Week in Review: February 6
ALPINE
Monroe Cup
SVSEF hosted over 150 U10 and U12 athletes from the Intermountain division at the annual Monroe Cup, named for former SVSEF coach and executive director, Lane Monroe. The event featured two slalom competitions, starting on Hemingway and finishing on Greyhawk. Despite unruly winds, the surface was outstanding and athletes from the Devo forerunners to Mini World Cup and North Series skiers came to the hill with a good attitude. For Mini World Cup athletes, this was a great way to dabble in racing while still emphasizing the importance of having fun. “We are doing this race for experience, of course a bit of speed, but most importantly, for FUN,” remarked MWC head coach Tor Jensen. “It is a great opportunity to try something new, test the waters in the next level and be that much more prepared for next year.”
For North Series athletes, the Monroe Cup was an opportunity to put hard work into practice. “It’s always great to have one of our races be at home because the kids know the race hill and they get to sleep in their own beds,” said North Series head coach Adele Savaria. “As always, it feels like we have a lot of support from the community when they come out to watch, too.”
SVSEF’s own Max Meucci took home the men’s overall win for the weekend, with nearly a five second lead over the second place finisher in Saturday’s slalom, and another victory on Sunday. Paxton Sammis broke the top ten for U12 men on Saturday, Tommy Hovey had a solid weekend for U10 boys with a podium on Saturday and a sixth place on Sunday, and Jay Blackburn earned second for U10 boys on Sunday. Alyssa Huntsman and Reese Kelley broke the top 10 for U10 girls, with Alyssa in 10th on Saturday and Reese in ninth on Sunday. SVSEF U12 girls took four of the top 10 spots on Saturday (Taylor Hovey 4, Ruby Crist 5, Norah Davis-Jeffers 8 and Rowan Desler 9). Natalie Gowe had a great race on Sunday, finishing on the podium in second, and teammates Taylor and Ruby went six and seven.
Results
FIS Western Region Speed Series at Schweitzer
This past week was a huge showing for SVSEF at the FIS Elite Speed Series. Program Director Scott McGrew noted that it was “quite possibly the first sweep for a club at this level of event.” Charlie Lamb, Spencer Wright and Hayden Terjeson took the top spots in the men’s downhill on February 1, with Matt O’Connor finishing fifth. Wright clocked top times for two more second place finishes at the series (2/1 downhill and 2/4 super G). Other SVSEF athletes skied to the top of the field throughout the week: Skylar Cooley finished fourth in downhill and second in super G, Alli Rathfon had a fourth place finish and two sixths, Jack Smith won the final super G and Hayden Terjeson was just off the podium in fourth in the same race.
From Nick Stenicka, assitant women's FIS coach:
The women's FIS team has returned from a successful Schweitzer speed series! Notable performances came from Skylar Cooley, Maddie Ferris, Alli Rathfon, who all acquired major qualification points towards US Nationals with their top ten finishes in the SG races. In addition to the top ten finishes achieved by Skylar, Maddie, and Alli, our girls took home two Hard Charger Awards. The Hard Charger Award was granted each day of the series to the athlete that achieved the best finish position from the highest start position. Alli Rathfon won the Hard Charger Award after moving from 29th position into sixth in the first DH race while her teammate Cailin Chandler won the award in the second DH race after moving from the 27th position into 12th.
Looking forward, our women hope to build on this positive momentum at their upcoming Wild West race series at Snowking Resort in Jackson, Wyoming. The Wild West series is also a qualifier for US Nationals. With the FIS team coming into the peak of the race season the group is excited for a week-long training block on hard snow at Baldy and Dollar.
Results
U14 IMD Junior Speed Event Qualifier at Snowbasin
Podium sweeps and top finishes were a trend for SVSEF Alpine athletes this past week. At U14 IMD Junior Speed Qualifiers at Snowbasin, Jessica Blackburn, Saba Grossman and Maya Lightner swept the women’s opening super G podium. Logan Lindstrom took second in the second super G, with Saba staying near the top in fourth. In the final super G, Saba topped the podium, and Logan again finished second. Saba’s streak of top finishes put her in first overall for the weekend. Paige DeHart and Lily Dean had strong results, with Paige in 11th in the second event and Lily in 10th in the final race. In the men’s events, Colin Hanna cruised to a win in the final super G and finished fourth the first day of racing. Nils Galloway had a significant weekend, finishing sixth on days one and two, and fifth in the final competition. Jake Charpentier stepped it up, with ninth and 12th places.
"This was a very exciting weekend for SVSEF's IMD team," said Head Coach James Tautkus. "It's typically a struggle this time of year to maintain full focus and this team defied that. To start the weekend with a women's podium sweep felt pretty sweet, but following that up with two victories on Sunday brought fulfillment to the weekend. This team as a whole dug deep and earned every once of success it received. That in itself puts confidence in the direction of this program. No doubt on current trajectory there will be more success to be had this season!"
