Janss Pro-Am Classic 2017: A Recap
If there’s anything this group does well, it’s costumes and celebrating SVSEF. The theme for this year’s 20th annual Janss Pro-Am Classic was “Cartoon Classics,” and participants did not disappoint. The Flintstones made a memorable appearance, rolling in with a footmobile to the show’s intro music. Where was Waldo? An anomaly of the books that had you squinting at the page for minutes, scanning and searching for the man with the striped shirt and hipster glasses, Team Where’s Waldo was everywhere – couldn’t miss ‘em. Had someone crashed the party, attendees would’ve been all set with the vigilante/superhero powers of Sturtevants Superwomen, Batman and Avengers. The list of exceptionally creative teams and costumes goes on; it was a blissful three days of walking and talking among the characters that colored childhoods and still intrigue generations today.
The title sponsor for the second year in a row was Bentley Motors and Tom O’Gara. Guests had the opportunity to test drive the Bentayga, Bentley’s world-class sports utility vehicle.
The three-day event began on Thursday with a cocktail party and pro presentation at Michel’s Christiania, graciously hosted by Carol and Paul Fremont-Smith, Jr. and Michel Rudigoz. The celebration was held in honor of Gary Black Jr., an iconic member of both the local and national alpine skiing community, who supported SVSEF as board member, board president and parent. Gary passed away last month. His wife Heather and friend Steve Porino spoke to Gary’s enthusiasm, passion and positivity that affected so many people in so many ways.
Despite bouts of snow and rain on Thursday, the skies cleared in time for racers to soak up the rays as they sped down the dual slalom course on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1. A total of 20 teams participated in this year’s event.
The final four teams that contended for the Janss Cup were Archie, Beetle Bailey, Lee Gilman/South Park and Thomas the Tank Engine. With Pro Toni Standteiner’s clutch performance, Archie took third place. Thomas the Tank Engine sped to second, and the overall winner of the perpetual Janss trophy was Lee Gilman/South Park, comprised of Kyle Coshow, Tor Jensen, James Fisher, Mike Pfau, Pat Savaria and Wes Powell.
Lee Gilman Most Inspirational racers voted on by participants were Heather Flood Daves, pro athlete for Cat in the Hat, and David Pyle, of the same team. Also determined by popular vote was best costume, also sponsored by Lee Gilman. This year’s runner up was Team Saturday Morning Cartoons, with Liz Brown, Julie West, Paige Lethbridge, Charlotte Gourlay, Tatum Minor and Connor Farrow appropriately donning jammies and cereal boxes throughout the weekend. Taking home the win were the Flintstones, with Andy Cooley, John Jendrezak, Mimi Griswold, Curtis Pepin, Lucy More and Jared Goldberg impressively portraying the Stone Age characters with both accuracy and unbridled confidence.
Best crash went to Laura Blackburn of Fat Albert and Buzzy Yokoyama of Tom and Jerry. Best role player (for living dramatically during the Janss) went to Hailey Duke of Sturtevants Superwomen and Steve Porino of the Jetsons. Fastest recreational racers this year were KJ Savaria with a qualifying time of 21.56, and Teagen Palmer at 22.32. Both are SVSEF alumni. KJ and Teagen were also part of the winning team for the speed cup, along with Carl Rixon, Hunter Storey, Harlan Collins and pro Biche Rudigoz of team Batman. Again, all athletes are SVSEF alums. Avengers placed second and South Park third.
Our gratitude extends to auctioneer Larry Flynn and the band Marmalade Hill for an energy-filled evening at the gala dinner. SVSEF is also very proud of graduating senior Katelyn Rathfon for her terrific speech and Steve Porino for his refreshing insights. As always, announcer Kevin Clarke was on point, as was the race and timing crew of Chelle Gourlay, Baird Gourlay, Brian Ros and Brian Caulkins.
As well, we could not have hosted this event without the generosity of Robert Cimino, who provided the Warm Springs party venue, or the volunteers who lended their time and energy to keep the party going. Special thanks to photographers Kat Cannell, Becky Smith and Glen Allison for capturing the good times, and Spencer Cordovano and Chase Cleveland of Spencer Cordovano Video Production (SCVP) for their beautiful cinematography and editing of our video, “We are SVSEF.”
