Congratulations, SVSEF Grads! A Cap, Gown and a Vast Horizon
Spring in Sun Valley is a time of transition; hillsides erupt in saturated purples and yellows, rain showers blanket the valley in the stead of snow, and cleats and running shoes replace the ski boots that for the previous six months held significant real estate in the mudroom. For a small group of SVSEF athletes, spring is the signifier of a rather momentous transition, as it marks graduation from high school and the SVSEF program. Some are headed off to college while others are opting to take a post grad year. Regardless of the route each has chosen, we are eager to see where the road takes them, and would like to express our sincere congratulations to the graduating class of 2016.
Sixteen SVSEF athletes are headed to top schools this fall – from Middlebury College to Rocky Mountain College to UC Berkeley, their new homes span the far reaches of the United States. Taking on the East Coast and all its humid glory are Luke Brecheen (University of Vermont), Hunter Kern (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) Max Polito (Middlebury College), Annika Landis (Middlebury College), Max Tanous (Bowdoin College), Griffin Curtis (Clarkson University), Leo Lukens (Bates College) and Emily Siegel (St. Lawrence University). Athletes attending college out west include Jay Fitzgerald (Gonzaga University), Sarah Kope (University of Utah), Jacob Truxal (South Dakota School of Mines and Technology), Loni Unser (University of Colorado at Boulder), Ransom Bleyer (University of Colorado at Boulder – Business/Engineering), Ben Brunelle (UC Berkeley), Kristian DeWolfe (Rocky Mountain College) and Trey Potter (Sierra Nevada College). Of these athletes, a number will continue to compete at the collegiate level. Griffin Curtis will ski on the alpine team at Clarkson, Annika Landis and Max Polito will race on the Middlebury Nordic Team, Emily Siegel will race Nordic at St. Lawrence, and Kristian DeWolfe will be a member of the RMC Alpine Team.
Other SVSEF athletes have accepted spots at top colleges, but are deferring for a year to continue ski racing. These athletes include alpine racers Yuri McClure (PG at SVSEF; Plymouth State University), Ella Pepin (PG at SVSEF; St. Lawrence), Ruby Marden (St. Lawrence) and Will Snyder (Williams College). Also opting to take a PG year are cross-country skiers Danny Graves (Bend Endurance Academy), River Vorse (Boulder Nordic), Eli Jensen (SVSEF) and Carter Ros (SVSEF). Alpine skiers Duncan Fuller and Wyatt Smith will be skiing this coming season with SVSEF as PGs, as well.
There is no manual for navigating college or a PG year. Juggling classes, new friendships and extra-curricular activities, or figuring out a whole new pace and schedule without the tangible support of loved ones or a familiar structure and routine can be daunting. A common theme we have seen in our athletes’ reflections on their time in the program, however, is the notion that SVSEF has helped set a solid foundation for them to be able to overcome obstacles and challenges in the future.
Annika Landis, who will be attending Middlebury College and skiing on the Nordic Team, eloquently summed up these sentiments. “I honestly believe that the experiences I've had through SVSEF, the ones that shaped my character just as much as they improved my ski racing, have profoundly influenced how I will move forward in my life. The joys of ski racing were almost simply an aside to the grit, pranks, jokes, and self-discovery.”
Jay Fitzgerald, an alpine racer who starts at Gonzaga University in the fall remarked, “SVSEF has given me the skill set to confidently go out and explore new areas of interest. I think that SVSEF has made it possible for me to be willing to try something new and go to school and live in a place that I had not previously considered.”
The program has required its athletes to take responsibility from a young age, has demanded conscious planning and time-management skills, and has taught the importance of working hard and of creating meaningful and impactful relationships with both peers and mentors. All of these qualities are applicable to life beyond SVSEF, whether or not an athlete continues to ski or snowboard competitively – we can’t wait to see the success that this group of graduating seniors achieves in their future endeavors.
Regardless of whether SVSEF graduates plan on skiing competitively past high school, many have garnered financial support and awards both locally and from their schools as a result of their hard work and success in academia.
Awards and scholarships:
Luke Brecheen - Trustee’s Scholarship (merit-based)
Jay Fitzgerald - Merit Scholarship Award
Hunter Kern - Merit Scholarship Award
Sarah Kope - Freshman Academic Achievement Award, Non-resident Business Scholar Scholarship
Jacob Truxal - Freshman Scholarship, Sun Valley/Ketchum Rotary Scholarship, St. Charles Memorial Scholarship
Ransom Bleyer - Dean’s Scholarship to Colorado State (not attending)
Kristian DeWolfe - Dean’s Academic Scholarship and Athletic Scholarship
Annika Landis - National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist
Ruby Marden - Sesquicentennial Scholarship Award
Trey Potter - Merit Scholarship Award
Emily Siegel - Merit Scholarship Award, Presidential Achievement Award, Wells Fargo Scholarship
Ben Brunelle - Sun Valley/Ketchum Rotary Scholarship, Power Engineers Dependent STEM, Freidman Foundation
Photos from top: Ruby Marden, Carter Ros, Yuri McClure, Danny Graves, Sarah Kope.
Post-Graduate Athletes Earn Collegiate Skiing Scholarships
Congratulations to XC Post-Graduate Team athletes Henry Gorman and Lukash Platil who have earned athletic scholarships at the University of New Hampshire and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, respectively. Henry will be studying physics and Lukash will be studying biochemistry.
We're back at it with spring training here in Sun Valley. With snow still in the mountains and the trails starting to clear the possibilities to get out and go are endless!
The trails keep on and the journey continues...
107 SVSEF Athletes Receive Academic Award
Managing a full-time athletic schedule while handling a rigorous academic curriculum is a delicate balancing act for SVSEF student-athletes. Fatigue from hard workouts, competition and travel can take its toll in the classroom. Being able to juggle the demands of school and athletics, often among those of other commitments and hobbies, is no easy task. However, the restrictions on time and energy often come with the benefit of keeping one focused, organized and able to prioritize.
This year, SVSEF is proud to recognize 107 student-athletes for their achievements in academia; the athletes listed below have “earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or greater while training and competing with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation,” according to SVSEF Academic Director Matt Leidecker. Cumulative GPA implies that the record keeping begins when the athlete enters ninth grade, and the award only recognizes the 9-12 grade levels.
Academic Award Recipients:
Alpine: Madison Ferris, Lily Fitzgerald, Bennett Snyder, Cooper Dart, Ruby Marden, Elizabeth Vanderkloot, Libby Lindstrom, Lucy More, Hayden Terjeson, Charlie Stumph, Ella Viesturs, Skylar Cooley, Cailin Chandler, Will Snyder, Nikolette Sabiers, Molly Milgard, Lauren Ashley Helm, Walter Lafky, Ian Hanna, Charlie Lamb, Keegan Webber, John Blackburn, Erin Smith, Katelyn Rathfon, Matt O’Connor, Wyatt Minor, Max Noddings, Abby Norton, Jake Blackburn, Sage Rheinschild, Lukas DeWolfe, Hunter Kern, Grace Pepin, Carter Jendrezak, Griffin Curtis, Jay Fitzgerald, Kristian DeWolfe, Blake Deilke, Duncan Fuller, Libby Kaiser, Addy Jacobsen, Kaia Jensen, Ransom Bleyer, Wyatt Barth, Anastasie Echeverria, Jackson Swenke, Yuri McClure, Noah Leininger, Wyatt Smith
Freestyle/Freeskiing: Eliza Marks, Hunter Diehl, Alex LaFleur, Henry Cherp, Blake Harmon, Addison Rafford, Wilson Dunn, Andrew Wharton Bickley, Tobias Verheijen, Evathea Drougas, Devon Brown, Trey Potter, Benjamin Anderson, Enrique Dolores, Alvaro Jiraldo, Katherine Markthaler, Luke Rizzo, Parker Nance, Hanna Blackwell, Brody Buchwalter, Lieder Schwartz, Rainey Wilson, Sarah Kope
Snowboarding: Elk Spencer, Cora Kaiser, Landon Moore, Payton Bacca, Aidan Green, Phebe Ericksen
Nordic: Isabella Bourret, Sophia Mazzoni, Kiran Merchant, Keene Morawitz, Joe Hall, Annika Landis, Katherine Estep, Max Tanous, Henry Raff, Emily Siegel, Peter Wolter, Naia Drougas, Ella Wolter, Max Polito, Ellie Polk, Leo Lukens, Luke Brecheen, Ben Brunelle, Lily Brunelle, Jenna Nurge, Landon Nurge, Sarah Truxal, Danny Graves, Dane Thompson, Carter Ros, Jacob Truxal, Ellie Gorham, Cooper Roquet, Loni Unser, River Vorse, Lexi Day, Michaela Petty, Eve Jensen
Accolades Abound for SVSEF Athletes
Freeskiers invited to Project Gold Camp
Six SVSEF athletes have been invited to the 2016 Project Gold Camp, which runs May 1-8 at Mammoth Mountain. Participants will have access to a phenomenal coaching staff, a 22-foot pipe cut off with air bags, two to three jumps, and assorted rails. Athletes were chosen based on performances at the Revolution Tour, USASA Nationals and Junior Nationals – others were selected based on discretion.