Results
CROSS COUNTRY
Town Sprints and Boulder Mountain Tour
As part of the annual Sun Valley Nordic Festival, many SVSEF athletes participated in the opening NordicTown USA Town Sprints in downtown Ketchum. Devo athletes started off with a mass start sprint, followed by Prep Team skiers. The main event featured two-person relays – Comp, PG and Gold athletes tagged off in a fast-paced, energetic race. SVSEF Gold Team skier Matt Gelso and Team Gregg athlete Caitlin Gregg won, followed by Cole Morgan (SVSEF) and Heather Mooney in second and Henry Raff (SVSEF) and Logan Smith (SVSEF) in third.
Two days after Two Sprints, a number of SVSEF opted to race in the Boulder Mountain Tour or the Half Boulder. Covering 34km, the nationally renowned race starts at Galena and winds down the Harriman Trail. The Half Boulder is a 15km course that starts at Baker Creek. SVSEF Gold Team skier Matt Gelso took home the overall win for the event in a field of nearly 600 racers, with a time of 1:10:28. Repeating for an overall win for women was Caitlin Gregg. Sawyer Kesselheim, who will guide SVSEF alumni Jake Adicoff at the 2018 Paralymipcs in Pyeongchang, finished fifth overall, followed by Gold Team athlete Cole Morgan in sixth. Berkeley Canfield, a U12 Prep Team skier, won the women’s Half Boulder with a finishing time of 41:34. Teammate Ruby Gardner was the fourth female finisher and Gina Greenberg was fifth.
Full Boulder Results
Half Boulder Results
Nor-Am Cup
Other members of the Gold Team traveled to Nakkertok Nordic Ski Centre, outside of Ottawa, for Nor Am races, featuring top Canadian and United States athletes. Jack Hegman had a standout distance race, winning the men’s 15km freestyle. Kevin Bolger showed consistency across disciplines and distances, finishing fifth in the men’s 1.4km classic sprint, fifth in the 15km freestyle, and sixth in the 15km pursuit. Jack edged out Kevin in the pursuit in fifth. Rogan Brown had solid distance races, skiing to eighth overall in the 15km freestyle and eighth again in the pursuit.
Results
PARK & PIPE
USASA Slopestyle and Rail Jam at Dollar Mountain
USASA hosted a great long weekend of slopestyle, rail jam and boardercross competition at Dollar. Despite high winds that required athletes to hike up for runs, rather than take the lift, all disciplines were executed. “It was a great weekend for the Park and Pipe team, with many top spots on the podium,” said Tyler Conway, Park & Pipe program director. “The stand out event was slopestyle. Not only was it impressive to watch (with 540s,720s, 900s and switch 270s pretzel 450s), but it was awesome to see SVSEF athletes take top spots in the most competitive age classes.”
Results
IFSA Big Mtn: Targhee Regional Competition
This event was cancelled due to unsafe conditions. The team still managed to get some solid training from the weekend; see what they were up to here.
MOGULS
MOGULSNorthern Series Regional Qualifier
Sun Valley moguls athletes headed to Snowbowl, Montana to compete in the Northern Series regional qualifier. “I’m extremely proud of all of our athletes’ performances this past weekend, and the direction the SVSEF moguls program is headed,” said Mogul Technical Director John Grigsby. “This past weekend we had a few athletes competing in their first competition ever, and a few of our veteran athletes had their personal best.”
Toby Rafford led the charge on Saturday with a second place finish, and Rainey Wilson took home fifth overall.
Saturday Singles Event
Toby 1st M15
Erik Babcock 4th M15
Rainey Wilson 1st F17
Will Hausmann 1st M11
Tillianne Babcock 1st F11
Sunday Singles Event
Rainey Wilson 1st Overall
Toby Rafford 1rd Overall
Tillianne Babcock 1st F11
Nick Rubenstein 2nd M13
Drake Lovlien 2nd M11
Erik Babcock 5th M15
Duals Event
Rainey Wilson 1st Overall
Toby Rafford 1rd Overall
Henry Buell 8th
Alumni Chase Josey Headed to Pyeongchang
SVSEF alumni Chase Josey is on his way to Pyeongchang as a member of the U.S. Olympic team. As a top contender amongst the greats of U.S. halfpipe snowboarding, Chase secured his spot to South Korea as the fourth and final male athlete, following his performance at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth on January 20. In the final Olympic selection event, he shot to the top of the field with a first-run score of 94.50 – a lead that persisted through the next two runs, securing the win.
When you meet Chase, you can better wrap your head around how the Wood River Valley native handled the pressure that loomed at Mammoth, with such high stakes at hand. Today, surrounded by eager fledgling skiers and snowboarders at Rotarun Ski Area, who are gearing up for an afternoon of SVSEF Rota-Rippers training, Chase’s demeanor is calm and pleasant. His unassuming smile gives you a little jab of a reminder – that you should, perhaps, try to be a bit more present. Because that’s what he seems to be doing – observing and appreciating the happiness that is so prevalent here at Rotarun, and that comes with making turns for the first, second, third time.
