SVSEF Alumni Chase Josey Sixth in the World at Olympic Snowboard Halfpipe Finals
The stakes were high in the Olympic men’s snowboard halfpipe final, with all four Americans (Chase, Jake Pates, Ben Ferguson and Shaun White), Australian standout Scotty James, 2014 Olympic silver medalist Ayumu Hirano, and a host of other top athletes from around the world vying for gold.
SVSEF alumni Chase Josey, 22, went into the finals in seventh place after qualifiers the day before. In his first qualifying run, he clipped the lip of the halfpipe, had a funny landing and scored a 47.75. Chase made up for that run on his second and final in the qualifier, riding smoothly and moving up from 20th to seventh with a score of 83.75.
After Chase’s first run in the finals on February 14, he sat in third behind Shaun White and Scotty James. A spill on his second run after going big left it all up to the third and final run – he was in fourth after Ayumu Hirano moved into first with a second run score of 95.25. Chase improved upon his initial score of 87.75 with a top score of 88.00, and an amazing sixth place finish overall in the world’s most prestigious event for the sport.
Athletes of the Month: January
SVSEF athletes of the month are selected collectively by program directors, based on successful athletic performance in competition. Sammy Smith, who is a member of both the cross country prep team and the moguls travel team, and Ryder Sarchett, a member of the alpine USSA team, are the athletes of the month for January.
RYDER SARCHETT
Ryder Sarchett, a member of the Alpine USSA Team, has had quite an incredible month. Great results qualified him for the U16 National Performance Series, held at Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont, January 9-12. The NPS series was a qualifying race for the best U16s in the country. Battling a back injury, Ryder was forced to skip one of the races; despite this setback, he was able to come back the next day and compete. A third place in the slalom race and a third in the giant slalom secured his ticket to Europe, representing the U.S. at the Seven Nations Cup (now the OPA Cup).
One of six U.S. male skiers to compete at the OPA Cup, Ryder took tenth in the slalom on February 8, and was the top American finisher. In the giant slalom on February 9, he finished second overall for his first run, but did not complete his second run.
USSA Head Coach Chuck Harris, who accompanied Ryder to the NPS event as well as the OPA Cup in Liechtenstein spoke to Ryder’s motivation. “Ryder has a tremendous drive. He can never ski enough. He is continuously the first one at training and the last one to leave. His time, commitment, and love of the sport is far and above anything I have ever been a part of. He pushes the coaches, he pushes his teammates, and most importantly he pushes himself.
SAMMY SMITH
As a first-year U14, Sammy is currently ranked first for female U14 athletes in the Intermountain Region in cross country skiing. Highlights include a double win at home at the Sun Valley junior national qualifiers, January 22-23.
“Sammy is one of the hardest workers we’ve had on the team,” said Prep Team Head Coach Kelley Sinnott. “Only in the sixth grade but already a leader amongst her peers, even the older boys have to fight to keep up with her on a hard effort training day. The other kids feed off her positive energy and hard work.”
Setting Sammy apart is her keen body awareness – a lot of kids her age have trouble translating words into action. Sammy is able to hear feedback about her technique and make the physical adjustment quickly and seamlessly. Her understanding of technique and body position is very apparent – Sammy has some of the best V2 technique of any skier in the program, boy or girl, through Comp Team.
Also distinctive is Sammy’s eagerness to rise to the challenge – she seems to feed off both her competitive drive and the intensity of the workout. “She flourishes in the tougher moments,” said Sinnott. “Sammy would rather do double pole intervals up the hardest hill than give in or choose an easier path.”
Sammy is as formidable a threat in moguls as she is in cross country. Only 12 years old, she is currently the 15th ranked junior in the country (juniors are 18 and under). Highlights so far this season include winning back-to-back at Squaw Valley and finishing third at Deer Valley on the World Cup course, Champion. Currently at Divisional Championships in Park City, Sammy was the top finisher in her age group (F13) in two moguls events on February 10 and 11, taking eighth overall on the 10th and sixth overall on the 11th. Two U.S. Team athletes were in the field, one of whom just skied in the World Cup at Deer Valley.