The SVSEF athletes who have been invited to attend are Alvaro Jiraldo, Hanna Blackwell, Jed Waters, Ridge Dirksmeier, Harper Mallett, and SVSEF Gold Team and U.S. Rookie Halfpipe Team Member Jacob Beebe.
Alvaro Jiraldo is one of six SVSEF athletes invited to attend the 2016 Project Gold Camp
Program Director Andy Ware noted, “This is the most athletes ever invited from our team. Our athletes and their coaches have had an outstanding season together and to receive this type of recognition from the ‘higher ups’ of the U.S. Freeskiing Team speaks to the level of effort they have given this season.”
FIS Team finishes season at Mt. Bachelor
The FIS Alpine team spent the past week at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon, for their final races of the season. Athletes competed in two super G events, followed by one downhill event. A second downhill race scheduled for April 18 was cancelled.
On April 13, the first day of racing, Yuri McClure finished 12th in the men’s super G. Spencer Wright was 25th and Will Snyder was 29th. John Blackburn finished 36th, Hayden Terjeson 40th, Noah Leininger 49th and Wyatt Smith 50th. In the women’s event, Haley Cutler was a big contender, ending up in second place behind Kathryn Parker, an Australian racer. Erin Smith narrowly missed the podium, landing in fourth place. Skylar Cooley was eighth and Ruby Marden 17th.
Another super G event followed on April 15. Will Snyder finished fifth, Griffin Curtis 13th and John Blackburn 28th. Hayden Terjeson was 31st, Spencer Wright was 42nd, Noah Leininger 48th, Charlie Lamb tied for 50th, and Wyatt Smith was 60th. Haley Cutler again finished second in the women’s event. Skylar Cooley was fifth, Ruby Marden eighth, Erin Smith 11th and Sage Rheinschild 26th.
In the men’s downhill on April 17, the top SVSEF men’s skiers were Will Snyder and Spencer Wright, who were 24th and 26th, respectively. Hayden Terjeson finished 33rd, Griffin Curtis 41st, John Blackburn 44th, Noah Leininger 53rd and Charlie Lamb 54th. Haley Cutler bested her previous second place finishes, clinching first place in the women’s downhill event. Erin Smith was sixth, Ruby Marden 10th and Sage Rheinschild 11th.
Full results:
http://data.fis-ski.com/alpine-skiing/results.html
End-of-season awards celebrate SVSEF athletes
Snowboarding:
Devo team
Love of Snowboarding: Callie Allen
Superstar teammate: Sophie Smith, Cash Landrum- Duval, Slader Landrum-Duval, Kiki Pate
Progression Beta/Alpha Team
Most Improved: Caleb and Madison Hothem
Most Inspirational: Zoe Bacca
Travel Beta/Alpha Team
Standout season: Payton Bacca, Aidan Green
Most Improved: Landon Moore
Most Inspirational: Phebe Ericksen
Freestyle and Freeskiing:
The freestyle and freeskiing “standout season” awards are given to the athletes who have made the most of every training session, understanding that their ability to improve depends on their attitude, their willingness, their focus and their effort.
Freestyle Comp Home Team: Erik Babcock, Samantha Smith
Freeskiing Comp Home Team: Charlie Price
Freeskiing Travel Teams: Ridge Dirksmeier, Jed Waters, Hanna Blackwell
Freestyle Travel Teams: Luke Rizzo, Esmee Verhiejen
Most Inspirational: Luke Rizzo
Ron Von Hagen- Defining Success Award: Luke Rizzo & Hanna Blackwell
Nordic:
Prep Team
Outstanding skier: Cash Dart, Logan Smith
Most improved: Jackson Bevers, Kate Horowitz
Coaches’ award: Sebi Radl-Jones, Anja Jensen
Most inspirational: Aidan Birchmore, Logan Smith
Comp Team
Most Improved: Henry Raff, Emily Siegel
Rookie of the Year: Johnny Hagenbuch, Sophia Mazzoni
Outstanding Skier: Peter Wolter, Annika Landis
Coaches’ award: Loni Unser
Most Inspirational (voted on by teammates): Annika Landis, Peter Wolter
Engl Award: Annika Landis, Eli Jensen
Torin Norton Tucker Scholarship: Keene Morawitz
Alpine
Longevity Award (given to skiers who started on Devo Team and progress all the way through the program, presented by Doran Key): Jay Fitzgerald, Kristian DeWolfe, Griffin Curtis, Will Snyder
Longevity Award for the Hailey Ski Team (presented by former Hailey Ski Team coach Nate Schwing): Yuri McClure
Coaches’ Award
FIS: Hayden Terjeson, Skylar Cooley
USSA: Max Noddings, Grace Pepin
IMD: Ethan Marx, Sage Curtis
Most Improved
FIS: John Blackburn, Katelyn Rathfon
USSA: Carter Jendrezak, Kaia Jensen
IMD: Will Penrose, Julia Ott
Most Inspirational
FIS: Yuri McClure, Skylar Cooley
USSA: Lukas DeWolfe, Nikki Sabiers
IMD: Ryder Sarchett, Anwhei Kirk
Engl Award
FIS: Will Snyder, Erin Smith
IMD: Ryder Sarchett, Falon Hanna
Odmark Award
FIS: Yuri McClure, Ruby Marden
IMD: Charlie Snyder, Lola Street
Mountain Kidd Award (given to an athlete who embraces and epitomizes the mountain culture and lifestyle): Kristian DeWolfe
Howard Dean Scholarship (covers next year’s tuition, presented by Peggy Dean): Sage Holter
SVSEF Competitors Tackle Junior Nationals, NorAm Finals, IMD Championships, Western Regionals
Cross Country Racers tackle Junior Nationals
Fourteen SVSEF nordic skiers qualified to represent the Intermountain division at Junior Nationals this year in Telemark, Wisconsin. The group headed east, where they were met with incredibly warm temperatures and a lack of ideal snow coverage; races were cancelled, training on snow was limited and moved to nearby trails and courses were altered to make the best of the conditions. Despite the adversity associated with the weather, SVSEF athletes rolled with the punches, securing impressive finishes when there was the opportunity to race.
The week started off with a 10/5km classic race with individual starts. U18 Peter Wolter skied to fourth place, and Henry Raff was 16th in the same event.U16 Johnny Hagenbuch landed in ninth place. Luk Platil was 23rd in the U20 age class. On the women’s side, Lily Brunelle placed 17th in the U16 race, while Anna Gibson was 19th in the U18 field. Katie Feldman, an SVSEF alumnus who now skis for Middlebury College, placed sixth in the U20 race, representing New England.
Races were cancelled on March 9, but resumed on March 10 with a distance freestyle race; U20 men skied 15km, U20/U18 women and U18 men skied 10km, and U16 men and women skied 5km; all on a 3.7km course. Ella Wolter was 22nd for U16 women; Johnny Hagenbuch was eighth for U16 men. Anna Gibson finished ninth in the U18 women’s race. Peter Wolter was 10th, Leo Lukens 18th, and Carter Ros 21st in the U18 men’s field. In the U20 race, Luk Platil was 19th.