The Janss is held in honor of Bill Janss, who supported SVSEF for years. His wife Glenn described his impact and vision well; it was important to Bill that “every child had the chance to learn to ski and to benefit from this, knowing that that opportunity would serve them well into their futures with positive attitudes, confidence, and a desire to achieve.” Thank you, to our pros and participants, for gathering in Sun Valley to celebrate and support SVSEF. Thank you to Heather Flood Daves, Mike Hattrup, Bob Legasa, Connor Farrow, Bob LaPoint, Scott McGrew, Mike Gowe, Jonna Mendes, Phil McNichol, Miles Fink-Debray, Dan Herby, David Chodounsky, Biche Rudigoz, Hailey Duke, Drew Merklinghaus, Jared Goldberg, Toni Standteiner, Wes Powell, Jim Slanetz and Zach Crist.
51 years strong, the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation is dedicated to the growth and development of its athletes, ever mindful of its philosophy of Strong Minds, Strong Bodies, Strong Futures.
The immediate and tangible outcomes of these efforts are easy to identify; podiums, gains in strength and technique and significant improvements in results are noteworthy achievements, and surely things to be proud of. What most athletes who graduate from the program seem to most fondly recall, however, are the memories they made with their teammates and friends. It’s the lessons they learned and the characteristics they developed in their experiences with SVSEF that resonate with clarity in their everyday lives. The Janss is an opportunity to celebrate these ideals each year and to keep the momentum going, in hopes that an impact, whether great or small, is made in the lives of the young members of this community.
Thank you one and all for supporting us in our endeavors.
Special thanks go out to our sponsors for the event.
Title sponsor: Bentley Motors and Tom O’Gara
Titanium sponsors: Rixon & Cronin KW Luxury Homes and Columbia
Platinum sponsors: Knob Hill Inn, Lee Gilman Builders, Stan and Kristine Baty, Sun Valley Company, Paul and Carol Fremont Smith, Jr., Michel’s Christiania, Dr. Tom West, Sturtevants and That’s Entertainment
Gold sponsors: Coca Cola and Mountain Khakis
Silver sponsors: Smith Optics, Lutz Rentals, Fits, Pennay’s at River Run, Go Pure, Coal, At Your Place, Beyond Coastal, Hang Em Right, Chums and First Lite
Bronze sponsors: Galena Lodge, Clear Creek Disposal, Mahoney’s Bar & Grill, Davis Embroidery, SQN Sport, Starbucks, Patron, DRinc and Brass Ranch
Contributors: Atkinsons’, Bigwood Bread, Neecy’s, Perry’s, Power Engineers, Sushi on Second, Lost River Outfitters, Watkins Distributing, Wrapcity, Zenergy, Sysco, Despo’s, the Pioneer Saloon, Liz Brown, Tabasco, The Cellar and Knob Hill Grill
The Week in Review: 4/4/17
FREESTYLE
SVSEF athletes competed at U.S. Freestyle Championships in Steamboat Springs, CO, March 30-April 1. Athletes took to the course on Voodoo, with moguls qualifications on March 30 and 31, finals on March 31, and dual moguls on April 1. SVSEF had some topnotch results in fields representing the best talent in the country. Field sizes were 50 and over, and ages ranged from 14 to 29.
Eliza Marks was SVSEF’s top female finisher in the moguls competition, ending up 41st overall. Katie Markthaler was right behind in 42nd, Esmee Verheijen 49th and Rainey Wilson 51st. Two SVSEF athletes broke the top 20 in the men’s competition; Holden Largay, who has had an exceptionally strong season, finished 13th overall. Teammate Luke Rizzo stepped it up and finished 20th, and Wilson Dunn was 37th; all solid results in a field of 60 athletes.
In duals, Eliza Marks moved into the round of 32 and finished 24th overall. Rainey Wilson, Esmee Verheijen and Katie Markthaler did not finish. Wilson Dunn ended the weekend of competition with an impressive 18th place finish in duals. Holden Largay was 22nd overall. Luke Rizzo moved into the round of 32, but crashed halfway through his run, putting him in 31st.
