the end of the day, however, Lachlan had overcome his fear and was spinning left and right 540’s, and riding switch down the pipe. He even earned himself a second place medal for his age group. On our last run of the trip he announced, “I forgot how much fun the halfpipe is! I can’t wait to have our halfpipe open so that I can train this week.” I’m excited to see Lachlan’s confidence continue to overcome uncomfortable or scary situations in the future, and to watch him progress as both a skier, and as a young adult.
SNOWBOARD
Gold Team: Chase Josey wins LAAX event in Europe
Chase Josey, SVSEF alumni and current Gold Team snowboarder, has again proven his ability to capitalize at big events and to stay calm under pressure that comes with the territory. Earlier this season, Chase took third at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper in December. This past weekend, he won the LAAX Open men’s halfpipe in Switzerland, which was established this year as part of the FIS World Cup tour and describes itself as “the most important snowboarding event in the European mountains.” The Hailey native pulled out all the stops on his third run, laying down multiple doubles and ultimately out-finessing competitors Scotty James of Australia, and Iouri Podladtchikov, the Sochi Olympic champion fondly known as iPod and hailing from Switzerland. Chase’s result pushed him into the leading position on the FIS points list. (USSA Snowboarding)
Full results here
Further reading
All SVSEF Snowboard: Baldy Banked Slalom
The sixth annual Baldy Banked Slalom took place Saturday, January 21. Nineteen hand-made berms were built for the course that wound down the side of Baldy, from the top of Warm Springs to I-80. Each competitor had two opportunities to get down the course as quickly as possible; the start list ran from top to bottom, then got switched up and went bottom to top for the second run. The top prize for the event was a coveted spot in the Baker Banked Slalom, which is now in its 31st year and is so popular that a portion of the entries for the event have to be chosen by lottery. Competitors can qualify through results at other banked slaloms, which is the case with the Baldy Banked, along with 11 other similar events, staged from Maine to Switzerland to Japan.
The event drew 107 competitors, from pros to young kids – SVSEF current athletes as well as alums and parents threw their names in the mix. Elk Spencer and Aidan Greene made a dent in the pro-open division, with the ninth and tenth fastest times in a field of 33. Clara Jenner, a SVSEF alum, took the women’s race with a time of 50.891 seconds. Rick Millett, SVSEF Snowboard Coach, narrowly missed the win in the men’s pro-open, taking home second place.
The Baldy Banked Slalom is a unique event in its layout and its inherent nature; it is an important celebration of snowboarding in Sun Valley, and this year it was a great opportunity for SVSEF to be together as a team and for athletes to support one another in an all-inclusive environment.
Full results here
CROSS COUNTRY
Devo/Prep/Comp/PG/Gold: Sun Valley JNQ
SVSEF hosted Intermountain’s second Junior National Qualifier, with a classic sprint on Saturday and a distance skate race on Sunday. A big thank you goes out to everyone who helped in making the event, which hosted over 300 athletes from across our division, a resounding success.
By Ashley Knox, Cross Country Comp Team Head Coach
The cross country team had a great weekend of racing on their home course. We had a beautiful day of classic sprint racing on Saturday; the tracks were in great shape and the SVSEF crew came out ready to throw down. Sunday brought us some snow and a hard distance skate course filled with lots of killer uphills and flying downhills.
For the Prep Team, Sebi Radl-Jones had a great result in Sunday’s skate race, finishing 15th in the U16 boys category. Sammy Smith raced up an age group into the U14 girls and took third place. Taylor Dorland put in a great effort and took the win in the Novice category on Sunday.
For the Comp Team, the highlight of Saturday’s classic sprint race was seeing four SVSEF girls in the U16 girls final and Chloe Tanous’s breakout result of sixth place. Peter Wolter and Eli Jensen skied two very strong laps of the challenging 5KM course on Sunday and took the top two podium spots for the U18/20 men. Eve Jensen had her career best Junior National Qualifier result, coming in seventh in the U18/20 Women.
This was the second Junior National Qualifier of the season and the team seems to be finding their form. We had some great results and some kids are really starting to see the fruits of their labor. As always, the team is ready to keep training hard and is looking forward to racing in the third and last Junior National Qualifier in West Yellowstone, Montana, February 11-12.
Full results here
Gold Team: Super Tour in Truckee, CA
The Super Tour continued in Truckee, California, with a classic sprint on Saturday. Jack Hegman missed the men’s A finals but ended up in seventh overall. Teammate Rogan Brown was 17th. Deedra Irwin was also seventh overall for the women, Mary Rose was 13th and Annie Pokorny was 14th. Unfortunately, Sunday’s 10/5km skate race was cancelled due to weather and large amounts of snow.