March 11 featured freestyle sprint races on a 1.3km course. Lily Brunelle, Ella Wolter and Sophia Mazzoni all moved on from the qualifying round to quarterfinals for the U16 women; Brunelle finished in 19th, Wolter in 21st, and Mazzoni in 28th. Johnny Hagenbuch qualified for quarterfinals on the men’s side and landed in 25th place overall. Anna Gibson and Annika Landis both broke the top 30 for the U18 women; Gibson finished 27th and Landis 30th. Peter Wolter continued his string of top-ten finishes, qualifying for and finishing second in the B final and eighth overall. Ben Brunelle made it to quarterfinals and finished 17th.
The March 11 team relays changed format from a 3x3.3km relay to an uphill climb relay to comply with conditions. Ella Wolter skied on an Intermountain U16 women’s team that skied to ninth place; Sophia Mazzoni and Lily Brunelle were both on the 11th-placing team. Johnny Hagenbuch’s U16 men’s team landed in seventh. The top Intermountain U18 men’s team featured all SVSEF skiers; Peter Wolter, Leo Lukens and Ben Brunelle worked together to finish fifth.
Full results:
https://app.box.com/s/48vye2mbzb3c73bwuz1dqoh0x4rze6xr
Cutler runner-up at Nor-Am Finals
Haley Cutler, Tanner Farrow and Kipling Weisel are currently in Aspen, Colorado, for the NorAm Alpine Finals, where athletes are competing in downhill, super-G, giant slalom, team and slalom events. Haley Cutler podiumed in the women’s super-G for the Junior age group, skiing to second place; this was Cutler’s first NorAm podium. She finished fourth overall. In the downhill events, Cutler took eighth and 13th overall.
Kipling Weisel and Tanner Farrow have been posting consistent results: Weisel took 13th in the first downhill, 10th in the second and 17th in the super-G. Farrow finished 26th in the first downhill event, 27th in the second downhill and 16th in the super-G.
The athletes will finish out the week with another super-G, a team event and men’s giant slalom and slalom races.
Full results:
http://data.fis-ski.com/alpine-skiing/results.html?place_search=&seasoncode_search=2016§or_search=AL&date_search=&gender_search=&category_search=&codex_search=&nation_search=&disciplinecode_search=&date_from=01&search=Search&limit=50
IMD Championships, Brundage, ID
The Alpine North team headed to the IMD Championships at Brundage in McCall, Idaho, March 11-13, where athletes competed in giant slalom, dual giant slalom and slalom. SVSEF’s Jessica Blackburn showed consistency with a win in both the U12 giant slalom and the U12 dual giant slalom. Saba Grossman took the win in the U12 slalom. Tatum Minor earned third in the U12 dual giant slalom and fourth in the U12 giant slalom; Paige DeHart followed suite with a fourth place finish in the U12 slalom. Maya Lightner skied to sixth in the ladies U12 giant slalom, with DeHart right behind in seventh. The U10 ladies also stepped it up; Lowie Watkins sped to sixth in the giant slalom, and Natalie Gowe to eighth in the same event.
The SVSEF men kept up the momentum; undery snowy skies, Carter Sammis skied to 12th in the U12 slalom, while Cole Curci led the SVSEF crew in the U12 giant slalom in 17th. Sammis battled it out in the dual giant slalom to come home with the win in the U12 event.
The weekend marked the pinnacle event of the IMD season, and SVSEF athletes approached it with composure and fortitude.
Results:
Giant slalom, men, U12
17- Cole Curci
20T- Carter Sammis
31- Colin Hanna
32- Tommy Normand
45- Colin MacGuffie
46- John Tumolo
50- Zephyr Carruth
54- Taylor Rixon
58- Jesse Keefe
Giant slalom, ladies, U10
6- Lowie Watkins
8- Natalie Gowe
Giant slalom, ladies, U12
1- Jessica Blackburn
4- Tatum Minor
6- Maya Lightner
7- Paige DeHart
10- Hannah Ferris
27- Agnes Kind
28- Elgyn Monge
29- Maile Dorland
31- Goldie Kirk
37- Laura Daves
40- Mattigan Monschke
48- Chloe Vogel
52T- Lena Nelson
55- Isabella Hattrup
63- Niki Cohen
Slalom, men, U12
12- Carter Sammis
23- Russell Stumph
26- Cole Curci
38- John Tumolo
46- Tommy Normand
50- Taylor Rixon
51- Colin MacGuffie
53- Jesse Keefe
55- Zephyr Carruth
Slalom, ladies, U10
10- Lowie Watkins
12- Natalie Gowe
Slalom, ladies, U12
1- Saba Grossman
4- Paige DeHart
9- Hannah Ferris
12- Tatum Minor
14- Jessica Blackburn
21- Chloe Vogel
24- Mattigan Monschke
27- Maya Lightner
28- Anabel Viesturs
43- Maile Dorland
45- Laura Daves
58- Isabella Hattrup
Dual GS, men, U12
1- Carter Sammis
See link for rest of results
Dual GS, ladies, U12
- Jessica Blackburn
- Tatum Minor
See link for rest of results
Full results:
http://www.ussa-imd.org/alpine/races15/north.php
U14 regionals, Jackson, WY
Several SVSEF IMD alpine racers qualified for the Western Region U14 Championships, held this past weekend at Jackson Hole Resort. In a field of 60 for each gender, the Intermountain region sent 18 girls and 17 boys; four girls of whom were SVSEF skiers, and five boys of whom are from SVSEF.
Overall, the Intermountain division dominated the competition, with its athletes claiming more top-15 results than any other; SVSEF athletes amply contributed to these stats. An overall win for Ryder Sarchett was a highlight of the weekend; he had the least number of race points of any male after the three events.
Coach James Tautkus was pleased with how the weekend played out. “It was really exciting to have our kids perform as well as they did – all of them consistently finishing in the top half of the races. But the biggest reward was traveling as a division and bringing together the different teams we spend our season competing against; kids from the different teams in Intermountain coming together and supporting one another and taking pride in their division.”
On the effects this camaraderie had on the races, Tautkus observed, “I think the vibe was so positive and supportive that it encouraged the amazing results we accumulated as a division. I am so proud of our SVSEF athletes and their rewards for the hard work they put into this season. Their futures are bright.”
Results:
Super G, ladies:
7- Falon Hanna
17- Sage Curtis
Super G, men:
8- Ryder Sarchett
10- Buey Grossman
16- Charlie Snyder
Giant slalom, ladies:
10- Marit Kaiser
Giant slalom, men:
2- Ryder Sarchett
11- Charlie Snyder
16- Shaw Dean
(Ridley Lindstrom stood in third place after the first run; however, he busted his boot during the second run.)
Slalom, ladies:
16- Marit Kaiser
19- Sage Curtis
Slalom, men:
2- Ryder Sarchett
3- Buey Grossman
6- Charlie Snyder
17- Shaw Dean
Full results:
http://www.ussa-imd.org/alpine/races15/regional.php
Upcoming Events
Championship events are well underway. Freestyle Nationals begin with training on March 16 and continue through March 20. Alpine U14 Tri Divisional Championships are March 17-20 at Snowbird, Utah, and U16 Regional Championships run March 17-20 at Mammoth Mountain, California.
Springboard for Success: SVSEF Athletes Dive Into End-of-Year Competitions
SVSEF reporting by Julia Seyferth
SVSEF hosts Junior Freestyle/Freeskiing Championships at Sun Valley
The Junior Freestyle and Freeskiing Championships are currently underway on Baldy – the event runs through March 13th. Crews have been working hard to prepare for a week of moguls and dual moguls, as well as big air, aerial, halfpipe and slopestyle competitions. SVSEF athletes who have qualified to compete at home are listed below.