Full results here
SNOWBOARDING
SVSEF snowboarders headed to Copper Mountain Resort for USASA Nationals; in that group, veterans like Payton Bacca made the return to the yearly event, alongside some fresh faces who are just starting to get the feel for national-level competition. Nearly 2,000 athletes are in attendance, representing all 32 regional series. SVSEF is part of the third largest series in the country, and the quality of riders that are making an appearance at nationals is being noticed.
SVSEF athletes are doing well across the board, scattered as they are throughout various disciplines. There have been a number of top 10s, lots of kids landing runs, working really hard, and learning from the experience.
Competition began April 2 and continues through April 6. Maddie Hothem rode to 12th place in the halfpipe Breaker Girls (12-13) category, in a field of 26. Zoe Bacca finished 14th in the same age class. Olive Gilbert secured 23rd in the halfpipe in her Menehune (10-11) age class. Jack Verhaeghe finished 13th in Menehune (10-11) boardercross, and Caleb Hothem was 30th in the field of 63. Nico Lerner finished 17th in Grommet (8-9) boys in the halfpipe.
Payton Bacca, who is competing in the NorAm class against top-level U.S. and international athletes, rode to the boardercross small final, finishing eighth overall. Phebe Ericksen had a big result, grabbing a second place finish in the halfpipe Junior Women (16-17) age bracket in a field of 14. Coach Andy Gilbert observed that “it’s been a long time coming for Phebe – it was really cool to see someone with such a great attitude and work ethic be so successful. She had great amplitude on her air, and she’s been pushing really hard to learn some new tricks at the end of the season; it has certainly paid off.”
Competition continues tomorrow with slopestyle and halfpipe.
Full results here
CROSS COUNTRY
Gold Team
The Cross Country Gold Team finished out their season up in Fairbanks, Alaska, at the SuperTour Finals. Following the skiathlon, athletes competed in a skate sprint on March 29. Matt Gelso made it to semifinals and ended up seventh overall. Cole Morgan made heats and finished 30th overall. In the women’s race, all SVSEF Gold Team women advanced to heats. Kelsey Phinney advanced to the finals and had a strong finish in fifth. Annie Pokorny skied to 14th overall, while Mary Rose was 23rd and Deedra Irwin 25th.
A mixed 4x5km relay followed sprints; SVSEF’s team of Annie Pokorny, Matt Gelso, Kelsey Phinney and Cole Morgan finished sixth overall in a field of 24 teams.
The final event of the week was a mass start skate race, with distances of 50 and 30 kilometers for men and women. Rogan Brown was the top SVSEF male finisher in 13th. He was followed by Cole Morgan in 22nd and Jack Hegman in 36th. Matt Gelso did not start. Mary Rose was the top SVSEF female finisher, just missing the top 10 in 11th. Annie Pokorny wasn’t far behind in 14th and Deedra Irwin finished 22nd. Kelsey Phinney did not start.
Full results here
ALPINE
FIS
FIS athletes are in the midst of competition at Mammoth, fresh off of strong results at Nationals. Athletes have completed one giant slalom and one slalom event; they continue with one more giant slalom and slalom and two super G races.
John Blackburn and Yuri McClure broke the top 10 in the first giant slalom, finishing sixth and ninth. Both athletes again made the cut in the second GS, going seventh and tenth. Filippo Collini was just out of the top 10 in 11th. SVSEF had a nice string of finishes in the top 20 as well, with Spencer Wright, Will Snyder and Max Noddings going 15-16-17. Haley Cutler was fifth in the women’s first slalom and ninth in the second. Teammate Erin Smith finished eighth in the second slalom.
Results here
USSA
Qualified SVSEF athletes competed at U16 Nationals at Sugarloaf in Maine, March 31-April 3. Athletes competed in super G, slalom and giant slalom. A giant slalom scheduled for April 4 was cancelled.