Men’s sprint results
Women’s sprint results
Gold Team: Cole Morgan qualifies for FIS World Championships
SVSEF Gold Team skier Cole Morgan has been named one of 17 athletes who will represent the U.S. at FIS World Championships in Lahti, Finland next month – the first event is February 23. Cole, a very strong sprinter, edged out Ben Saxton, an SMS athlete for his sprint spot; as the two were tied in sprint points, it came down to their fourth race, where Cole edged out Ben in the U.S. Nationals skate sprint qualifier. (FasterSkier) The event, which runs February 22-March 5, draws the top cross country athletes from around the world. It will be live streamed on NBCsports.com
Read more about the team
FREESTYLE
All Freestyle: Park City Freestyle Classic
SVSEF Freestyle athletes, from age six and up, competed at the Park City Freestyle Classic Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was a two-run singles competition, and Sunday was supposed to have both a one-run singles and duals seeded from singles; due to extreme weather with 70mph winds, athletes competed in the one-run single event only; duals were cancelled. This competition had a high-level point value, as there were a number of top athletes in attendance, including some who are on the Nor-Am Tour. Points from this event go towards qualifying for Junior Nationals and Nationals.
Seventeen SVSEF athletes performed well despite their limited access to moguls training. Holden Largay continued his podium streak, making this the fifth competition straight in which he’s secured a top-three finish – he podiumed both days (third on Saturday, second on Sunday). Wilson Dunn had his top performance of the year thus far, pulling out a back X and a loop with a grab, which landed him fifth overall on Saturday and making it onto the podium for M19s against a tough field. Said coach John Grigsby, “Wilson really stepped it up – he had a fifth on day one and on day two he still made top ten, which was huge for him. He’s putting stuff together now that he’s getting time and experience at a training venue.” Addie Rafford was sixth on Saturday in the women’s competition, and teammates Esmee Verheijen and Eliza Marks finished eighth and 11th.
The big story of the day for Sunday was a M17 podium sweep; Henry Cherp won, Luke Rizzo was second and Alex LaFleur third; this was a big deal, as it was a high-level competition for these athletes with a total of 55, male and female, in attendance. The girls also stepped it up, with Addie Rafford taking third, Eliza Marks ninth and Liesl Beyer 15th.
This weekend, Freestyle and Freeski athletes will compete at home at the Sun Valley Freestyle & Freeskiing Spectacular. Freestyle events kick off Saturday at 10:15 a.m. – stop by if you have a chance to support SVSEF Freestyle and Freeski athletes.
Saturday results
Sunday results
FREESKI
Travel Team: Park City
Seven SVSEF Freeski athletes traveled to Park City for the first USSA halfpipe and slopestyle competition of the season. For most SVSEF athletes, this was the first time they were able to train in the halfpipe this season. All of the athletes performed well, with some placing in their age groups as well as overall. The purpose of competitions like this one is not to chase points, but to gain experience of competition and to gain confidence in slopestyle and halfpipe. It takes many hours of airtime training to build the skills and ability to take it to the next level. Joey Markthaler finished second in his age class in the halfpipe, Lachland McFarland was third for his age class and Hanna Blackwell was first in her age class and third overall.
According to Tyler Conway, Freeski Head Coach, the slopestyle course at Park City was one of the best, with jumps comparable in size to the ones on the Dew Tour. Said Conway, “as a team, we have not skied jumps this size yet. Everyone on the team stepped up to the challenge and performed their best slopestyle runs for the conditions and size of the course.” In a slopestyle event, you have to complete every feature on the course to get a good score. Will Griffith had another solid performance in slopestyle – his run featured a first rail blind 270, second rail front 450 out, third rail front 270, first jump switch right 540 mute grab, second jump rodeo 720 safety grab and third jump double cork 900 (dub9) safety grab, landing him second in his age class.
This weekend, Freestyle and Freeski athletes will compete at home at the Sun Valley Freestyle & Freeskiing Spectacular. Freeski events kick off Thursday at 10:15 a.m. – stop by if you have a chance to support SVSEF Freestyle and Freeski athletes.
Results to come
ALPINE
Sammis Camas Camp and Downhill
SVSEF Alpine athletes are currently in Fairfield, Idaho, at Soldier Mountain for an intensive speed camp from Monday, January 23-Wednesday, January 25. This is an exceptional opportunity for SVSEF athletes to hone skills on applicable terrain that is closed to outside parties. Monday consisted of a terrain camp, complete with drills and stations focusing on aerodynamics, technical turns, glide turns, terrain adaptation, jumping and tactics. Today, athletes will fit in training runs and the Sammis Camas race. The idea is to build on the skills practiced on Monday, run sections in the morning and full length runs in the afternoon. The Sammis Camas race will be the final run of the day. Wednesday, the final day of the camp, has USSA and Master’s races on the schedule and is intended for older athletes only.
U14 Speed Project at Grand Targhee Resort, Wyoming
The Grand Targhee Speed Project is easily the best camp offered for the U14 age group anywhere in the country; the timing of the camp along with what it is able to offer is pretty unique. With exposure to speed terrain and a carefully orchestrated breakdown of the different elements of a speed course, athletes have the opportunity to further develop their understanding and education of all the different pieces of technical and tactical components. An athlete typically has to be a U16 and from a western region; this camp is put on for the Intermountain Division, and is for 12-14 year olds, allowing them to get good, in-season exposure that will ultimately make them more successful in competition. This is the second year of the camp.