Both cross country and mogul coaches appreciate Sammy’s attitude and temperament, on top of her athletic success. “She is one of the kindest, most polite and most modest kids we’ve had – she is thankful for what she has and the work and time her coaches dedicate to her success, and she accepts accolades without fanfare,” noted Sinnott.
With such a packed schedule, Sammy’s high level of maturity and great time management are key. “She always shows up to team on time ready to work, takes full advantage of our training sessions, and always has big smile on her face,” added Josh Zuck, Sammy’s moguls coach.
“Sammy is a great skier, and at such a young age, we can’t wait to see what she is capable of as she grows bigger and gets older,” concluded Sinnott. “I and the other coaches all enjoy coaching her immensely.”
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: January 23
ALPINE
FIS: Snowbasin
FIS athletes competed at Snowbasin Resort in two giant slalom races. These races were GS qualifiers for U.S. Nationals (along with Snowking races, scheduled for February). Top results came from Alli Rathfon, who finished seventh in the first race, and Lily Fitzgerald, who finished seventh the second day. Maddie Ferris was 10th in the first competition. Hayden Terjeson came in 14th on the second day of racing in the men’s category, followed closely by teammates John Blackburn and Spencer Wright in 15th and 16th.
Results
FIS Western Elite: Park City/Snowbird
FIS athletes were at Park City and Snowbird for FIS Western Elite races. The Park City races were changed from GS to slalom and were open FIS races. Snowbird slaloms were U.S. National qualifiers (along with slaloms scheduled at Snowking in February).
Top finishes:
Erin Smith: 11
Lily Fitzgerald: 7
Grace Pepin: 28
Molly Milgard: 27
Elizabeth Vanderkloot: 33
Cailin Chandler, 39
Charlie Lamb: 28
Carter Jendrezak: 36
Noah Leininger: 38
Max Noddings: 33
Matt O’Connor: 31
Jack Smith: 19
John Blackburn: 26
Jake Blackburn: 27
Bennett Snyder: 26
Hayden Terjeson: 23
Results
USSA/IMD: Wes Barron
38 SVSEF athletes competed in the Wes Barron Speed Series, an IMD Open Super G event, at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. SVSEF had great results across the board, in large fields of 85-100 athletes in each event. SVSEF girls came out strong in the super G, with Sage Curtis placing second, Jessica Blackburn eighth and Saba Grossman ninth, for a total of three in the top 10. They again had a good grouping in the second super G, with Marit Kaiser in eighth, Saba Grossman and Sage Curtis tying for ninth, and Jessica Blackburn a few spots behind in 13th. Logan Lindstron and Lola Street both had good races, moving up from bib numbers in the 40s to 20th and 21st. Sage stayed steady all weekend, finishing seventh in the third and final super G and ending the series with three top-10s. Marit was 13th, Saba 16, Jessica 18 and Anhwei Kirk rounded out the top 20 in 20th.
Another athlete found the podium, this time in the men’s race. Ian Hanna finished third in the first super G. Finn Mallinen had a great race, landing in seventh, teammates Josh Blackburn and Nathan Gowe were ninth and 10th, and Ridley Lindstrom finished 12th. Leo Molter was the second U14 finisher in this race, and 29th overall. Finn inched closer to the top in the second race, tying for sixth. There were a couple more ties in this race; Josh Blackburn tied for ninth and Max Moss for 16th. Nathan Gowe had a solid race in 19th. Breaking the top 20 in the third race were Ian Hanna (7th), Finn Mallinen (10th), Josh Blackburn (11th) Ridley Lindstrom (13th) and Nathan Gowe (19th). Colin Hanna, a U14, finished 28th overall and was the second U14 finisher.