Chase echoes this in his sentiments about what one can take away from being a part of SVSEF. “You really gain a lifestyle for winter sports being a part of the program. You train for it, you live for it, you grow a passion for whatever discipline you're in. For these kids, I’d say, try to have as much fun as you can, and learn to ride with your friends and look up to your coaches. They’re only really trying to help you enjoy this lifestyle that’s been presented to you. It’s not supposed to be stressful; if it is, take a step back and try to figure out how you can enjoy it. It’s meant to be a passion and a lifestyle.”
This is a mentality that Chase has done well by – he’s stayed passionate about the sport and has managed to live a life centered around it. He was on skis when he was two, and he started snowboarding when he was five. Chase had heard about SVSEF, ended up riding with the team one day, and was hooked. He grew up through the ranks of the snowboard program until he graduated high school, and continued to pursue a professional career in the sport thereafter. Chase, glancing at the young SVSEF athletes as they bolt down West Bowl at Rotarun, gives a nod to the advantage that comes with starting early. “I was born and raised in Hailey, and just like these guys I started skiing and snowboarding when I was pretty young. It’s been so second nature to me, being on a snowboard – starting at a young age is a key factor for progression in your older years. A lot of people don't get that chance – they start snowboarding when they’re 16 or 17 years old. They don't have the head start like some of these athletes who are on skis or snowboards when they're two feet tall.”
With an eye on Pyeongchang, Chase is looking forward to trying on those starchy new U.S. team uniforms. All jokes aside – what uniforms represent, cohesiveness and solidarity, underly what he values – the importance of community. As an U.S. Snowboard Team athlete living in Idaho, Chase splits his time between training with other athletes at camps and training at home. “I’m looking forward to getting the opportunity to meet some of these winter sports athletes who I’ve never had a chance to travel with before, because we all meet up at the same locations. It’s going to be like a really big family over there with Team USA.” Community is a thread that runs deep for the snowboarder. Fellow SVSEF alumni and 2014 Olympic gold medalist Kaitlyn Farrington gave Chase a call before Mammoth to offer some words of encouragement. (Rewind four years, and you’ve looking at an uncannily familiar scenario – Kaitlyn was at the last qualifier at Mammoth, and was also banking on a top finish to qualify for the Games). Andy Gilbert, Chase’s SVSEF coach for many years, was with him at the top of the Mammoth pipe before he dropped in for the win. “It was really cool to have Andy at the top of the pipe at Mammoth – he was one of my main coaches throughout my whole time with SVSEF, and now he is the U.S. Snowboarding Rookie coach, so he’s been able to travel with us on our program. Having him there, one of my most longtime supporters, was really cool and I’m glad he was there.” The same goes for Chase’s supporters back at home, who have been watching his journey from a distance. “This is one of the most supportive communities around, and everyone is so connected and knowledgeable about their winter sports athletes. It’s a really collective coherence of positive energy in the Wood River Valley.”
The second big thing Chase is looking forward to at the Winter Olympics – the quality of the venue – points to his enthusiasm and respect for the sport, and the professionalism he brings to it. “I’m looking forward to seeing the halfpipe – at the test event last year, they were really well prepared. They had a ton of snow, good cold weather to make it, and one of the best halfpipe cutters in the world shaping it every night; it was one of the best halfpipes of the year. I think the South Koreans are going to do nothing less than that; they’re putting a ton of energy towards it and are really motivated to make sure the venue is up to par.” This bodes well for Chase – with a world-class halfpipe, Chase’s level of technicality has room to breathe. “What he does especially well is the way he puts his tricks together,” explained Andy. “He has a very unique way of putting things together and a deep bag of tricks, so he can mix things up as needed, depending on how the event is going.”
Chase takes a run with the Rota-Rippers snowboard athletes before he leaves for his send-off party in town, guiding a new rider through her turns. What a way to end the day, and what a way to set off for the Games.
Tune in to watch Chase in his halfpipe qualifier on February 13: you can find the schedule here.
More photos from Chase's afternoon at Rotarun can be found here.
Week in Review: January 30
PARK & PIPE
Sun Valley Spectacular Slopestyle, Jan. 27-28
SVSEF hosted two slopestyle events at Dollar for the Sun Valley Spectacular. It was great to have a local event for SVSEF athletes to put all their training into practice. Notable results came from Ben Fethke and Spencer Ferries, who were second and fourth in their M13 age group on Saturday, Harper Mallett, who was fifth for M15s, and Will Griffith and Ryan Dobi, who were second and fifth for M19s. Will found the podium again on the 28th, in third. Ben Fethke won the M13 category on Sunday. Ally Olearain was third overall for women both days.