Grand Targhee designates a number of parts of the main mountain to building out five different sections of speed training. The three-day camp features a day of skiing education, video and feedback, a day focused on volume, and a third day that links it all together in one long track. Said James Tautkus, IMD Head Coach, “turning in speed courses is so much different than in tech courses, and learning patience to let that turn build is really transferable. Our kids don’t normally have exposure to that; capturing this as a younger athlete is pretty radical.”
USSA: Wes Barron Speed Series
The Wes Barron Speed Series at Jackson Hole was USSA scored, open to U14s and older and ran Friday through Sunday with three Super Gs. In a large field that had U14, U16 and U19 athletes, SVSEF skiers managed to secure solid finishes, despite the obvious disparity in age difference. The intention with this series was to get valuable mileage; to get more experience under the belt, to get into the start gate, to improve competition skills and fundamentals. With all the hype around racing, it’s sometimes hard to direct any degree of focus towards becoming better athletes overall. Coach James Tautkus put it well when he explained that “anytime you have the opportunity to compete, it’s an opportunity to know where you’re at; it affirms what you’re already doing right and shows where things need to improve. We had some shining lights there this weekend, and all of the kids took something away from the experience.” The challenge for the weekend was to slow it down, to execute as best they could every day and take their skiing further. As first year U16s, the SVSEF athletes are challenged to build a longer turn than they were used to at the U14 level, which had smaller skis and smaller turns. SVSEF skiers took to the challenge, showing interest in watching feedback video and making improvements along the way – the team is taking this thing that they love and trying to make more out of it. The effort showed in their results every day, even if that meant climbing up the ladder by a couple spots.
Sage Holter was the girls’ top finisher on Friday in 18th. Merumo Ishimaru jumped up from bib number 128 to 31st. Ridley Lindstrom was 15th in the boys race, Johannes Liaboe 18th, Ryder Sarchett 19th (up from bib 33) and Josh Blackburn 22 (up from bib 51). On Saturday, Carly Walther-Porino was 19th in a field of 99 racers. Cailin Chandler, Sage Holter and Ella Koplin went 21-22-23. Ridley Lindstrom just missed top-10 on day two, finishing 11th. The boys’ field was also large, with 87 competitors. On Sunday, Falon Hanna stepped up and into 18th for the girls, and teammate Marit Kaiser went from bib 52 to 23rd. Ridley Lindstrom continued his consistency, ending up in 19th on Sunday, just ahead of teammate Ryder Sarchett in 20th.
Full results here
FIS: Squaw Valley
FIS athletes headed to Squaw for a series of racing, only to be met with rough weather conditions and three races of the four cancelled as a result. Said Brett Morris, SVSEF Women’s FIS Head Coach and Mental Conditioning and Performance Coach, “the one GS that was completed was really challenging. The Red Dog race venue at Squaw is a steep and challenging hill with lots of terrain. This is the same hill that they will run the women’s World Cup on later this year. In addition to the challenging hill, the snow was so soft that the course eroded really quickly making for extremely tough conditions.” Despite the conditions, SVSEF athletes did a great job of navigating a tricky course. Yuri McClure was third for U19s and ninth overall, and Julian Plank skied phenomenally from the back of the group to finish seventh in U19s and 17th overall. Haley Cutler finished sixth overall, and Erin Smith came in third for U19s and eighth overall.
Complete men’s results (U19s are YOB 1998-2000)
Complete women’s results
The Week in Review: 1/17/17
I AM SVSEF
This is the second week of I am SVSEF: an opportunity each week to highlight our athletes for demonstrating the core values of the organization.
Sportsmanship • Citizenship • Character • Teamwork • Creativity • Passion • Perseverance
Here are the I Am SVSEF athletes featured for the week of January 16, 2017:
ALPINE: A sixth grader at Wood River Middle School, Paige DeHart embraces all aspects of the sport of alpine skiing as a member of the North Series Team. This past weekend, she was the ladies’ victor on Saturday at Snow King, and was leading the race following her first run on Sunday until she went down on the second run, just five gates from the finish. Said Scott McGrew, Alpine Program Director and North Series Head Coach, “despite the fact that she didn’t make it through Sunday’s race, Paige was an all-star in how she dealt with it. There were a few moments of disappointment, then full recovery to back supporting her teammates and having a great time. She is a phenomenal teammate, a great competitor, and a beautiful skier. She loves this sport, and it shows.” On top of all that, Paige goes above and beyond with her level of commitment; last Friday night at Rotarun, she showed up in -16 degree weather to get in that extra training.
CROSS COUNTRY: Peter Wolter, a senior at Community School, is an example of how an athlete can lead both by example and by establishing a strong, positive presence on a team. Coach Ashley Knox noted that “he always brings a great attitude to practice and is a great team leader.” Peter makes an extra effort each year to put together a team fleece, jacket, etc.; he cares about the cohesiveness of the group and recognizes the value of the team as a support network that is essential for success, forged from mutual respect and a common mindset amongst athletes. Peter demonstrates how athletic success and leadership are not mutually exclusive, but in fact build each other up; he has pre-qualified for Junior Nationals with his results at Senior Nationals.