A highlight of the event was Alli Rathfon’s third place overall title, following a seventh place finish in the super G and a spot on the podium in second in the giant slalom. Ryder Sarchett also had standout results in his age class, taking first for U14s in the super G and slalom, and second in the giant slalom.
Lily Fitzgerald’s top finish was fourth place in the giant slalom, and Maddie Ferris’ best result was in the slalom in 22nd.
In the slalom, Bennett Snyder narrowly missed the podium in fourth. Jack Smith had a stellar race and finished 10th. Ryder Sarchett had his best result of the week, finishing 19th, as did Wyatt Barth in 24th. Jack Smith’s best came in the super G, where he finished fourth overall.
Super G - Women
Super G - Men
Slalom - Women
Slalom - Men
Giant Slalom - Women
Giant Slalom - Men
All disciplines
The Gary Black Jr. Memorial, formerly known as the Hobson Memorial, took place on Sunday, April 2 and invited SVSEF of all disciplines to compete in a dual style slalom and end the day with a BBQ and awards. Athletes came decked out in costumes of all sorts; fitting for an end-of-the-season celebration under bluebird skies.
Jessica Blackburn and Ben Goitiandia were the overall winners for the day. Tommy Normand received the 2017 Cheeso Mountain Kidd Award. Full results can be found here.
David Concannon took more than 700 photos of the event and is willing to share with parents and friends of SVSEF. Please feel free to reach out to him at david@explorerconsulting.com to see if he captured your son or daughter at the Gary Black Jr. Memorial.
Full results forthcoming.
SVSEF FIS Skiers, Alums Make Their Mark at U.S. Nationals
Nine current and former SVSEF athletes made the cut to compete at U.S. Alpine Nationals, held at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine, March 25-28. This is the most that have qualified for national championships since the early 90s. Athletes competed across super G, slalom and giant slalom events. As stated by USSA, "the U.S. Championships are a vital part of the USSA's national development program, pitting top club athletes from regional teams around America against U.S. Ski Team veterans from the Audi FIS Ski World Cup tour." The newly instated U19 and U21 Junior National Championships followed right on the heels of Nationals, March 29-30.
RESULTS:
3/25: Super G
Haley Cutler – 10th
Skylar Cooley – 18th
Kipling Weisel (alum/Gold athlete) – 5th
Tanner Farrow (alum) – 23rd
John Blackburn – 45th
Yuri McClure – 48th
3/26: Slalom
Cutler – 40
Cooley – DNF 1st run
Will Snyder (alum) – 29th
McClure – DNF 1st run
Blackburn – DNF 1st
Weisel – DNF 2nd run
Farrow – DNF 2nd run
3/27: Women’s Giant Slalom
Cutler – 9th
Cooley – DNF 1st run
3/28: Men’s Giant Slalom
Weisel – 10th
McClure – DNF 1st run
Blackburn – DNF 1st run
Snyder – DNF 1st run
Farrow – DNS 2nd run
3/29: U.S. Junior Nationals Giant Slalom
Cutler – 5th
Cooley – 24th
Blackburn – DNF
McClure – 39th
The Week in Review: 3/28/17
CROSS COUNTRY
Gold, PG and Comp Teams
SVSEF athletes wrapped up racing at Canadian Nationals in Canmore, Alberta. In the senior classic sprints on March 22, Gold Team skiers Deedra Irwin and Mary Rose and Annie Pokorny all made the B final for senior women, and finished seventh, eighth and tenth overall. Laura Anderson was the top U.S. junior finisher, ending up in 13th. In the U16/U18 classic sprints the next day, Katherine Estep made the B final and finished eighth overall, second in the B final.
Full results here
Gold Team
The Gold Team is currently in Fairbanks, Alaska for SuperTour Finals; this event features a week of racing, with fields comprised of the top U.S. skiers, to round out the season. The first race of the week was a 22.5km skiathlon on Monday, March 27. Competitors switched from classic to skate halfway through the race at the 11.25km mark. SVSEF’s top finisher was Matt Gelso, who is coming off races at World Cup Championships, held in Quebec City. Matt finished 12th in a field of 44. Teammate Cole Morgan, who also competed at World Cup Champs, finished 15th; a good result for an athlete who is traditionally sprint-focused. Rogan Brown was 19th. The women’s race was a 7.5km classic/7.5km skate – 15km overall. Kelsey Phinney was 13th, Mary Rose 15th, Annie Pokorny 16th and Deedra Irwin 20th. The next event is a skate sprint on Wednesday.