Moguls and dual mogul athletes:
Alex LaFleur
Wilson Dunn
Luke Rizzo
Hunter Diehl
Henry Cherp (3rd alternate)
Addie Rafford
Katie Markthaler
Eliza Marks
Devon Brown
Sam Smith
Halfpipe, Slopestyle, Big Air, Aerials:
Ridge Dirksmeier
Alvaro Jiraldo
Harper Mallett
Jed Waters
Will Griffith
George Murray
Trey Potter
Lachlan McFarland
Luke Higgins
Braden Buchanan
Charlie Price
Sam Ware
Hanna Blackwell
Amanda Brown
Liesl Beyer
Barrett Beyer
Sarah Kope
Joey Markthaler
Dylan Mills
Alpine FIS team stands out at U19 National Junior Championships
The FIS Team competed at the U19 National Junior Championships, February 28-March 4.
Haley Cutler powered through the week with standout performances; the SVSEF athlete won the ladies’ super G, finished seventh in the slalom, 15th in the first downhill and tied for ninth in the second downhill. Teammate Erin Smith raced with tenacity, earning a fifth place finish in the first ladies’ downhill and 15th in the super G. Skylar Cooley finished 25th in the ladies’ slalom.
On the men’s side, Yuri McClure secured 10th in the men’s super G while Jay Fitzgerald took home 29th in the men’s slalom.
Full results:
http://www.fis-ski.com/dynamic/event-details.html?event_id=38255
Nordic Comp Team off to a strong start at Junior Nationals
SVSEF Comp Team skiers who qualified for Junior Nationals completed their first day of racing in Cable, Wisconsin, on Monday, March 7th. The event was a 10km classic interval start for men and a 5km classic interval start for women.
SVSEF saw standout performances for the Intermountain team by Peter Wolter, who finished seventh in the U18/U20 men’s category, Lily Brunelle, who was 17th in the U16 women’s race, and Johnny Hagenbuch, who landed in ninth in the U16 men’s race.
Wednesday will be the next day of racing with a classic sprint, followed by a 15km/10km/5km freestyle mass start on Friday and a freestyle relay on Saturday.
Full results:
http://raceresults.sportstats.us/events.xhtml?eventname=2016%20USSA%20Junior%20National%20Championships&racetype=4&companies=[1,2,9,8]
SNOWBOARDING
Payton Bacca is on a roll – following a stint at the USSA Revolution Tour last month, the 14-year old competed in the Burton U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships in Vail, Colorado, on March 1. In the past, the event has hosted the likes of Ayumu Hirano, Pat Moore and Hannah Teter, to name a few of the successful snowboarders who can count the Junior Jam as one of their early forays into upper-level competition. The event featured 10 boys and five girls under the age of 14 who were invited to throw down on a 22-foot halfpipe. Bacca stood on the podium at the end of the competition in third in the ladies’ event, behind Tessa Maud in first and Isabella Gomez in second.
Results:
http://events.burton.com/burton-us-open/uso-latest/what-went-down-junior-jam/
(Information sourced from snowboarder.com / author Mary Walsh)
http://www.snowboarder.com/photos/burton-us-open-snowboarding-championships-2016-judd-henkes-soars-his-way-to-victory-in-the-junior-jam/#s4ICEWHlacmj0uxK.97
Chase Josey is also making waves in the snowboarding world. After bringing home bronze in the men’s snowboard superpipe event at the Oslo X Games, he moved on to the U.S. Open in Vail, Colorado, to compete in the longest running halfpipe event. Shaun White won the men’s event, followed by Ben Ferguson and Taku Hiraoka. Josey earned 18th place in the semifinals, preventing him from qualifying for finals, as only the top 10 moved on.
Full results:
http://events.burton.com/burton-us-open/uso-results/
The SVSEF Snowboard Team held their ground at the USASA King of the Wasatch, a weekend of park and pipe events in Park City, Utah. The weather was beautiful, although rain hit on Sunday; a big thanks to the park crew who salted the course and kept the components in good shape for the events throughout the weekend.
Highlights include a third place finish for Elk Spenser in both slopestyle and halfpipe, a win for Aidan Green and Payton Bacca in the halfpipe, and a strong second place finish for Zoe Bacca in two halfpipe events.
Full results:
https://www.usasa.org/index.php/events/regional-events
FREESKIING
The SVSEF Freeskiing Travel Team also spent the weekend in Park City for the King of the Wasatch event, March 3-6. The athletes skied well and took home the hardware to show for it.
Results
Slopestyle 1:
Boys (13-15): 4- Jedson Waters
Girls (13-15): 1- Hanna Blackwell
Halfpipe 1:
Men Open Class: 2- Alvaro Jiraldo
Boys (13-15): 1- Jedson Waters
Boys (10-12): 3- Dylan Mills; 4- Sam Ware; 5- Lachlan McFarland
Girls (13-15): 1- Hanna Blackwell
Slopestyle 2:
Men (16-18): 3- Trey Potter
Boys (13-15): 6- Jedson Waters
Girls (13-15): 1- Hanna Blackwell
Halfpipe 2:
Men: Open Class: 1- Alvaro Jiraldo
Men (16-18): 1- Trey Potter
Boys (13-15): 1- Jedson Waters; 2- Will Griffith
Boys (10-12): 2- Sam Ware
Girls (13-15): 1- Hanna Blackwell
Full results:
https://www.usasa.org/index.php/events/regional-events
FREESTYLE
Following a focused season of competition, eight SVSEF athletes have qualified for the 2016 USSA Freestyle National Championships in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, March 15-21. Wilson Dunn, Addie Rafford, Luke Rizzo, Hunter Diehl, Henry Cherp, Eliza Marks, Devon Brown and Alex LaFleur have all received the nod. They will compete in both moguls and dual moguls.
NORDIC
Members of the SVSEF Gold and Comp Nordic Teams trekked over to the familiar stomping grounds of West Yellowstone for the Rendezvous races. “Everyone had good races and the conditions stayed fast for the races in the AM. Perfect West Yellowstone corduroy,” commented Gold Team coach Colin Rodgers.
Isabella Bourret was third in the 5km skate female 14-15 year old category. Joe Hall was sixth in the 25km skate male 13-17 category. In the longer distances, PG and Gold Team athletes all had strong races – in the 25km classic race, Mary Rose (Gold Team) was the top female finisher. Ben Lustgarten (Gold Team) was the second overall male, and Mark Pollock (PG guest from Australia) was third. In the 25km skate race, Comp team coach David Vanderpool was the second overall male. In the 50km skate, Matt Gelso (Gold Team) claimed the top spot, Rogan Brown (Gold Team) was just two seconds behind him in second, and Henry Gorman (PG) was third.
Full results:
http://www.skirunbikemt.com/race-results.html
Another contingent of the SVSEF Nordic Team is training and racing in Canmore, Alberta, and is ending the trip by watching World Cup races. Skiers competed in the Lake Louise Loppet on Sunday, March 6. The annual event featured a 10km and a 20km classic race that began on the picturesque Lake Louise and then wound its way through narrow, wooded trails. Cash Dart and Anja Jensen both won their 10km 11-14 age groups. SVSEF swept the top three spots in the 20km men’s 15-19 category; Keene Morowitz won, followed by Danny Graves in second and Max Polito in third. Jacob Truxal was seventh and Tim Regan was eighth. Coach Mikey Sinnott also raced, and was fourth in the men’s 30-39 category. On the women’s side, Loni Unser was fifth in the 20km 15-19 category, Katherine Estep was sixth, and Ellie Polk was eighth.
Full results:
http://calgaryskiclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/loppet_2016_results.pdf
ALPINE
FIS – Western Region Junior Championships
The FIS Team has been putting on the miles for a number of series and races; most recently, they traveled to Schweitzer Mountain in Idaho for the Western Region Junior Championships. Spencer Wright, Kristian DeWolfe and John Blackburn came out strong with fourth, eighth and ninth place finishes, respectively, in the men’s slalom event on March 5. Noah Leininger took 11th in the men’s giant slalom on Sunday, and Sage Rheinschild took 13th in the ladies’ super G on the same day.
Giant slalom and super G events still remain.