Results
IFSA Big Mtn – Brundage Regional Comp, Jan. 27
Eleven athletes competed at their second round of IFSA regional competition last weekend at Brundage in McCall, Idaho. SVSEF skiers again brought a high level of skiing to the event, nabbing top podium finishes. Addie Rafford, Esmee Verheijen and Paris Pratt swept the women’s 15-18 podium, while Hunter Diehl took the win for men 15-18. Will Everitt had a great day, also finishing on the podium in third. Owen Miller was fourth, and Axel Diehl, Hunter’s younger brother, finished sixth. The team next heads to Targhee for another regional competition.
Results
Alumni: X Games, January 28
SVSEF alumni Chase Josey, who was recently named to the U.S. Olympic Team, competed at the Aspen X Games last weekend. Josey took fourth overall in the men’s superpipe, behind Ayumu Hirano (Japan), Scotty James (Australia) and Ben Ferguson (U.S.), all of whom will be competing at the Olympics, as well.
Results
Baldy Banked Slalom, Jan. 27
The Baldy Banked Slalom, a classic local event six years in the making, draws young and old to a custom banked course on Baldy each year. The winner of the event gets a start at the Mt. Baker Legendary Banked Slalom; this year, that winner was SVSEF coach Rick Millett. Millett led the pro-open men’s field by over a second. Coach Pat Lee also participated, and finished in sixth. For SVSEF athletes, Zoe Bacca took the win in the youth girls (13-18) category, with Channing Curci in second and Emma Schmillen in third. Julian Gluck was first for youth boys. SVSEF athletes swept the next gen boys (12 and under) category; with Jack Verhaeghe, Caleb Hothem and Nico Lerner taking one through three. Olive Gilbert and Sophie Smith, the two next gen girls, went one and two.
Results
ALPINE
Alpine U16 Qualifier – Targhee, Jan. 26-28
The Teton Valley Ski Education Foundation hosted a U16 qualifier cup at Grand Targhee, January 26-28. The races were a qualifying event for the Western Junior Championships, which are being held March 20-25 in Alyeska, AK. IMD will take 27 men and 31 women to the event.
Originally planned to feature three competitions (one giant slalom and two slalom races), the slalom scheduled for January 28 was cancelled due to heavy snow and soft conditions. This event has yet to be rescheduled.
SVSEF found the podium across events. In the giant slalom, Marit Kaiser finished third overall, clocking the second fastest first run. Teammate Merumo Ishimaru had the second fastest second run and finished fourth overall. Sage Curtis had a great day, skiing to seventh, and Anhwei Kirk made moves, from start position 35 to 13th. SVSEF also put an athlete on the podium in the men’s GS; Buey Grossman skied to third for the day, with teammate Charlie Snyder not far behind in fifth.
In the slalom, Marit finished sixth and Anhwei Kirk ninth. Carly Walther-Pornino had a solid finish in 13th. Teammate Falon Hanna was 14th. The boys had a strong showing in the slalom; Ridley Lindstrom had a great race, finishing second overall and first for U16 athletes (the one athlete ahead of him was a U19). Charlie Snyder rounded out a great weekend of racing, finishing second for U16s. Max Moss was sixth and Finn Mallinen 10th – meaning SVSEF had four boys in the top 10.
Results
Mini World Cup
Mini World CupMini World Cup athletes competed in a slalom race on Dollar on Sunday, January 28, with great energy and enthusiasm for the day.
Find results here.
CROSS COUNTRY
JNQs at Lake Creek, Jan. 27-28
From Rick Kapala, program director and comp team coach
The Sun Valley community stepped up this past weekend and hosted an Intermountain JNQ that was relocated at the last minute due to low snow conditions at the Soldier Hollow, Utah venue. Approximately 250 skiers attended the event, held at the Lake Creek Ski Trails and hosted by the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. While being a great opportunity for our local skiers to race on home courses, the races also provided a nice economic boost to the local hotels, condos and restaurants.
Many thanks to all of those who helped pull the event together on such short notice. In particular, thanks to the Blaine County Rec District trail grooming for their trail prep work. It was a big job to put the courses together given that all the work also being done to ready the BMT courses. Thanks to our Federal Land Agency partners, the Sawtooth National Forest Ketchum Ranger District and the Bureau of Land Management Shoshone District, for their support of Wood River Valley recreation, and thanks to all the VOLUNTEERS and VENDORS who rallied. We had a great race weekend thanks to you.
The Lake Creek Trails have gained a deserved reputation as being very real tests of ski fitness and ability over the years. To have such tough challenging courses in the mix of skiing venues in our community is a big bonus for our local Nordic ski culture. Many a visiting ski parent were heard to say, “Wow, these course are hard. I guess it explains why these SV kids are so tough.” The nature of the course profiles at Lake Creek include very little flat skiing with lots of steep uphills followed by technical downhills that require skiers to be really active in their descending techniques.