Full results here
ALPINE
FIS
SVSEF had the opportunity to host a FIS Open series, drawing collegiate and top-level athletes to the valley for four days of racing. The first two days featured giant slalom races on Upper Greyhawk, Hemingway and Greyhawk, and the final two days featured slalom races on Hemingway and Greyhawk.
Ella Pepin had a strong, consistent weekend of racing, landing 14th in the first ladies’ slalom, 13th in the second, 20th in the first giant slalom and 22nd in the second. Erin Smith finished 10th in both giant slalom events.
Filippo Collini posted a top-20 result in the men’s first slalom with a 15th place finish. Charlie Lamb showed versatility with two 17th places, one in the slalom and another in the giant slalom.
A National Junior slalom race was held on Monday; Erin Smith and Ella Pepin made the podium in second and third, and Ruby Marden finished eighth. Filippo Collini led the SVSEF men in sixth; Hayden Terjeson was 13th.
Full results here
Cheeso Day
SVSEF Alpine skiers celebrated the memory of Craig “Cheeso” Kjesbo with a day of skiing the bowls on Saturday. A yearly tradition, Cheeso Day is held in honor of Kjesbo, a former SVSEF coach. Program Director Scott McGrew explained why the athletes take time each year for this special day. “Cheeso embodied everything this organization is about: passion for the mountains, unflappable determination to make the most out of every day, and a profound dedication to the kids of this community.”
IMD
The IMD ALpine Team traveled to Snowbird for the Tri Divisional Championships, March 23-25. Competition included Intermountain, Northern, and Alaska Divisions. Despite tough weather conditions, SVSEF found a way to fight through. Notably, SVSEF placed four out of the top five U14 men in the slalom; Ben Goitiandia, Leo Molter, Skye Leininger and Nils Galloway dominated the event.
U16’s:
Sage Curtis – 5th GS, 2nd SG, 1st SL
Shaw Dean – 7th in SL
U14’s:
Hannah Ferris – 5th in GS, 14th in SG, 1st in SL (was third overall for both U14 and U16)
Logan Lindstrom – 8th GS, 3rd SL
Tatum Minor – 9th GS, 6th SL
Lily Dean – 3rd in SG
Lola Street – 13th in SL
Laci Jermunson – 13th SG
Ben Goitiandia – 4th GS, 5th SG, 1st in SL. (4th overall for both U14 and U16)
Jett Carruth – 9th GS, 7th SG.
Leo Molter – 14th SG, 3rd SL
Nils Galloway – 12th SG, 5th SL
Colin Hanna – 6th in SG
Skye Leininger – 4th in SL
Shaw McCoubrey – 9th in SL
Full results here
FREESTYLE
SVSEF junior freestyle athletes ended their season with the Future Freestylers Mogul Competition on Sunday, March 26. Freestyle & Freeski Prep & Devo Team Manager Jennifer Diehl observed that the kids “showed courage, showed grit, showed sportsmanship and showed us everything they have worked on all season long! This is our amazing future team of freestylers and freeskiers.”
Future Freestylers photos
FREESKI
Hanna Blackwell traveled to Crans Montana, Switzerland, for the FIS Junior World Ski Championships. Hanna competed in the ladies’ halfpipe; in a tough field and tough conditions (due to weather, they only had one run), she finished eighth. This was great exposure to the world of travel for competition.
Full results here
Ethan Marx and his younger brother Abel took on their first Big Mountain competition at Summit at Snoqualmie Alpental, which saw nearly 90 athletes, mostly from the Pacific Northwest, charging down the Chair 2 (Edelweiss Chair) line. Although this was the Marx brothers’ first exposure to a Big Mountain event, you wouldn’t know it; Ethan won his U14 age group, beating 23 other competitors. Abel finished second in his U12 category, in a field of 19.