Full results:
http://www.fis-ski.com/dynamic/event-details.html?event_id=37624&cal_suchsector=AL
IMD Team at Western Region U14 Championships
The IMD Team is headed to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, March 10-13, for the Western Region U14 Championships, the premier event for the team this season. SVSVEF has four girls and four boys competing, which is as many as any other team in the division. Buey Grossman, Ryder Sarchett, Ridley Lindstrom, Charlie Snyder, Marit Kaiser, Falon Hanna, Sage Curtis and Sage Holter will represent SVSEF at the championships.
The athletes are coming off a tough long weekend in Utah at Snowbasin, which featured three super G events. Sage Holter had a notable performance, as she fought hard to qualify for the Western Region U14 Championships. Buey Grossman won overall for the weekend.
Results:
Race 1:
Boys: Buey Grossman- 1; Ryder Sarchett- 4; Shaw Dean- 10; Ridley Lindstrom- 13; Charlie Snyder- 15; Falon Hanna- 3
Girls: Marit Kaiser- 8; Sage Holter- 12; Emma MacGuffie- 15
Race 2:
Boys: Buey Grossman- 2; Ryder Sarchett- 11; Shaw Dean- 12; Charlie Snyder- 15
Girls: Marit Kaiser- 11; Sage Holter- 13
Race 3:
Boys: Buey Grossman- 3; Ryder Sarchett- 4; Ridley Lindstrom- 5; Shaw Dean- 9 (tie); Charlie Snyder- 9 (tie)
Girls: Marit Kaiser- 5; Anhwei Kirk- 9; Emma MacGuffie- 11
Full results:
http://www.ussa-imd.org/alpine/races15/U14.htm
North Series
A number of SVSEF athletes have qualified for the IMD Championships, which take place at Brundage Mountain in McCall, Idaho, March 10-13. The event is for athletes U12 and younger.
Qualified Athletes:
Boys:
Colin Hanna
Leo Molter
Carter Sammis
Cole Curci
Tommy Normand
Russell Stumph
Taylor Rixon
Colin MacGuffie
John Tumolo
Girls:
Jessica Blackburn
Tatum Minor
Hannah Ferris
Paige DeHart
Saba Grossman
Logan Lindstrom
Goldie Kirk
Agnes Kind
Laura Daves
Elgyn Monge
Isabella Hattrup
Mattigan Monschke
Maile Dorland
Niki Cohen
Anabel Viesturs
Mini World Cup Team
The Mini World Cup Team had the chance to put their skills to the test at Dollar Mountain in Sun Valley. The March 5th event saw a strong field of young athletes who competed with verve and enthusiasm in the super G.
Results:
Boys
- Max Meucci
- Jesse Keefe
- Eric Parris
- Zephyr Carruth
- Sacha Stern-Pre
- Luca Broussard
- Paxton Sammis
- Thomas DeKlotz
- Holden Archie
- Owen Walker
- Bodin Lee
- Abel Marx
- TJ Campbell
- Calder Baty
- Alec Wiedemann
- Rylan Mann
Girls
- Lena Nelson
- Maya Lightner
- Lowie Watkins
- Chloe Vogel
- Natalie Gowe
- Caroline Dean
- Charlotte Davis-Jeffers
- Ripley Scales
- Kendall Felker
- Maeve Bailey
- Taylor Hovey
- Ava Agnew
- Scarlet Rixon
Intermountain Youth Championships Results
Full results for the IYC races at SVSEF's Lake Creek Training Center Feb 27-28, 2016
Flying Downhill Results
IYC Classic Results
IYC Obstacle Course Results
IYC Skate Results
All The World's A Stage and SVSEF Athletes Have Starring Roles
ALPINE
Haley Cutler earns win at U19 Nationals
The SVSEF FIS team is currently at U19 Nationals at Copper Mountain in Colorado, where athletes are putting it all on the line. Events include slalom, giant slalom, super G and downhill.
Haley Cutler had a breakout performance in the super G on March 1st, winning the race and securing a spot at the U.S. National Alpine Championships here in Sun Valley, March 22-27.
Cutler skied a technically sound slalom race on February 28 to place seventh overall. Erin Smith dug in for 15th in the giant slalom on February 29.
Haley Cutler racing at Schweitzer, Montana, earlier in the season. Photo by Brett Jacobson.
Results, Slalom
U19 Men: Jay Fitzgerald 29-S, DNF-GS; Will Snyder 42-S, DNF-GS; Yuri McClure 47-S, 40-GS; Duncan Fuller DNF-S, 45-GS
U19 Women: Haley Cutler 7-S, DNF-GS; Skylar Cooley 25-S, 19-GS; Erin Smith DNF-S, 13-GS; Ruby Marden 44-S, 36-GS; Katelyn Rathfon 46-S, 20-GS
Men’s slalom:
http://data.fis-ski.com/dynamic/results.html?sector=AL&raceid=84802
Women’s slalom:
http://data.fis-ski.com/dynamic/results.html?sector=AL&raceid=84803
Men’s GS:
http://data.fis-ski.com/dynamic/results.html?sector=AL&raceid=84804
Women’s GS:
http://data.fis-ski.com/dynamic/results.html?sector=AL&raceid=84805
NORDIC
Peter Wolter rises to the occasion at U18 Nations’ Cup
SVSEF nordic skier Peter Wolter traveled to Otepaa, Estonia to race in the U18 Nations’ Cup after qualifying with top performances at the U.S. Cross Country Nationals. Wolter was one of twelve Americans who competed against athletes from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Estonia.
The Nations’ Cup began with a 1.3-kilometer freestyle sprint on Friday – Wolter qualified for the quarterfinals in 26th place out of 44. He did not move on past quarterfinals and ended up finihsing 24th overall.
Left, Peter Wolter in team relay
On Saturday, the men battled it out in a 10-kilometer classic event. This was Wolter’s stand-out performance of the weekend – the Hailey native skied a smart race to finish 15th overall in a field of 41 competitors with a time of 26:14.7; he was the fourth American for the day. Norway swept the podium, with Joergen Lippert completing the course in 24:04.1 for the win.
Wolter started things off for his relay team as the first leg of three on Sunday, skiing five kilometers of classic before passing off to the subsequent five-kilometer skate legs. Wolter’s team, which included U.S. athletes Karl Schulz and Noel Keeffe, was ranked ninth going into the race; the team drove it home to finish eighth.
For full results:
Skate sprint: http://www.suusaliit.ee/bw_client_files/suusaliit/public/img/File/BOYS_SP_F_RESULTS.pdf
Classic 10km: http://www.suusaliit.ee/bw_client_files/suusaliit/public/img/File/BOYS_10_CL_RESULTS.pdf
Relay: http://www.suusaliit.ee/bw_client_files/suusaliit/public/img/File/BOYS_RELAY_RESULTS.pdf
Prep and Devo teams take home the hardware at Intermountain Youth Champs
SVSEF hosted the Intermountain Youth Championships February 27-28 at Lake Creek; the event was a chance for young competitors, whether new to the sport or veterans in their own right, to come together and participate in a variety of races – 270 athletes attended, with ages ranging from six to 15 years old. Athletes traveled from Boise, Bozeman, Glacier, Jackson Hole, Park City, West Yellowstone, McCall, Salt Lake City, Missoula, and Logan, Montana, for the event.
“The stoke was high and as the Norwegians would say, ‘the shape was good,’” observed SVSEF Nordic Program Director Rick Kapala. who served as chief of course for the event.
Saturday was a full day, with a mass start skate race (ranging from .75 to five kilometers in distance) followed by a downhill event (in which competitors ripped down Torin’s Tuck’er) and an obstacle course.
Icy conditions on Sunday made for a fast yet dodgy course for the classic race, which saw a number of falls on one sharp corner or another. The course was the same as the it was for the skate race on Saturday (again ranging from .75 to five kilometers in distance).
Highlights of the weekend were a sweep by Logan Smith in all four U14 girl’s events, wins for U14 Cash Dart in both the 3-kilometer skate event and the “Flying Downhill,” and a podium sweep by the U14 girls in the skate race, the downhill, and the obstacle course.