FREESTYLE: According to coach John Grigsby, Katie Markthaler, a tenth grader at Wood River High School and a member of the Freestyle Travel A Team, “has made huge improvements in her skiing over the past few weeks, and her jumping has improved greatly.” This is attributed, in part, to an awesome attitude and a positive outlook; she’s come a long way over a short period of time. On top of all that, she’s a great source of support to her teammates when it matters most.
PARK & PIPE: A sixth grader at Community School, Charlie Price comes to Freeski Travel Team training every day on time and fully dedicated to the task at hand. Observed coach Tyler Conway, “I’ve watched him crash a few times and end up a little frustrated, but he gets right back up and tries again.” Charlie stands out with his ability to listen and observe, to really absorb and process new information. His willingness to learn sets him up for success, both on the hill and off.
THE WEEK IN REVIEW – 1/17/17
CROSS COUNTRY
Gold Team
By Chris Mallory, Gold Team Head Coach
In Tuesday's 20/30km mass start classic races, the loop was shortened to a 3.75km lap on a majority of man-made snow which made for good klister skiing. A big rain storm came through the day before, wiping out much of the natural snow, but Soldier Hollow luckily has some impressive snow making capability. The day started with the men's 30km where Rogan Brown had another standout distance race, repeating his seventh place finish from a couple days prior in the 15km skate. More known for skating ability, this was a great race for him.
On Thursday, the week wrapped with a skate sprint qualifier. This was the final race used for U.S. Team selection for World Championships in Lahti, Finland, a month from now. About an hour before the start a significant snow storm rolled in, which really slowed the trail conditions down, but still allowed for a fair race with everyone dealing with the change. Cole Morgan continued his string of strong sprint results taking the second American spot on the day to Logan Hanneman of APU, and was closely followed by roommate/teammate Jack Hegman who was the third American a half second back. Apparently you live together, you race together! The Canadians raced strong this day taking the top three spots.
The women's race then followed with Kelsey Phinney having a strong showing as the fifth American, and top U23, solidifying her spot on the U.S. U23 World Championship team a couple weeks from now, back in Utah. Cole and Jack will join her representing the U.S., January 30th-February 5th at Soldier Hollow.
With Matt racing World Cups the next few weekends in Europe, the rest of the team will be headed to Truckee, CA, this weekend for another SuperTour Race series before coming back to race the Boulder Mountain Tour here in town. Then it’s to the Midwest for SuperTours in Michigan and the American Birkiebiener for the rest of February.
Full results here
ALPINE
North Series Team
The North Series Team had their first big weekend of racing at Snow King Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. A total of 30 athletes competed in two giant slalom events, January 14-15.
By Scott McGrew, Alpine Program Director and North Series Head Coach
This past weekend was awesome for the North Series Crew. They brought an incredible game, and represented our community very well. There were some solid standout performances this weekend. The ladies commanded the event, pushing eight into the top 10 on Saturday and seven into the top 10 on Sunday. Paige DeHart lead the way on Saturday with an overall victory, while teammate Goldie Kirk had a fantastic weekend with a pair of silver medals. We saw a huge number of podium positions for SVSEF athletes at all age categories, including Dakota Barth’s U14+ victory and Taylor Hovey finding the U10 podium. In an extremely competitive field, the men put together a nice day with Tommy Normand landing in fourth position and Cole Curci climbing to claim second place overall. Our younger boys were charging hard and learning some super valuable lessons along the way. The amount of talent in that group is really solid and going to be fun to see develop.
We had a number of athletes new to ski racing at this event, which was really cool. The level of attention to detail required to unlock the secrets to this game are extraordinary and it was fun to see the spark of excitement in the eyes of all of our SVSEF athletes (and parents).
We have an awesome community of parents, and this weekend we had the opportunity to make a bunch of new friends and build more layers of support for our kids. Having a strong parent community is extremely important to providing the best possible experience for our athletes and I was super stoked to be able to spend time with everyone. Lots of fun was had by all.
Full results here
FIS
FIS athletes John Blackburn, Yuri McClure and Filippo Collini traveled to Waterville, NH for a FIS series last week. A cancelled flight and missing bags made for a challenging transition into race mode, as the boys missed all days of potential training. Races took place Wednesday in soft conditions; Filippo Collini finished 33rd in the first slalom. Thursday’s giant slalom race was cancelled due to fog, and athletes completed two giant slalom races on Friday (in order to fit the second giant slalom in, only the top 45 athletes competed in the second run of the second race). Collini was 35th in the first giant slalom of the day.
Said Nate Schwing, FIS Men’s Team Head Coach, “this series brings together the top U19 Men in the country for two days of training and four days of racing. There were some good skiing moments within the runs from the boys. The U19 men’s field is strong; maybe the best field I have seen from that age group. Our guys have the potential to compete at that level but we need to continue to fine tune some aspects of our preparation to have the confidence to execute our best skiing in consecutive runs.”