The races featured formats and distances for ages U10 through U18/20. Saturday was held in freestyle technique and Sunday featured classic races. SVSEF had a couple standout resutls as a team – SVSEF had four girls in the top 10 in the U16 sprint, and in the Sunday mass start classic, SVSEF girls won every age class.
SVSEF highlights
Saturday Sprint Freestyle:
U18/20 Men Sprint Finals
Will Solow – 2nd
Drew Palmer Leger – 4th (best ever sprint result)
Henry Raff – 7th (best ever sprint result)
U18/20 Women Sprint Finals
Lily Brunelle – 3rd
Sophia Mazzoni – 4th
Ella Wolter – 8th
Eve Jensen – 10th (best ever sprint result)
U16 Girls Sprint Final
Logan Smith – 1st
Anja Jensen – 4th
Sascha Leidecker – 6th
Luci Ludwig – 9th
U16 Boys Sprint Final
Cash Dart – 4th
Cole Reeves – 10th
U14 Girls Final
Samantha Smith – 1st
Gretel Huss – 7th
U12 Girls Final
Berkeley Canfield – 2nd
U12 Boys Final
Tucker Smith – 3rd
Sunday Mass Start Classic
U10 Girls
Hadley Walker – 1st
Torin Vandenburgh – 2nd
U12 Girls
Berkeley Canfield – 1st
U14 Girls
Samantha Smith – 1st
Gretel Huss – 7th
Annika Vandenburgh – 12th
Eloise Herbert – 14th
U16 Girls
Logan Smith – 1st
Anja Jensen -6th
Luci Ludwig – 9th
U18/20 Girls
Sophia Mazzoni – 1st
Eve Jensen – 5th
Ella Wolter 6th
Kirsys Campbell – 10th
U14 Boys
Holden Archie – 11th
West Gardner – 12th
Dexter Morrison – 14th
U16 Boys
Cash Dart – 5th
Sebi Radl Jones – 11th
U18 /20 Boys
Henry Raff – 1st
Will Solow – 3rd
The next JNQ is in McCall, Idaho, February 17-18, after which the IMD Team will be named.
Locally: Nordic Town Sprints will be held THURSDAY, Feb 1st at the Ketchum Nordic Town ski stadium, located corner of 2nd Avenue and 4th Street. Come watch the fun with top locals and visiting skiers competing in a two-person sprint relay.
Youth races start at 4pm and MAIN EVENT SPRINT RACE at 5.15pm.
Results
Sydney Palmer-Leger and Johnny Hagenbuch Compete at U18 Nations in Finland
SVSEF Comp Team athletes Sydney Palmer-Leger and Johnny Hagenbuch competed in Vuokatti, Finland, representing the United States at the U18 Nordic Nations Championship. The series included three races; a freestyle sprint, a distance (5/10k) classic and a 3×3 and 3x5km classic/freestyle mixed relay. Sydney’s top individual result was in the freestyle sprint; the 15 year old finished eighth overall for women, after moving on from a preliminary field of 61 racers. Johnny’s top finish was in the men’s 10km, where he finished 19th. Both athletes were on the top male and female relay teams on the final day; Sydney’s team skied to fourth overall, and Johnny’s team to fifth. The two return to the U.S. to focus on Junior Nationals, which will be held at Soldier Hollow this year.
Results
XC Gold Team: SuperTour at Craftsbury
https://www.craftsburysupertour.com/results/
SVSEF Gold Team had a solid showing back on the East Coast. SuperTour races were held at Craftsbury, Vermont, with a 5/10km freestyle and a classic sprint. Kelsey Phinney finished second in the women’s sprint and sixth in the women’s 5km. Kevin Bolger placed third in both the men’s 10km freestyle distance race and the classic sprint. Teammates Jack Hegman and Rogan Brown were 10th and 11th in the distance, respectively. Coach Chris Mallory opted to race in the Craftsbury Marathon, finishing in an impressive 15th place in the men’s 48km field of 96 athletes.
Sprint
5k
10k
Marathon
UPCOMING
Alpine: Monroe Cup on Bald Mountain (Feb. 3-4)
P&P: USASA Slopestyle and Rail Jam at Dollar Mountain (Feb. 3-4)
Alpine FIS: Schweitzer Western Region Speed Series (Jan. 30-Feb 4)
Alpine: U14 IMD Junior Speed Event Qualifier at Snowbasin (Feb. 2-4)
Mogul travel: Snowbowl comp (Feb. 1-5)
XC: Nordic Town Sprints as part of Nordic Fest, across from Ketchum post office (Feb. 1)
IFSA Big Mtn: Targhee Regional competition (Feb. 1-4)
Week in Review: December 19
ALPINE
ALPINEFIS/USSA/IMD
SVSEF athletes have one more giant slalom tomorrow to wrap up the Eric Hays Memorial at Snow King in Jackson, Wyoming. Skiers have competed in three races so far; two slaloms and one giant slalom. SVSEF skiers have accumulated a number of top-10 finishes, and one overall podium. In a field of 75 men, Ridley Lindstrom, Matt O’Connor and Buey Grossman went five-six-seven in the first slalom. SVSEF took five-six-seven again in the second race, with Charlie Lamb placing fifth, Ryder Sarchett sixth and Max Noddings seventh. In the first giant slalom, Ryder had a stellar race, landing on the podium in third, as a first-year U-16. Buey had another strong race with a sixth place finish, followed by Charlie in seventh.