Two final awards were given out at the end of the weekend; one for sportsmanship, and the other for the overall team champion, based on points. Bozeman took home the Sportsmanship Award, while SVSEF won the Overall Team Award.
Concluded Kelley Sinnott, SVSEF assistant nordic program director, head prep team coach, and this weekend’s chief of competition, “[It was a] great event! We are really excited to see so many competitors from Intermountain out on the race courses; the future for Intermountain is bright! I am so proud of the SVSEF team racing hard on their home turf and winning the Team Overall [award]. Thank you so much to all of our volunteers – there is no way we could have put on this event without them.”
The gang's all here! Photo by John Gorham.
Results, IMD Youth Championships
IYC Skate Results
IYC Classic Results
Flying Downhill Results
IYC Obstacle Course Results
Gold Team
Nordic Gold Team member Miles Havlick has qualified for the OPA Cup (Central European World Cup B) competitions in Arber, Germany, (March 5-6) and Toblach, Italy, (March 11-13) – he is currently across the pond getting acclimated and geared up to represent SVSEF and the U.S. Ski Team at these races.
ALPINE
Monroe Cup
This weekend marked the 19th year of the Monroe Cup in Sun Valley at Bald Mountain, held in honor of former SVSEF executive director and coach Lane Monroe. Racers flocked from Jackson Hole, McCall, Bogus Basin, and Teton Village for a giant slalom event on Saturday and slalom on Sunday, which ran down Hemingway and Greyhawk. SVSEF had 67 athletes participate in the event, the largest number from any one team.
Lane Monroe and overall champs, SVSEF's Colin Hanna and Victoria Clancy of Jackson Hole
SVSEF racers tore down the mountain, earning top spots across the age classes. In the giant slalom on Saturday, Bogus Basin’s Meredith Bromley took the win in the girl’s U8 race in 1:33.56; right behind her were SVSEF’s Lowie Watkins and Natalie Gowe in second and third. In the boy’s U8 event, Jay Blackburn of SVSEF topped the podium with a time of 1:47.43, followed by McCall’s Cooper Harvey and Marcus Brouse. In the girl’s U10 race, McCall’s Lakota Hovey won in a time of 2:05.49, with SVSEF’s Taylor Hovey and Ava Agnew coming in right behind her in second and third. The top U10 boy’s finisher was SVSEF’s Max Meucci in 1:30.70, followed by Teton Village’s Gustin Clausen and SUNNY’s Trace Schroeder. In the U12 girl’s race, Annika Howard of Jackson Hole skied to a win in 1:29.42, with SVSEF’s Hannah Ferris and Tatum Minor rounding out the podium. Jackson Hole had a strong group of U12 boys, with Sam Clausen, Christien Gabriel Woiwode and Charles Hoelscher claiming the top spots. Colin Hanna was SVSEF’s first U12 finisher in fifth, and Cartier Sammis came in eighth. SVSEF swept the girl’s U14 category, with Taylor Dorland winning the race in 1:33.02, and Gillian Simcoe and Bel Clayton finishing in second and third. Bryce Foster was the top U14 boy with a time of 1:28.39, Bo Swenke was second, and Owen Robb was third; all of SVSEF.
Hannah Ferries digs in. Photos by Chase Millemann
In the slalom event on Sunday, SVSEF’s Lowie Watkins was the champion for the U10 girl’s race with a time of 1:17.45. Jackson Hole took the next two places, with Tegan Ritter in second and Savannah Kenney in third. Lucas Broussard was SVSEF’s top U10 boy in fourth, and behind him were Sacha Stern-Pre in sixth and Tucker Smith in seventh.
Thirty-eight overall champions have been named at the Monroe Cup between 1997 and 2015, and 21 of those have been SVSEF racers. This year’s overall champions were Colin Hanna of SVSEF and Victoria Clancy of Jackson Hole.
U12 Championships this year will be held March 11-13 at Brundage Mountain in McCall, Idaho.
For full results:
http://www.ussa-imd.org/alpine/races15/north.php
Soldier Mountain USSA races
After two days of private access to Soldier Mountain in Fairfield, Idaho, during which time athletes worked with high-caliber coaches to build upon speed and terrain skills, U16 and U19 athletes competed in two USSA scored downhill races on Wednesday, February 24.
SVSEF and U.S. Ski Team athlete Tanner Farrow won the men’s first downhill in 1:30.69. SVSEF’s John Blackburn, Griffin Curtis and Yuri McClure came in first, second and third for the men’s U19 category. Matt O’Connor was fifth overall and the first U16 finisher; Ian Hanna was second, and Jake Blackburn was third; all are SVSEF skiers.
On the women’s side, Haley Cutler won the U19 race in 1:38.70. Erin Smith was second and Sage Rheinschild third to round out the SVSEF podium. SVSEF’s Lily Fitzgerald won the U16 cateogry, followed by Allison Rathfon (SVSEF) and Kaia Jensen (SVSEF) in second and third.
In the second downhill event of the day, Farrow again took the win, this time in 1:34.04. John Blackburn, Griffin Curtis, and Yuri McClure were again first, second and third for U19 men. Matt O’Connor had his second win of the day in the U16 category, followed by Bennett Snyder and Ian Hanna (all of SVSEF).
The women’s second U19 podium was a repeat of the first event, with Haley Cutler in first, Erin Smith in second, and Sage Rheinschild in third. Allison Rathfon won the U16 girl’s race, with Kaia Jensen and Lily Fitzgerald in second and third.
Results
#1 men's downhill
#2 men's downhill
#1 ladies downhill
#2 ladies downhill
Trudi Bolinder Memorial Races
Following a successful training camp, the USSA team moved on to Bogus Basin for the Trudi Bolinder Memorial IMC/U16 qualifiers. Rain on Saturday kept athletes from racing; the women ended up squeezing in two races on Sunday for a total of three super G events, while the men were only able to complete two races.
Despite the challenges associated with the weather conditions, SVSEF athletes stayed focused and showed strong performances across the board.
On Friday, the U16 girls raced the super G on Paradise. Lily Fitzgerald tied for fourth with a time of 1:25.14. Allison Rathfon finished in sixth, Ella Viesturs in seventh, and Kaia Jensen in eighth. Molly Milgard was 11th and Libby Kaiser was 14th.
Sunday was a full day of racing. The women’s second super G of the weekend was a strong one for SVSEF: Allison Rathfon won the race in 1:22.53, and Lily Fitzgerald came in second. Molly Milgard was sixth, Kaia Jensen and Libby Kaiser tied for 10th, and Ella Viesturs was 13th.
The second women’s super G of the day saw solid performances again by SVSEF athletes. Lily Fitzgerald won with a time of 1:22.09, and Allison Rathfon made the podium in second place. Libby Kaiswer was fifth, Ella Viesturs sixth and Kaia Jensen 10th.
In the men’s first super G on Sunday, Max Noddings was the top SVSEF finisher in seventh place. Carter Jendrezak finished 19th, and Wyatt Minor was 20th.
In the second men’s super G, Max Noddings finished sixth, Bennett Snyder eighth, and Jake Blackburn 13th.
For full results:
http://www.ussa-imd.org/alpine/races15/U16.htm
IMD Team at Snowbasin
The IMD team traveled to Snowbasin, Utah, for another round of U14 qualifiers.
In the super G on Friday, Falon Hanna of SVSEF raced her way to third, while teammate Marit Kaiser finished eighth. Sage Holter skied to 12th place.
On Saturday, SVSEF’s Buey Grossman won the first boy’s super G event of the day. Ryder Sarchett was fourth, Shaw Dean 10th, and Ridley Lindstrom 13th.
On the girl’s side, Marit Kaiser finished 11th, Sage Holter 13th, and Sage Curtis 21st.
For the boy’s second event of the day, Buey Grossman again made his way to the top, this time in second place. Ryder Sarchett was 11th, Shaw Dean 12th, and Charlie Snyder 15th.
Buey Grossman rounded out his podium placements for the weekend with a third place finish in the super G on Sunday. Ryder Sarchett raced into fourth, and Ridley Lindstrom fifth.