Results
IMD: Grand Targhee U14 Speed Project
Seven IMD athletes participated in the Grand Targhee U14 Speed Project, a camp targeted towards developing the education and application of technical and tactical components of a speed course. Now in its third year, the camp is offered to 12-14 year olds in the Intermountain Division. Athletes have access to quality, in-season exposure to specific aspects of a course, complete with video and feedback.
MOGULS
Travel Team: Deer Valley
The Travel Team were in Deer Valley for the Deer Valley Grand Prix. Athletes competed on the World Cup course Champion, in two singles events and one duals moguls event. Leading the team were Luke Rizzo and Sammy Smith, who both made overall podiums, and up-and-comers Toby Rafford and Tillie Babcock, who each rose to second place in their respective age groups.
Mogul Technical Director John Grigsby commented on the event and on the progression he’s seen this season. “I’m extremely proud of our athletes and coaches performance at this past event. Everyone in the west had a difficult start to the season; the lack of snow has made it hard for anyone to build a training venue. Our athletes’ hard work in the preseason really shows.” A special thanks to Sun Valley Company and mountain operations for helping us build a great training venue.
TOP RESULTS
Singles 1/20:
Luke Rizzo 4th overall / 2nd M17
Toby Rafford 2nd M15
Alex Austin 4th M15
Henry Buell 21th (overall)
Erik Babcock 5th M15
Samantha Smith 1st F13
Tillie Babcock 2nd F13
Rainey Wilson 5th F17
Singles 1/21:
Luke Rizzo 1st overall
Toby Rafford 10th overall
Samantha Smith 3rd overall
Duals 1/21:
Luke Rizzo 3rd
Toby Rafford 9th
Photo:
Toby Rafford 2nd place M15
Results
PARK & PIPE
IFSA Big Mtn: #1 & #2 Regionals at Snowbird
IFSA Big Mountain athletes finally had a chance to put all their training this season into practice at Regionals at Snowbird. Head Coach Conor Davis was pleased with his athletes’ foray into competition. “All of the athletes who attended the event at Snowbird this passed weekend surpassed my expectations! I saw sportsmanship amongst our fellow competitors, and we all learned a lot.” Conor was insightful when pointing to areas where there is room for improvement. Athletes are scored on lines, control, technique, fluidity and energy – foregoing hesitation, cranking hard turns, and being strategic with line choice all make a difference. That being said, SVSEF athletes put down solid results for their first taste of IFSA competition. Paris Pratt, Addie Rafford, Molly Kucher and Joe Goitiandia all found the podium throughout the weekend.
Best finishes:
Wilson Dunn: 12 (M15-18)
Hunter Diehl: 9 (M15-18)
Axel Diehl: 32 (M15-18)
Paris Pratt: 2 (W15-18)
Will Price: 25 (M15-18)
Addie Rafford: 1 (W15-18)
Joe Goitiandia: 2 (M12-14)
Molly Kucher: 1 (W15-18)
Esmee Verheijen: 8 (W15-18)
Video of SVSEF athlete runs
January 20 results
January 21 results
Alumni
AlumniSVSEF alumni, Chase Josey, won the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix halfpipe competition at Mammoth on Saturday, January 20. This event was key, as it was the last qualifier for the U.S. Olympic team. Three male athletes had already been confirmed for the team, leaving one discretionary spot. The national event was consolidated as high winds on Thursday prohibited the qualifier from taking place. Instead, both the qualifier and final took place on Saturday. Chase had the highest score from the qualifier, going into the final. In his first of three final runs, Chase threw down a cleanly executed and highly technical run, scoring a 94.50 – this was his winning run. The announcement was made Tuesday, January 23 that Chase officially secured the fourth spot on the U.S. Olympic Snowboard Halfpipe team, meaning he will represent the U.S. in Pyeongchang. Read the official announcement here.