In the ladies’ field of 65, Elizabeth Vanderkloot broke into the top 10 twice, finishing ninth in the first slalom and eighth in the giant slalom. Marit Kaiser has had a solid streak, finishing 13 all three races so far. Packing the punch in the second slalom were Jessica Blackburn and Logan Lindstrom, who finished on either side of Marit in 12 and 14, respectively.
RESULTS
FIS
Continuing from last week’s highlights from the first day of FIS racing at Snow King when Hayden Terjeson took 10 in the giant slalom and and Lily Fitzgerald finished ninth on December 10, SVSEF nailed down a number of top-20 results in the ensuing giant slalom and slalom events. FIS athletes next compete at Steamboat.
December 11, giant slalom
14 Lily Fitzgerald
20 Maddie Ferris
10 Hayden Terjeson
13 Noah Leininger
16 Matt O’Connor
18 Jack Smith
December 12, slalom
13 Fitzgerald
21 Alli rathfon
11 Terjeson
12 Spencer Wright
15 O’Connor
18 Charlie Lamb
Men’s second slalom
14 Wright
December 13, slalom
7 Fitzgerald
14 Rathfon
16 Skylar Cooley
15 Terjeson
19 Smith
Ladies’ second slalom
17 Cooley
RESULTS
PARK & PIPE
PARK & PIPE
Alumni
Chase Josey competed in the Dew Tour snowboarding superpipe at Breckenridge, finishing seventh in the finals on Friday, December 15. He was the fourth American overall. The Dew Tour competition was another Olympic team selection event; there are two more such events left. Chase next heads to Aspen Snowmass for a training camp, before another Toyota U.S. Grand Prix selection event January 10-14, 2018.
RESULTS
Travel Team
While teammates took advantage of training at Keystone/Copper under the tutelage of coach Rick Millett, Ridge Dirksmeier, a member of the park and pipe Travel Team, competed for the first time at the Toyota U.S. Rev Tour at Copper Mountain. In both days of freeski halfpipe competition on December 15 and 16, Ridge finished 20 in a field of 29 Rocky Mountain athletes. Rev Tour events are geared towards athletes looking to transition from grassroots to elite level competition.
RESULTS
MOGULS
Travel Team
Luke Rizzo and Rainey Wilson, who both qualified for U.S. Selections, competed in their first event at Winter Park in Colorado on Monday, December 19. Both landed in the middle of the pack, with Luke finishing 27 in singles and Rainey finishing 37. Today was a day off, before another singles event tomorrow and dual moguls to end the week on December 21. Taking into account results from last season’s U.S. Nationals as well as from U.S. Selections, athletes have the chance to qualify for the NorAm Tour and/or U.S. starts.
RESULTS
CROSS COUNTRY
Comp/Prep
SVSEF Comp and Prep Team athletes traveled to Bozeman, Montana, for the IMD season opener. The races did not count towards qualification for Junior Nationals; rather, they were an opportunity for athletes to see how they stacked up against IMD competitors. Athletes raced in a freestyle prologue on Saturday, followed by a classic pursuit on Sunday. The field included IMD racers as well as collegiate athletes. Standout performances came from Anja Jensen, who was fourth overall in the women’s freestyle prologue and first for U16s in the classic pursuit. PG Ingrid Norton was fifth in the prologue, Lily Brunelle seventh and Ella Wolter 10. In the men’s prologue, Johnny Hagenbuch finished second. Alumni Eli Jensen and Peter Wolter finished sixth and seventh. In the classic pursuit, Sebi Radl-Jones was third for U16 men, Johnny first for U18 men, alums Eli and Peter were first and second for U20 men, Logan Smith second behind Anja for U16 women, Sophia Mazzoni third for U18 women and Ingrid Norton was second for U20 women.
Prep Team skiers Sammy Smith and Anja Grover were first and second, respectively, in both U14 skate and classic mass starts. Tucker Smith was third in the men’s U12 freestyle mass start.
RESULTS
Athlete of the Week: December 14
"Athlete of the Week" is an opportunity to highlight our athletes for demonstrating the core values of the organization.