Full results here
FREESTYLE
Freestyle Travel Team
SVSEF Freestyle spent the weekend at Snowbowl in Missoula, Montana, for a USSA Northern Division competition. The field was relatively small, with 38 total men and 12 women in competition; SVSEF brought 21 athletes to the event. The event was pertinent in that it gave SVSEF valuable time on a moguls course, and it helped in getting points towards Junior Nationals and Nationals. Saturday was a two-run singles event, and Sunday had two events – a one-run singles qualifier, followed by duals. Katie Markthaler skied really well, ending up on the podium; her skiing improved dramatically over just the past week. Luke Rizzo and Alex LaFleur both skied extremely well; Alex was really consistent and Luke took the win for duals. Wilson Dunn was fourth in the qualifier, and Holden Largay won Saturday in singles, followed by Alex in second. Sammy Smith took second on Saturday, followed by Katie in third. The Freestyle Team has a quick turnaround, leaving Sun Valley again this Thursday for Park City at The Canyons; the following week, they’ll be competing on their home turf.
Results have not yet been posted.
Prep Team
A number of SVSEF Freestyle/Freeski Devo athletes took it upon themselves to travel to Park City for Intermountain Freestyle Devo slopestyle and mogul events at the Utah Olympic Park, January 13 and 14. Charles Goodyear placed second in slopestyle and second in moguls for age class 2005, while Alex Leahy placed third in both slopestyle and moguls for age class 2007. Hunter McLaren was third in moguls for age class 2005, Nic Rubinstein first in moguls for age class 2006 and Austin McMahon fifth in moguls for age class 2007.
Commented Jennifer Diehl, Freestyle/Freeski Prep and Devo Team Manager, "what impresses me most about these kids is that they went out there and took what they have been learning at ski team, applied it to a competition that they were a little nervous about, and gave it their all. And, without a coach at the event! That is what we are trying to instill in the athletes at the Devo and Prep levels: always be open to try new things…you might enjoy one discipline more than another, but you won’t know unless you give it a go!"
SVSEF Achieves USSA Gold Level Club Certification
The United States Ski and Snowboard association (USSA) announced that it has elevated SVSEF’s club certification from Silver, which was originally awarded in 2014, to Gold, the highest honor possible. According to USSA, “this level of certification is intended for clubs that are Best in the World. These clubs serve as a model, both organizationally and athletically, and are resources to the sport as a whole in the U.S.” The designation of a club as Gold level is not an examination, but rather an opportunity for USSA to assess a club’s current situation and determine areas of need. Gold certified clubs possess a heightened level of accountability to maintain and build upon areas of both strength and improvement, to ensure the longevity and stability of the organization and to help, through feedback and observation, to grow the cumulative strength of clubs throughout regions and across the country.
Commented Ellen Adams, Club Development Manager for USSA, “USSA’s Podium Club Certification Program is designed to recognize excellence and create a platform for continued improvement. The process to achieve Podium level certification involves a rigorous, mission driven self-assessment and review of best principles and practices in eight areas of organizational performance. As a Gold certified club, SVSEF has demonstrated excellence in all areas and is recognized as an important partner of USSA and a leader among USSA Clubs. We look forward to continuing to work together.”
SVSEF is honored to receive this premier recognition from the national governing body of our sports, and to be included as one of the very best junior snowsport programs in the nation. Other Gold level clubs include Burke Mountain Academy, Mammoth Mountain Ski and Snowboard Team, Stratton Mountain School and Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, to name a few. In conjunction with Gold level status, SVSEF will have access to heightened professional development opportunities for staff, support from club development expert consultants, discounted rates on consulting services, and the opportunity to be considered for the USSA High Performance Club Partnership Program, which opens up the potential for designation as a U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team development site or high performance center.
“SVSEF’s new certification level combined with the U.S. Olympic Committee classification as an official Olympic Training Site clearly identifies SVSEF sport programs as setting an extremely high standard of quality, direction and content,” said Phil McNichol, SVSEF Athletic Director. “These accolades help assure we are striving in the right direction to reach our mission, which is ‘to provide exceptional snowsport programs for the youth of the Wood River Valley thereby enabling each participant to reach his/her athletic potential, while developing strong personal character through good sportsmanship, strong values, and individual goals.’”
The Week in Review: 1/10/17
I AM SVSEF
SVSEF values of sportsmanship, citizenship, character, teamwork, creativity, passion and perseverance are not ones that are newly championed; they are qualities that have held weight and importance for hundreds of years, across many societies, eras, continents. Perhaps we may think of character as the overarching quality that encompasses all of the other SVSEF values; sportsmanship, citizenship, teamwork, creativity, passion and perseverance all fit under the distinction of mental or moral qualities, which, by definition, make up a distinctive individual’s character.
Athletic success is invigorating, affirming and surely within reach of our athletes, in whatever ways they choose to define it. It is certainly something we strive for with these kids, to help them achieve what they have come to define for themselves as success in sport. Perhaps more than this, and in a way not necessarily discernible from an observer’s perspective, our hope is that lessons learned while in the organization become ingrained, so that they may be useful later in life. Yes, an affinity for athletic greatness is all well and good; but in future endeavors, I’d bet that character traits learned here and now will prove much more useful in the different communities, relationships and challenges in which our athletes find themselves.