Results
CROSS COUNTRY
Alumni
A number of SVSEF alumni are currently racing on the East Coast college carnival circuit. This past weekend, college teams from the northeast met at Sleepy Hollow in Huntington, Vermont, for the St. Michael’s Winter Carnival; 12 former SVSEF athletes competed, representing Bowdoin, UNH, UVM, Dartmouth, Middlebury and Bates. Day one was a 10k/5k classic, and day two was a 15k/10k freestyle race. Top results came from Peter Wolter, a freshman at Middlebury this year, who took second in the men’s 15k freestyle; Katie Feldman, who was sixth in the women’s 5k classic, and Sam Wood, who finished sixth in the men’s 15k freestyle. Katie and Sam are also Middlebury athletes. The next EISA competition is the UVM Carnival, February 2-3.
Results
Week in Review: January 16
ALPINE
North Series
The North Series team had 27 athletes at Snow King in Jackson, Wyoming, for their first race series with two giant slalom events. For some of the skiers, this was their first race experience. Head Coach Adele Savaria was happy with how all of the athletes approached the weekend. “It was a great first weekend of racing. All of the kids’ hard work over the past month was shown in their races. They also demonstrated great team spirit by taking down each other’s coats and cheering for each other too! It was fantastic to see all of the smiles and to see our athletes have so much fun throughout the weekend.”
In the first giant slalom, SVSEF U12 girls took eight of the top 20 spots. Natalie Gowe finished fourth, Ruby Crist seventh, Taylor Hovey 12, Simone Tumolo 13, Madda Mourier-Floyd 14, Ava Agnew 18, Bridgette Normand 19 and Josie Sarchett 20.
In the second giant slalom, Natalie Gowe was again fourth, Ruby Crist ninth, Taylor Hovey 12, and Scarlet Rixon 20.
SVSEF had two athletes in the men’s U10 class; Jay Blackburn landed a podium in second, and Tommy Hovey was eleventh. In the U12 class for the first giant slalom, Max Meucci was fourth, Will Kogelmann eighth, Drew Kogelmann 14, Sacha Stern-Pre 16 and Jensen Pierre 19 for the top 20.
During the second day of racing, Jay Blackburn was again near the top of the field in third for U10s. Tommy Hovey finished 13. In the U12 class, Tucker Smith topped the podium, followed by teammate Max Meucci in second. Sacha Stern-Pre was 10, Drew Kogelmann 18, Abel Marx 19, Paxton Sammis 20 and Owen Walker 21.
Results
U16 National Performance Series
U16 athletes Ryder Sarchett and Buey Grossman qualified to compete at the National Performance Series (NPS) at Burke Mountain, VT, January 9-12. The series brings together the best U16 athletes from around the country and is invitation-only. As part of the National Development System, athletes are selected based on high-level results over the past season at regional and national events. According to U.S. Ski and Snowboard, which runs the project along with club coaches from across the country, “stimulating long-term growth and preparing athletes for future international competition are the overarching goals.” The top six men and women from this series are invited to represent the U.S. at the Seven Nations Cup in Malbun, Liechtenstein, February 8-9. Based on his performance, Ryder has been selected as one of those six U.S. athletes invited to compete in this year’s Seven Nations Cup.
Ryder started the series off right in third in U16 NPS slalom on January 9, and teammate Buey Grossman finished seventh in the field of 15 finishers. Buey with sixth in the second slalom of the day, and Ryder did not start. In the giant slalom on the tenth, Buey finished 11 and Ryder did not finish. In the second giant slalom the next day, Ryder found the podium again in third, and Buey did not finish.