Sportsmanship • Citizenship • Character • Teamwork • Creativity • Passion • Perseverance
ALPINE: LOLA STREET
Lola Street, 14, is this week’s alpine athlete of the week. Lola has done an amazing job this fall and early winter on all fronts. She has managed to crush her dryland training and factor in as a leading member of her volleyball squad. Now that winter is upon us, she is taking that drive and persistence to the training slopes. Lola’s coach Chuck Harris commented, “Lola has done a wonderful job in our prep season and is now bringing that joy, drive, and fire to the training hill. She is great athlete and a wonderful teammate on the USSA squad.” Lola exemplifies the SVSEF core values and we are super stoked to have the opportunity to give her this shout out. Well deserved.
CROSS COUNTRY: SYDNEY PALMER-LEGER
CROSS COUNTRY: SYDNEY PALMER-LEGERSydney Palmer-Leger, 15, relocated to Sun Valley this year with her family. Her brother, Drew, is also part of the cross country program as a post grad athlete. As soon as she joined the team, her values and personality were apparent – Program Director Rick Kapala noted that she “immediately elevated the group, and has constantly engaged her teammates at practices in a positive way.” With an incredible work ethic, a great head for racing and an attitude geared towards taking advantage of every opportunity given to her to improve, Sydney is an example of how hard work pays off. Results at early season races indicate that she’s made a jump from being one of the best U16s country to, quite possibly, the best – she is able to compete at the highest level with the best juniors out there. “We knew she was a really good cross country racer, but what we’ve figured out is that she is a really good teammate and really engaging – we couldn’t be happier,” said Kapala.
MOGULS: RAINEY WILSON
Rainey Wilson, 16, is the athlete of the week for moguls. Rainey, a member of the Travel Team, has been been showing up to training everyday to prepare for U.S. Freestyle Selections. Coach Kurtis Fieguth commended Rainey. “She is always a great role model for the younger athletes in the program. She does this by staying positive, working hard, and having fun.” Rainey is the only female athlete from the Travel Team to qualify this year for U.S. Selections, which are being held in Winter Park Colorado.
PARK & PIPE: CHARLEY BINGHAM
Charley Bingham, 16, is the park & pipe athlete of the week. Charley is always happy to be on his skis – Program Director Tyler Conway testified to this, saying, “Charley is one of the most stoked athletes I have every skied with.” He is out there every day, is eager to learn and progress in his slopestyle skiing, and is constantly pushing teammates and himself on and off the hill, throwing high fives all around.” The SVSEF park and pipe team is thrilled that Charley is part of the squad.
Week in Review: December 12, 2017
PARK & PIPE
Alumni
SVSEF alumni Chase Josey was based at Copper Mountain in Colorado last week for the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, an Olympic qualifying event. Each country can only have four athletes competing in each event at the Winter Olympics; with only three more qualifying events left, the stakes are high. Josey took seventh overall in halfpipe finals on Saturday, December 9, and was the fifth American finisher. He had qualified fourth in his heat on Thursday. Chase next competes at the Dew Tour in Breckenridge this week (Thursday and Friday), which is another Olympic team selection event.
RESULTS
Travel Team
Five athletes from the Travel Team are headed to Colorado for a week of on-snow training at Breckenridge/Keystone. Sawyer Largay, Ally Olearain, Will Griffith, Ridge Dirkesmeier, Cate Seay and Charlie Bingham will take advantage of features and terrain in Colorado. In addition, athlete Ridge Dirksmeier is also making the trek to the centennial state to compete at a Rev Tour event at Copper.
MOGULS
MOGULSMogul athletes Rainey Wilson and Luke Rizzo have qualified for U.S. Selections, based on a top-60 U.S. ranking. They will be competing at Winter Park in Colorado from December 15 through December 21. Athletes will have the opportunity to compete in both moguls and dual moguls, in an attempt to qualify for starts in NorAm events and possibly U.S. World Cups. The top 20 finishers at this selection event will qualify for NorAms.
CROSS COUNTRY
PG/Comp/Prep: Winterstart
To kickoff the season, SVSEF, the BCRD and Galena Lodge hosted its annual Winterstart race at Galena. 80 competitors, which included junior racers from SVSEF, Utah Nordic Alliance (TUNA) and Bogus Basin, participated in four different skate distance races: 1.5km, 3km, 6km and 9km.
Thanks to the BCRD, Galena Lodge and volunteers for their support of this event!
RESULTS
Gold Team: Silverstar SuperTour
The cross country Gold Team traveled to Silverstar, BC to round out period one of the domestic SuperTour race circuit. Saturday was a classic sprint. Gold Team skier Cole Morgan won the prelim; this was a big win, since Olympic selection is based on prelims, not the final heats. Teammate Kelsey Phinney was second in the women’s prelim. At the end of the day, SVSEF walked away with a number of top finishes in the finals, with Morgan third overall, Jack Hegman fourth and Phinney fourth for women.