Full results here
The Week in Review: 3/21/17
I AM SVSEF
“I am SVSEF” is an opportunity each week to highlight our athletes for demonstrating the core values of the organization.
Sportsmanship • Citizenship • Character • Teamwork • Creativity • Passion • Perseverance
ALPINE: The I am SVSEF athlete for this week is Ryder Sarchett, a skier on the Alpine IMD Team. Ryder won two out three races at Alpine Meadows last weekend, in the super G and slalom, representing SVSEF at the Western Region U14 Championships. This helped him earn a bid to U16 Nationals the week after next at Sugarloaf, ME. Coach James Tautkus explained how Ryder has demonstrated the SVSEF core values. “Aside from Ryder’s success as an athlete, he is a great teammate to his peers and leads by example. Very few athletes display the desire and determination Ryder Sarchett does. He skis more than most. He watches video more than most. He eats, sleeps and breathes ski racing. To be cool in ski racing you don’t have to be good, ya just gotta love it. Ryder demonstrates both of these characteristics.”
CROSS COUNTRY: From Comp Team Head Coach Ashley Knox:
Kiran Merchant is absolutely wonderful to have as a part of any group. Kiran is fun, generous, welcoming, and incredibly smart. On the ski trails and in the gym, he is a hard worker and will dedicate himself to whatever task he has set for himself. ‘Dirty Merch,’ as we all lovingly know him, has an amazing sense of humor and a quick wit to go with it. He excels in school and brings such a refreshing perspective to this crazy sport we do. He loves training and skiing and from what I can tell, everything it brings with it; good friendships, lifelong fitness, and an appreciation for where we live. We will miss Kiran next year as he takes on his next chapter of adventures at Brown University.
FREESTYLE: Sawyer Vogel is a skier on the Freestyle Prep Team. Said Freestyle/Freeskiing Prep & Devo Team Manager Jennifer Diehl, “Sawyer is tough, witty and willing to try anything. She is a natural athlete but also works hard to succeed. Her mogul skiing has progressed tenfold this season, and her confidence and technique with her tricks and airs really shines. Skiing with Sawyer makes her coaches feel successful because she listens and works hard on the drills and technique that is being presented to her, then she shows pure joy when she applies what she has learned to her skiing. Sawyer is a magnetic teammate and encourages those around her to jump in and enjoy the day. Keep it up, Sawyer!”
PARK & PIPE: Emma Schmillen, a snowboarder for SVSEF, is this week’s I am SVSEF athlete. Snowboard Team Manager Pat Lee noted that, “Emma entered our program late, after coming to the ‘ride with the team day.’ She had a great time and decided to join the squad. We have all seen progression in her riding on all aspects of the slopes. She is very coachable and has shaken off the timidness we saw when she first entered the program.”
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: 3/21/17
FREESTYLE/FREESKIING
SVSEF hosted the USSA Freestyle & Freeskiing Junior Nationals at Sun Valley, March 16-19. SVSEF Athletic Director Phil McNichol reflected on the weekend. “The 2017 USSA Freestyle & Freeskiing Jr. Nationals was a tremendous success. It truly was a St Patrick’s on our side with regards to good luck with the weather. All events went smoothly and the competitors, coaches, officials and families left Sun Valley with the memories of a world-class event experience. We once again congratulate the winners and all the athletes for sharing their talents, efforts and gracious attitudes with our community.”
Representing SVSEF in slopestyle were Will Griffith, Ryan Dobi, Ridge Dirksmeier, Harper Mallet and Ben Fethke. SVSEF athletes who competed in big air were Will Griffith, Joey Markthaler and Ridge Dirksmeier. Will Griffith’s big air trick was a rodeo 720 Japan. Joey Markthaler threw a cork 900 safety and Ridge Dirksmeier went with a Rodeo 540 bow arrow. All of the tricks were performed with style and perfect execution.