In 1900, a year before his first term as president, Theodore Roosevelt addressed the importance of character in relation to intellectual and athletic success in an article for The Outlook.
But, in the long run, in the great battle of life, no brilliancy of intellect, no perfection of bodily development, will count when weighed in the balance against that assemblage of virtues, active and passive, of moral qualities, which we group together under the name of character; and if between any two contestants, even in [college] sport or in [college] work, the difference in character on the right side is as great as the difference of intellect or strength the other way, it is the character side that will win. (The Outlook, Vol. 64, 725)
Roosevelt’s assessment of how crucial strong, positive character is for an individual lends itself to SVSEF’s focus on developing “strong minds,” of helping prepare our athletes for whatever is thrown their way, and to set them up for success.
With this in mind, we’re introducing I am SVSEF: an opportunity each week to highlight our athletes for demonstrating the core values of SVSEF.
Sportsmanship • Citizenship • Character • Teamwork • Creativity • Passion • Perseverance
Here are the I Am SVSEF athletes featured for the week of January 9, 2017:
Alpine: Ethan Marx, an eighth grader at Community School and a member of the Alpine USSA Team, has worked really hard throughout summer training and into the on-snow season. A goal this season for Ethan has been to make the flip 30 – to place 30th on his first run in order to be the first competitor out of the gate on the second. This past weekend, he narrowly missed his goal with a 31st place finish – his enthusiasm and positivity around the prospect is infectious, regardless of your interest in alpine racer lineups. According to USSA head coach Will Brandenburg, “Ethan is always helping his teammates out, and his actions and words are good for morale; he is the epitome of what we’re talking about when we think of qualities we’re hoping are instilled in SVSEF athletes.”
Cross Country: Taylor Dorland, an eighth grader at the Sage School, is a new member of the Cross Country Prep Team after switching from alpine. Kelley Sinnott, Cross Country Prep Team Head Coach, observed, “learning a new sport can be very difficult and frustrating but Taylor has shown strong character, passion and perseverance through her learning process. Taylor is the kind of skier that manages to grit her teeth and grin at the same time; she is eager to learn and improve but also finds fun in ever part of cross country.”
Freestyle: Eliza Marks, a 10th grader at Community School, brings a really positive attitude that lends to the dynamic of the Freestyle Team. She shows up training every day with passion and interest. In competition, even on a bad day that doesn’t necessarily go her way, she doesn’t let it get her down and approaches the next challenge with confidence and anticipation. Coach Kurtis Fieguth commended Eliza for “taking to hear the advice we try to give her, and taking it to the snow – she’s made huge improvements over the past month and a half in doing so.”
Park & Pipe: Arlo Curry is a seventh grader at the Sage School and is a member of the Snowboard Progression Team. He comes to training with a great attitude, a smile on his face every day and a level of engagement that indicates a profound interest and enthusiasm for the sport. Said snowboard team manager Pat Lee, “Arlo performs to his highest standard at all times. He embraces challenges that arise and is committed and diligent to working through them. On top of that, Arlo is a great communicator, which is really helpful for the coaching staff.”
THE WEEK IN REVIEW – 1/10/17
CROSS COUNTRY
Comp, PG, Gold Teams
The SVSEF Cross Country Comp, PG and Gold teams are currently midway through the 2017 L.L. Bean U.S. Cross Country Championships at Soldier Hollow in Park City, Utah. For many athletes across the U.S., Nationals are a pivotal week of racing; solid results can help an athlete qualify for World Cups, U23 World Championships and Junior Nationals. Top athletes from programs and universities across the nation are in Utah for the events, with numbers in attendance close to 600. Overall, courses were quite hard, which is befitting for a national championship event. “As hard as our trails are at Lake Creek,” said Rick Kapala, SVSEF Cross Country Program Director, “these trails are a little bit harder, in anticipation of U23 Worlds, which will take place at the same venue at the end of this month.”
Competition opened up on Saturday, January 7 with a 15/10km interval start skate race. The first day of racing was not really affected by inclement weather, which hit Sunday. But for the first athletes, which were the junior girls, it was tough all around, with cold temperatures, slow snow and a very challenging course. A standout performance for the day came from Gold Team skier Kelsey Phinney, who has typically been stronger in sprint events; with a 26th place finish in a field of 263 women in the 10km, Phinney is setting herself up as a viable contender for a spot on the team for U23 World Junior Championships; she is currently sitting in second with two more races to go this week.
Sunday’s classic sprint race came a drastic shift in temperature, and with it a downpour of rain. Despite the unfavorable conditions, morale on the SVSEF team was really good; kids handled it in stride and managed the challenges the weather presented quite well, which Kapala feels may be a natural extension of the relatively new normalcy of weather extremes in the West. Athletes competed on a newly designed sprint course, and were on some natural snow. It was unfortunate that the rainy weather fell on a classic sprint day; every team at one point or another struggled in regards to skis and getting the wax right for their athletes across the board.