Sunday was an interval start freestyle race: 15km for men and 10km for women. Jack Hegman made the podium in second place, while first-year Gold Team skier Kevin Bolger finished fourth, keeping him in the running for Olympic Team selection. The team is back in Sun Valley for a few weeks of training and recovery before they head to U.S. Nationals in Anchorage, which begin January 3, 2018.
RESULTS
ALPINE
With the Eric Hayes memorial race officially moved to Snow King, FIS athletes who are currently competing there will be joined by FIS and USSA teammates this coming weekend. At FIS-sanctioned races at Snow King, Hayden Terjeson broke into the front of the pack in the men’s giant slalom on December 11, taking tenth place. Lily Fitzgerald did the same in the ladies’ giant slalom on December 10, placing ninth. Racing continues today and tomorrow with slalom events.
RESULTS
Creating a Culture of Excellence: SVSEF Benefits from Workshop with Dr. Wade Gilbert
Continuing education is a widely-applied concept; doctors jet off to conferences to learn about new processes, new findings, new techniques. Graphic designers, business owners and chefs alike take advantage of similar opportunities to stay on top of the latest and greatest in their respective industries. For athletic coaches, it’s no different. Educational development in the field of coaching allows for a larger knowledgebase, and the potential for greater impact on athletes.
With this in mind, SVSEF hosted a two-day workshop on October 13 and 14, geared towards coaches and staff, athletes and parents. SVSEF Athletic Director Phil McNichol spoke to why the organization orchestrated the event. “Great coaches are those who view themselves as teachers and are on a constant quest for continued learning and improvement. We are just doing our best to provide quality opportunities for coaches to advance their craft.”
The aim of the workshop was to provide accessible opportunities for learning, and to open up discussion about how we, both as an organization and as individuals, can improve. “Our goal for the organization and staff was to explore our purpose, and why we provide programs and coach sport,” said McNichol. “This is the first step in gaining a deeper understanding of team values and how we can better apply a framework of coaching principles.”
The workshop was conducted by Dr. Wade Gilbert, an award-winning professor and internationally renowned coaching scientist in the Department of Kinesiology at California State University, Fresno. With 25 years of experience conducting applied research and workshops and being involved with coaches and organizations all over the world and at a large variety of competitive levels, Gilbert brought a wealth of knowledge in physical education, human kinetics and education to his workshops in Sun Valley.
McNichol expounded on the level of professionalism Gilbert brought to the talks. “Dr. Gilbert is a leading expert in the science of coaching, talent development and sport organization principles. His work is grounded in applied knowledge through scientific research. It provides the framework to build organizations around a culture of excellence and quality coaching. This workshop was all about what SVSEF strives to be.”
Two sessions were geared towards coaches and staff, and addressed the ideas of building a culture of competitive excellence and becoming a better coach. Gilbert opened up discussion by sharing his intention for the workshop: he wanted participants to leave with a good view of the patterns and principles of the organization and to engage in critical reflection, in order to better identify where and how improvements can be made. He explained ways in which, on both a personal and organizational level, we can shape behavior and mold a culture that is supportive, evolving and moving towards success. Gilbert drove home his argument that in order to instill behavioral changes, it’s the environment that needs to be cultivated and shaped, by bringing to light insightful testimony to this effect. Setting up a learning community, implementing detailed action plans and focusing on the quality of coaching are all key to making this happen. The workshop encouraged discussion and sharing, with individual and group exercises interspersed between lecture segments.
A separate session invited older SVSEF athletes to delve into their personal and team process and journey. It was intended to expose them to concepts and methods that, if applied, will help them improve as they continue involvement in sport. The series closed on Saturday night with a parent-focused talk, which provided access to research and information on sound athlete development. Gilbert started by asking parents why they put their children in sport – the answers varied from wanting kids to have a sense of sportsmanship and friendship, to hoping they learned about how the body works and moves, to simply wanting them to have fun.
Gilbert pointed out, in support of these answers, that involving kids in sports shouldn’t be thought of as an investment – that the return on investment is in the here and now. Statistics show a surprising drop in numbers of youths in sport; whereas 45% of U.S. kids ages six through 12 played team sports 2008, it has since dropped to 37%. In an industry that is unique from international counterparts (other countries have federal resources that govern sports, and along with that, governing bodies and restrictions), Gilbert encouraged an open mind and a focus on the top reason why kids start athletics in the first place: to have fun.
McNichol, who has worked at a national, elite level as head coach of the U.S. Ski Team, has been to many clinics, conferences and presentations on coaching and sport development. His takeaway from Gilbert’s workshop was that it was by far the most impactful he has attended. “This was not unexpected,” said McNichol, “as I knew something of Dr. Gilbert and his material. However, I had not anticipated so much verification of what works in coaching and team management. Nor did I expect to learn so much about the science that is now confirming and supporting these principles.”
SVSEF is continuously looking to improve the quality of coaching, learning, and experience for its athletes; workshops like this one help the organization to continue moving in that direction.