In the girl’s event, Marit Kaiser finished fifth, Anhwei Kirk ninth, and Emma MacGuffie 11th.
Results:
http://www.ussa-imd.org/alpine/races15/U14.php
Last week here at home, SVSEF racers joined in on a fun local race, the Super Duper Combined: the day consisted of two super G runs and two slalom runs, with times combined.
Girls:
- Marit Kaiser
- Anhwei Kirk
- Emma MacGuffie
- Lola Street
- Julia Ott
- Taylor Dorland
Boys:
- Ryder Sarchett
- Shaw Dean
- Will Penrose
- Nathan Gowe
- Nick Maumus
- Jett Carruth
- Ethan Marx
- Axel Hattrup
- Shaw McCoubrey
FREESTYLE
The SVSEF Freestyle Travel Team had the opportunity to compete on the World Cup course, Champion, at Deer Valley, Utah. It was a great weekend for all SVSEF athletes, who are getting ready to bring the energy back to Sun Valley for Junior Nationals on their home course.
Pulling away from the crowds were Addison Rafford, who made it onto the podium in third in the moguls event on Saturday, and Alex LaFleur, who placed fourth in the boys' category. On Sunday, Henry Cherp and Hunter Diehl stepped it up, coming in second and fourth place, respectively in the moguls. Luke Rizzo was in the mix, finishing seventh overall. In the duals, Addison Rafford again reached the podium, landing in third. Alex LaFleur won the boys' duals, just ahead of Henry Cherp in second.
Saturday Moguls:
http://intermountainfreestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/scan0014.pdf
Sunday Moguls:
http://intermountainfreestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/scan0015.pdf
Sunday Duals:
http://intermountainfreestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/scan0016.pdf
FREESKIING
Smooth sailing at Jackson Hole Slopestyle
The freeskiing team brought style and finesse down to Jackson Hole, where they competed in rail jam, slopestyle, and halfpipe events.
Highlights of the weekend were Sara Kope’s first place finish in the rail jam open women’s category and the slopestyle open women’s category, Hanna Blackwell’s win in both the U15 slopestyle and halfpipe events, and Lachlan MacFarlan’s fifth place finish in the U12 rail jam and second place finish in the U12 boy’s halfpipe. Other standouts were Sam Ware, who finished fifth in the U12 boy’s halfpipe, and Joey Markthaler, who won the U12 boys' halfpipe.
Results
USASA Halfpipe
USASA Rail Jam
USASA Slopestyle
SVSEF skiers take in the view at the USASA Big Mountain Series at Jackson Hole. Photo by Reed Snyderman
SNOWBOARD
Big Mountain West Series, Jackson
The snowboard travel team ventured down to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for the USASA Big Mountain West Series. Saturday morning’s slopestyle event brought with it a bout of snow, which cleared up for the rail jam and halfpipe events. Elk Spencer finished 2nd in the rail jam, 6th in slopestyle, and 4th in the halfpipe. Phebe Ericksen won the rail jam, slopestyle, and halfpipe. Aidan Green placed 7th in rail jam, 8th in slopestyle, and 1st in the halfpipe, with a best trick of highest air. (Please see results listed above).
Phebe Ericksen stepped up with a big first-place finish in Rail Jam.
Gold Team
Chase Josey wins bronze in second appearance at X Games
Chase Josey and Jacob Beebe, both SVSEF Gold and U.S. team members, were invited to participate in the first-ever X Games in Oslo, Norway, February 24-28. In the men’s snowboard superpipe event on Friday, February 26, Josey threw down three solid runs to earn a bronze medal behind Ayumu Hirano of Japan and Iouri Podladtchikov of Switzerland. Beebe held his own in the ski superpipe competition, earning 12th in the elimination round. This was Beebe’s first invitation to the X Games.
Chase Josey’s bronze medal run:
http://xgames.espn.go.com/xgames/video/14851767/chase-josey-wins-men-snowboard-superpipe-bronze
Chase Josey in Oslo
SVSEF Gold Team racer Deedra Irwin Wins Birkie Title; Athletes Qualify for Championships
ALPINE
FIS Team
A total of twelve SVSEF U19 athletes have qualified for the U19 Championships, which will take place this year at Copper Mountain, Colorado, February 27- March 4. Athletes made the cut based on results at FIS races designated as U19 national qualifiers.
SVSEF athletes who have qualified for U19 Championships:
Hayden Terjeson
Austin Savaria
Will Snyder
Duncan Fuller
Jay Fitzgerald
Spencer Wright
Yuri McClure
Haley Cutler
Skylar Cooley
Erin Smith
Ruby Marden
Katelyn Rathfon
Alpine Team hones speed at Soldier Mountain
The alpine team (FIS, USSA, IMDB) will focus on building skills in the speed department while attending the Soldier Mountain Downhill Training Camp and Sammis Camas Cup in Fairfield, Idaho, which runs February 22-24. The mountain is closed to the public for the duration of the camp.
“The ski area is just going to be our playground and our classroom. We’ve got an A-list coaching staff with Erik Fisher out of Boise, Jonna Mendes here locally, Will Brandenburg, Phil McNichol, Adele Savaria, Skip Merrick – just an incredible cohort of speed coaches,” explained SVSEF Alpine Program Director Scotty McGrew.
Monday is a fundamentals day, while training on Tuesday focuses on sectioning and full-length skills, culminating with the Sammis Camas Cup Town Downhill. The Sammis Camas Cup is a non-scored race honoring Ketchum’s Brett Sammis, who passed away following a ski accident in 1997. Wednesday will consist of two USSA scored downhill races and is open to athletes U16 and older.
Monroe Cup
Younger SVSEF alpine skiers will have a chance to race on their home turf this weekend at the Monroe Cup races, February 27-28. The two-day event will feature a giant slalom and a slalom event. The event is held in honor of former SVSEF executive director Lane Monroe.
FREESKIING
Colorado’s Aspen Snowmass hosted the Freeskiing Open February 18-20, which featured slopestyle and superpipe. The SVSEF Alpha Freeskiing Team ventured south for the events – men’s slopestyle qualifiers were on Thursday, February 18, and men’s and women’s slopestyle finals were on Friday. More than 100 men showed their skills on the slopestyle course; it was excellent exposure for the SVSEF athletes, as it marked their first time competing in an AFP gold level event (competitors hailed from New Zealand, Japan and Switzerland, among other countries).
According to Freeskiing Travel A/B Team Head Coach Reed Snyderman, the “highlight of [the] trip to Aspen was slopestyle on Thursday with all three athletes landing their personal best slopestyle runs.” Oddly enough, Will Griffith, Trey Potter and Jedson Waters all ended up in 20th in their heats of 35 competitors.
Remarked Snyderman, “Griffith skied well – the highlight of his slopestyle run was a double cork 720. Jedson stomped an impressive new trick, a double cork 1260, which was one of the highest degree of difficulty tricks that anybody was performing on this course.”
In the superpipe event on Saturday, athletes skied a beautiful X Games 22-foot superpipe. Hanna Blackwell ended up in 16th place in the women’s superpipe.
For full results:
https://www.aspensnowmass.com/while-you-are-here/events/aspen-snowmass-freeskiing-open/start-lists-and-results
FREESTYLE
SVSEF freestyle and freeskiing athletes qualify for Junior Nationals
SVSEF athletes will have the opportunity to showcase their skill, speed and creativity at the Junior Freestyle and Freeskiing Championships, which will take place here in Sun Valley, March 10-13. Junior Nationals include moguls, dual moguls, aerials, halfpipe, slopestyle and big air.