Results
CROSS COUNTRY
PG/Comp/Prep
From the desk of Rick Kapala, cross country program director:
The SVSEF cross country ski team ventured to West Yellowstone this past weekend for the first of three national qualifier weekends over the next month. Snow conditions were exceptional and the local race organizers did the usual top notch job of hosting. Saturday the format was interval start distance races in classic technique while Sunday was mass start distance races in skate technique. What was unique about the weekend was that the NCAA Rocky Mountain Ski Conference co-hosted the races with USSA Intermountain, so the races featured many of the top collegiate skiers in the U.S. skiing alongside of the junior skiers. It was a great opportunity for our skiers to see the next level, as many of these same collegiate skiers also posted top results at U.S. Nationals recently completed in Anchorage, Alaska.
Highlights from the weekend
Logan Smith and Anja Jensen dominated the girls U16 category by posting two wins for Logan and two silvers for Anja. In addition, Sascha Leidecker made a solid bid in her efforts to qualify for Junior Nationals with a fifth and seventh among IMD juniors.
Sophia Mazzoni posted two podium finishes among IMD juniors in the U18/20’s, while Eve Jensen added a U18/20 IMD bronze. They were joined during the weekend in the IMD top ten by SVSEF juniors Ella Wolter, Kirsys Campbell and Lily Brunelle.
In the U14 girls class, Anja Grover posted two solid wins, while in the U12 girls class Berkley Canfield grabbed the top spot on the podium in her 2.5km classic race.
Among the older boys, Henry Raff led the way for SVSEF U18/20 boys with a fourth in the 10km classic.
Kai Nelson grabbed his first IMD top-ten with an eighth in the 5km mass start skate race.
Snow conditions are currently marginal at Soldier Hollow which is scheduled to host the nxt JNQ on Jan 26, 27 . The IMD will make a determination later in the week as to whether the races will be held as planned or relocated to another venue.
Results
Athlete of the Month: Johnny Hagenbuch and Sydney Palmer-Leger
Our SVSEF Athletes of the Month are Johnny Hagenbuch, 16, and Sydney Palmer-Leger, 15, who are both cross country Comp Team athletes. The two athletes skied to top-five finishes at U.S. Nationals at the beginning of January, resulting in selection to international competition as representatives of the U.S. Johnny and Sydney have demonstrated unwavering dedication to their growth in the sport of cross country skiing, and are keenly aware of the steps and progression necessary for success. This, along with their natural athleticism, are a recipe for success.
“Sydney and Johnny exhibit the same drive and work ethic that is common to top level cross country skiers,” explained Cross Country Program Director Rick Kapala. “They apply themselves to the best of their abilities at practice, whether they are at team training or working out on their own. Both are students of the sport and are constantly trying to figure out ways to improve. Lest one think they are carbon copies, they are not. Johnny is a homegrown guy while Sydney is a new arrival. As such, Johnny is more familiar in our team routines and scene while Syd is starting to settle in as she figures out the lay of the land. Of course, our program is fortunate to have both of them with us as they show what is possible when you throw yourself into the pursuit of excellence.”
At U.S. Nationals, held in early January at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska, both skiers posted top-five results in the junior distance freestyle and sprint freestyle races. This success, in fields boasting the best competitors from across the country, confirmed their selection to the U.S. U18 Nordic Nation Championship team and World Junior Championship team (with the option to attend one of the two events). Sydney was the second U18 finisher (27 overall in a field of 147) in the women’s 10km freestyle on January 3. She secured a win in the women’s junior freestyle sprint on January 5, breezing through qualifiers and three rounds of heats. Johnny, like Sydney, was the second U18 finisher (28 overall) in the men’s 15km freestyle race on January 3. He also made his way through junior sprint heats, finishing fourth overall.
Both athletes have chosen to compete at the Nordic Nations Championship, which consists of a distance, sprint and relay race with the top U18 skiers from across the Scandinavian countries. They will be part of a six male, six female team representing the U.S. Sydney and Johnny leave for Vuokatti, Finland, on January 21 for the series. Their focus when they return to the U.S. will be on the U.S. Junior National Championships, which will be held at Soldier Hollow, Utah, in early March.