The highlight of the day for SVSEF was an American podium sweep, in a way, as Kevin Bolger, who won the men’s sprint overall, is a former SVSEF PG athlete, and Gold Team skiers Jack Hegman and Cole Morgan went two and three.
Other than Peter Wolter, the junior squad is relatively inexperienced at this level, so these races are a great first step at exposure to higher level racing, in anticipation of them aging and getting into the mix. SVSEF junior boys skied quite well, with Peter Wolter, Eli Jensen and Keene Morowitz all qualifying for junior heats (the top 30 moved on from the initial qualifier). Morowitz had a very noteworthy qualifier, which was a really good indication that he has found his form.
Junior girls were led by Anja Jensen, who as a 14 year old very narrowly missed qualifying. Said Kapala, “for us as coaches, we look beyond the wins with developing athletes – cause that’s not going to tell the story of a 14 year old racing against 20 year olds. This was a tough course with tough conditions, and these girls are just getting started, as most are sophomores or young juniors.” A number of Jensen’s teammates just missed the cutoff as well.
Going into the next two days of races, Hegman is looking really strong for qualifying for U23s – he needs one more decent race to nail it down. Hegman is sitting in first for qualifying, as Patrick Caldwell pre-qualified with early season results. Morgan is also looking good, currently in second; if selections were made based off of the first two races, he would make the team. As he is a sprinter, he’ll have a chance to cement that seed in the race on Thursday. Phinney is also sitting well, in second on the list with two races to go. Five to six athletes, male and female, can qualify for U23s.
Matt Gelso, who has posted exceptional results this season, is down for now with a head cold; it remains to be seen if he’ll have another start at Nationals. Noted Kapala, “Gelso is going to World Cup races later this month regardless, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to push him to the point where it impacts him down the road – we’re going day-by-day with him.” The end goal is World Championships, and even though the process for qualification weighs Nationals a bit heavier than Super Tour races, good results in Europe could get him there. “We want him to go to Europe rested, recharged and ready to race to his abilities; a lot of the competitions there fit his ability set really well,” said Kapala.
Today’s race is a 30/20/10/5 km classic. Athletes will be skiing on a condensed 3.75km loop, made entirely of manmade snow as a result of the rain on Sunday. Thursday’s race is a skate sprint.
Full results here
Devo, Prep, Comp Teams
SVSEF athletes who did not make the trip to Nationals opted for the Snowmaker Classic on Saturday, which is a local classic race. This year, it took place on Sun Valley trails, and athletes selected either ten, five or 3 km for distance. Temperatures were in the double digit negatives when race organizers arrived, and start time was postponed to allow those to rise. This was a good training opportunity for SVSEF athletes, as it gave them experience pushing their bodies on a relatively flat course in extreme temperatures.
Full results here
ALPINE
USSA Team
It was a good weekend for the Alpine USSA team, which competed in Jackson, Wyoming, at Snow King. The event was a qualifier, and SVSEF saw some athletes who made the top 30 for the first time. As a group, the team is in quite a good position to have a number of skiers qualify for Regionals. Overall, 30 girls and 26 boys will qualify, and there are two more opportunities left to make the cut. It was a cold weekend of racing, which made it hard to get a good warm up; the weekend saw less skiing and more time in the lodge. Said USSA head coach Will Brandenburg, “that makes it tough to be able to get into the groove of the weekend; it makes a major difference. The athletes handled the adjustment well.”
Lily Fitzgerald had an amazing weekend; she swept the races, not just for U16s, but overall, and won by over 1.5 seconds each time. At the Eric Hayes Memorial races, she had success but not as much as she wanted to. According to Brandenburg, “she had a good mindset in training the two weeks over Christmas break; she’s been building on her skiing and getting better, and we’re starting to see that hard work pay off. Another highlight of the weekend was having SVSEF boys on the podium for every U16 race; Buey Grossman took second in the first giant slalom, and teammate Jack Smith was second in both the second giant slalom and the slalom.
Full results here
IMD Team
Alpine IMD was in Park City over the weekend for the Park City Jr. IMD Cup. Reflecting on the weekend, head coach James Tautkus said, “this past weekend was a good test of our team’s strength from top to bottom. It affirmed our efforts thus far and indicated where we need to put in the work. As a staff we are very proud of what these athletes have been capable of and hope it encourages them to take their effort to the next level."
SVSEF did well across the events, claiming three out of six first place finishes between men and women. Ryder Sarchett took the men's overall title for the weekend by winning the slalom and the second giant slalom. Anhwei Kirk won the slalom and was third in the first giant slalom. Marit Kaiser was second in both GS races and Nathan Gowe was fifth in the slalom, sixth in the first giant slalom and second in the second giant slalom. Josh Blackburn was fifth in the first giant slalom and his sister Jessica was third in the slalom.