Qualified athletes:
Moguls:
Alex LaFleur
Wilson Dunn
Luke Rizzo
Addie Rafford
Sam Smith
Katie Markthaler
Dual Moguls:
Luke Rizzo
Hunter Diehl
Wilson Dunn
Alex LaFleur
Addie Rafford
Katie Markthaler
Sam Smith
Halfpipe:
Ridge Dirksmeier
Alvaro Jiraldo
Harper Mallett
Jed Waters
Will Griffith
George Murray
Trey Potter
Lachlan McFarland
Luke Higgins
Braden Buchanan
Charlie Price
Sam Ware
Hanna Blackwell
Amanda Brown
Liesl Beyer
Slopestyle:
Sarah Kope
Hanna Blackwell
Big Air:
Hanna Blackwell
Will Griffith
Jed Waters
George Murray
Ridge Dirksmeier
Trey Potter
Aerials:
Jed Waters
Joey Markthaler
Ridge Dirksmeier
Sam Ware
Will Griffith
Dylan Mills
The SVSEF Freestyle Comp Travel Alpha and Beta teams head to Deer Valley in Park City Utah, to compete February 27-28 at USSA Intermountain Freestyle Division Championships. Athletes will tackle moguls on Saturday and dual moguls on Sunday.
NORDIC
SVSEF Gold Team stands out at American Birkebeiner
The American Birkebeiner is North America’s largest cross-country ski race, drawing over 10,000 participants to the event in recent years. This year the race was designated as a FIS Worldloppet Cup Race (the premiere international long distance racing series), as races in Estonia and France had to be cancelled earlier this season. The 43rd Slumberland American Birkebeiner course winds its way from Cable to Hayward, Wisconsin. Elite sprints took place on Thursday afternoon in the streets of Hayward, and the main event took place on Saturday. Competitors had the option of either skate or classic for technique; the skate race was a total of 51 kilometers and the classic was 54 kilometers. U.S. team member Caitlin Gregg won the women’s skate race with a time of 2:22:44.5. With her fourth Birkie victory, Gregg stands alone with the most wins ever – man or woman – in the event. In second place was France’s Aurelie Dabudyk (the current FIS Worldloppet Cup leader), and SMS T2 skier Erika Flowers rounded out the podium in third. In the men’s skate event, David Norris of Alaska Pacific University was the overall champion, finishing the race in 2:05:35.4 over second and third place finishers Ivan Perrillat Boiteux of France, and Benoit Chauvet, also of France.
SVSEF Gold Team athletes stood out in the sea of competitors. Wisconsin native Deedra Irwin skated to the top of the podium in the women’s elite sprints on Thursday, out-skiing Elisa Brocard (France) and Annie Hart (SMS T2). It was Irwin's fourth Birkie championship. Miles Havlick also had a strong showing in the sprints that wound throughout the town streets, ending up in second place in the men’s race behind Welly Ramsey and in front of Loic Guigonnet (France).
In the 51-kilometer skate race on Saturday, Havlick stayed in the elite front pack and finished in a remarkable 14th place. Not far behind him were teammates Rogan Brown and Ben Lustgarten, who tied for 23rd. Matt Gelso was off to a solid start until a broken ski stalled his race and pushed him back in the rankings. Paige Schember opted for the skate race for her first American Birkebeiner, and skied into 24th place overall in the women’s field. Deedra Irwin chose to race in the 54-kilometer classic event for her first American Birkie, and earned her second victory of the weekend, finishing in 3:11:58.8 over Isabel Caldwell of Peru, Vermont, and Josie Nelson of Medicine Lake, Minnesota. (Photo by James Netz).
For full results from the American Birkebeiner:
http://birkie.pttiming.com/results/2016/?r_page=pdf_results
Sprint results:
http://cdn.birkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/SprintResults.pdf
Peter Wolter reaches the international stage at U18 Nations’ Cup
SVSEF’s Peter Wolter, a nordic skier who has been in the program for 10 years, travels to Otepaa, Estonia, this week to race in the U18 Nations’ Cup. Wolter’s impressive performances at the US Cross Country National Championships in Houghton, Michigan this season earned him a spot on the international stage. The athlete finished third in the 15-kilomenter classic, sixth in the skate sprint and seventh in the 10-kilometer mass start skate. Wolter will get to see how he stacks up against racers from dominant countries like Norway and Sweden at the Nations’ Cup, which runs from February 21-29; an exciting opportunity when the majority of his career has been focused on racing the same athletes from Utah, Wyoming, and Montana.
For coverage of the U18 Nations’ Cup races:
http://sport.postimees.ee/
SNOWBOARDING
Payton Bacca tears through competition at REV Tour boardercross event
Payton Bacca, a snowboarder on the SVSEF Alpha Travel Team, was one of two 14-year old competitors amongst a field of established racers at the USSA REV Tour boardercross event at Ski Cooper, Colorado, on February 21. Bacca earned the role of fore-runner for the Nor-AM boardercross races in the days leading up to the event, as athletes have to be 15 years old to compete in FIS-level SBX competitions.
For the REV Tour race, Bacca was qualified in the top 16, and advanced past her first four-man heat to the round of eight. In the round of eight, it was a photo finish for second place – she ended up third and moved on to the small final, finishing sixth overall in the event.
Bacca has been invited to the prestigious 2016 Burton U.S. Open Junior Jam, happening February 29 through March 1 in Vail, Colorado. She has a GoFundMe campaign to help with the costs of the trip; to make a contribution, please go to https://www.gofundme.com/xac6fxzv.
Jackson Hole is hosting the next round of the USASA Big Mountain West Series, February 26-28. The rail jam will take place at Snow King Resort, followed by slopestyle and halfpipe at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
SVSEF ALUMNI
SVSEF alumni made the trek from their various schools to spend the weekend racing at NCAA Regionals at Red Lodge, Montana. The giant slalom event on February 19 was followed by the slalom on February 20. In the men’s giant slalom, Harlan Collins, racing for Rocky Mountain College, finished in 10th, while the University of Denver’s Cole Caulkins landed in 20th. In the women’s event, Sofia Leroux, skiing for the University of British Columbia, made it onto the podium in second place. Linnea Baysinger (RMC) was 16th, Madison Milgard (University of Washington) was 29th, and Josie Allison (DU) was 44th.
In Sunday’s slalom, Harlan Collins again placed 10th. Marc Leroux came in 21st for University of Colorado-Boulder, and Ben Kanellitsas finished 34th for DU. In the women’s slalom, Jordan Fitzgerald skied into sixth place in the slalom for UBC. Jordan Fitzgerald was sixth, Linnea Baysinger was 13th and Madison Milgard was 15th.
SVSEF alum Josie Allison, Madi Milgard, Harlan Collins, Jordan Fitzgerald, Ben Kanellitsas, Linnea Baysinger, Marc Leroux, Sofi Leroux and Cole Caulkins.
SVSEF Athlete of the Week: Carter Ros Comes Through in the Clutch
With years of skiing, playing soccer and basketball, Carter Ros is an athlete who recognizes the value of playing to the whistle.
A member of the SVSEF cross country program since 2005, Carter, posted two of his best finishes ever to book a berth in the Junior National Cross Country Championships, March 6-13 at Cable, Wisconsin. For his all-out effort to get there, Carter is SVSEF’s Athlete of the Week.
“Carter wasn’t even on the bubble,” SVSEF Nordic Program Director Rick Kapala remarked. “He was on the outside looking in and he posted his best ever result with the exception of when he was a J2 two years ago. We basically said the script has not been written and he realized that which was valuable to making the team.
Carter Ros on course. Photo by Hank Dart.
In the third and final Junior National Qualifying races at Bozeman, Montana, Carter, a senior at Wood River High School, qualified 10th and finished fifth in the men’s U18/U20 skate sprint. The following day, facing inclement conditions including standing water on the course, he made the decision to double pole the entire 10k course in a classic mass start. The decision paid off as Carter finished second in 27:17 to teammate Peter Wolter and eighth overall in a field of 41 U18/U20 men.
“Just because the first race don’t come that doesn’t mean you can’t have those results later. Carter is really good on his skis and the courses played to his strength. Conditions were pretty janky with standing water and ice. He was the first guy to decide not to kick wax and just go for it. He had a really good race,” Kapala said.
The affable 17-year-old will observe his 18th birthday while at Nationals. We hope Carter has double reason to celebrate!
Overall, SVSEF will send 14 team members to Junior Nationals, the most from a single program in the Intermountain Division. Bozeman was next best with 12. For more information on the 2016 Cross Country Junior National Championships, please click HERE.