Full results will be posted soon
FIS Team
FIS athletes were also met by extreme cold in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for the IMD Cup events. Temperatures sat around -25 the first day of racing and -26 the second. Athletes faced the elements head on; top finishes were posted by Jake Blackburn, who had two top-ten results in the giant slalom events, Carter Jendrezek, who finished out the weekend in eighth in the slalom, Libby Kaiser, who maintained consistency across all races, going 16-14-11, and Grace Pepin, who jumped up from results in the 40s and 50s on January 6 and 7 to 15th in the slalom on January 8.
Full results will be posted soon
FREESKIING
The SVSEF Freeski A-team made a trip to Colorado last week. Will Griffith competed for the chance to make the Rev Tour in slopestyle, and Hanna Blackwell spent her time logging significant training hours in the halfpipe.
Griffith skied two stand-up runs, scoring highest on the second. Skiing into the first rail, he spun a front 270 out landing switch, went backwards into the first jump spinning a right side 360 with tail grab landing switch, continued backwards into the second jump spinning a left cork 540 with a Japan grab, skied forward off the third jump spinning a left rodeo 720 with a safety grab, landing forward and sliding the last rail spinning a back 450 out. Griffith, who just turned 16 years old, ended up in sixth place. He competed against Yuki Sato (20 years old) and Gen Sasaki (20 years old), who are both from Japan and who are trying to make a bid for the Olympics in 2018. Said freestyle head coach Tyler Conway, “being at an event like this and seeing what it takes to get first place at this level of competition helps an athlete develop mentally and prepares them for future events.”
Hanna Blackwell also traveled to Colorado to train in Copper Mountain’s halfpipe. This halfpipe is one of two open in North America; the other is in Calgary. Hanna was not the only athlete taking advantage of the feature; David Wise, halfpipe Olympic Gold medalist and three-time X-Games Gold medalist, was training on the same halfpipe. Commented Conway, “it takes a lot of repetition and exposure in the halfpipe to get better. We’re looking forward to having the halfpipe at Dollar complete soon, as it will allow SVSEF athletes to have the advantage of getting in laps and pushing their halfpipe skiing skills.”
Full results here
FREESTYLE
The Bumpin’ at the Bird course at Snowbird proved more than adequate for SVSEF Freestyle athletes, who took to it this past weekend. The event counts towards overall rankings and for qualifying for Junior Nationals and U.S. Freestyle Championships. SVSEF had four boys in top 10 the first day, with Holden Largay winning overall, and teammates Brody Buchwalter, Luke Rizzo and Alex LaFleur going five-six-seven. On the second day, SVSEF had four in top ten again, but this included different athletes, which speaks to the spread and range of the team. Alex LaFleur made a ton of improvements, and coach Kurtis Fieguth commented that his run on the second day was the best he’s seen from LaFleur thus far. Luke Rizzo was on a similar trajectory, making significant improvements over the weekend – both seemed to learn a lot about their form throughout the events. In the girls’ competitions, Eliza Marks finished strong in duals, with a second place finish overall. Addie Rafford was third in moguls. Said Fieguth, “all of our kids skied really well, especially going up against strong skiers in the division; they really held their own.”
Results can be found here (Sunday’s results aren’t yet posted)
Athlete of the Month, December 2016 – Matt Gelso
Each month, we’ll be featuring an SVSEF athlete who has been selected by program directors in recognition of exceptional results in their respective sport.
Matt Gelso, a 28-year old Gold Team cross country skier who has been with SVSEF for going on seven years now, started the season with a bang and established himself as the male leader after period one on the Super Tour circuit, which draws top athletes from across the United States. Matt decidedly won both Super Tour events at the season opener in West Yellowstone, December 3 and 4. He proceeded to net two more commendable results on the circuit just a week later at the Silver Star Nor Ams in British Columbia, with a fifth place finish in the classic sprint event and a second place podium in the 15km skate race. Ending period one of the Super Tour in first has qualified him for World Cup starts in Sweden and South Korea in January and February. Before heading overseas, however, Matt will be competing at U.S. Nationals, beginning this Saturday at Soldier Hollow in Utah.
Chris Mallory, Head Gold Team Coach, expanded on Matt’s preparation and progression, noting that “Matt has certainly found his stride this season. He brought a lot of focus to the training year and I think for him, being able to spend four weeks of the summer and fall on snow this year really helped. He’s been with the Gold Team for seven years now, so he’s got a great amount of experience and knowledge of what he needs to do to find his form.”
Matt is no newcomer to success in the sport, as he has amassed a number of standout results throughout his racing career. From his time as a junior skier in Truckee, California, to his four years as a racer for the University of Colorado to his current place on the Gold Team, Matt has competed at FIS World Cups and FIS World Ski Championships, has secured top-three results at U.S. National Championships and has won an NCAA individual championship. Starting the season off with these strong finishes bodes well for the athlete as he looks to qualify for the FIS World Ski Championships, which take place this year in late February in Lahti, Finland.[osd_social_media_sharing]
I AM SVSEF – the video
I AM SVSEF: words that are spoken with pride, ownership, awareness. That instill
an innate sense of place, belonging, purpose. That continue to hold meaning
outside the world of skis, boots, boards and poles.
I AM SVSEF from svsef on Vimeo.