SVSEF halfpipe were athletes Joey Markthaler, Harper Mallet, Ben Fethke, Ridge Dirksmeier, Charlie Price, Lachlan McFarland, Liesel Byres and Hanna Blackwell. Unfortunately, Harper had to pull out of the competition because of injury, which occurred during training. Head Freeski Coach Tyler Conway commended the athlete. “Harper has been training so hard for the competition this week and it is unfortunate that he didn’t get to compete.” Teammates Ridge and Lachlan went out and destroyed the halfpipe – Ridge finished first and Lachlan third in their age class. Ben was second in his age class, while Hanna Blackwell was first in his age class and fourth overall.
Sammy Smith was SVSEF’s top female finisher in the moguls event on Thursday, March 16, ending up in 20th in a field of 71. In the men’s moguls finals on Friday, Holden Largay narrowly missed the podium in a field of 78, finishing fourth overall and third in his M19 age group. Luke Rizzo performed well, ending with an impressive 12th place finish. Brody Buchwalter made the top 30 in 28th.
CROSS COUNTRY
Gold Team
World Cup Championships, Quebec City
From Head Coach Chris Mallory:
This past weekend the SVSEF XC Gold Team had three racers competing in the World Cup Finals as part of the US Nations group quota. They were some valuable starts and learning experiences for the guys, and the event and city park setting couldn’t have been better. The city received close to two feet of snow a couple days prior to racing which made for unbelievably good conditions once it set up and mixed in with the manmade base.The sun came out and over ten thousand North American fans packed the venue each day, which featured a rolling 3.5 km loop.
Each of the guys were able to put together a solid race over the three day mini tour. Cole Morgan started things off with a 34th in the skate sprint, narrowly missing the rounds. Matt Gelso had a great classic 15km mass start which went out hard right from the gun, taking 37th. Jack Hegman finished the weekend with an encouraging 15km skate pursuit with the 50th place time on the day.
Full results here
Gold Team, PG Team, Comp Team
A group of SVSEF Cross Country athletes is currently racing in Canmore for Canadian Nationals; many of the top Canadian skiers are in the mix, fresh in from World Cup finals, which just took place in Quebec. Competition got underway on Sunday, with Deedra Irwin taking the final podium spot in a field of 68. The women’s Gold Team placed 3rd-6th in the opening 5km Skate race.
Athletes representing SVSEF range from Comp Team skiers to PGs, guests and Gold Team racers. Head Post Grad Coach Tom Smith noted that the event today featured “ warm spring conditions, making for stellar klister skiing for the interval start classic races on brutally tough World Cup courses.”
In the senior women/overall 10km race on March 21, Gold Team skier Mary Rose took a spot on the podium in second. Teammate Annie Pokorny finished ninth, and Deedra Irwin 11th. In the U16 men’s 7.5km race, Bentley Walker-Broose finished 34th in a field of 100. Katherine Estep had a strong finish, with a top-20 result in 14th in the U16 women’s 5km. PG skier Laura Anderson was 17th in the U20 10km, Bjorn Schou was 14th in the U20 men’s 15km and Carter Ros was 33rd. Gold Team skier Rogan Brown finished 14th in the senior men’s/overall 15km race. The athletes have two more races to go, with senior and U20 classic sprints tomorrow, and U16/U18 classic sprints on Thursday.
Full results here
The season wraps up in Fairbanks for US Super Tour Finals.
Alumni
SVSEF alumni Jake Adicoff continued racing at the international level, with another race in PyeongChang, South Korea, before moving on to Japan for the Para World Cup finals. In the men’s 10km classic race in PyeongChang on March 15, Jake finished in third in the visually-impaired class, guided by Sawyer Kesselheim. In Sapporo, Jake continued his streak of podiums, with a silver medal in the 10km in a field of 10 competitors on March 18 and a win in the 5km.
Sapporo 5km
Sapporo 10km
ALPINE
North Series
North Series athletes traveled to Park City for Intermountain Championships, March 17-19. The series featured a slalom, giant slalom and duals. Paige DeHart ended up second overall in giant slalom and took the overall win in the ladies’ slalom. Maya Lightner was fifth overall in giant slalom, and stepped onto the podium with Paige in second for slalom. In U12 duals, Maya took the win. Reece Walther-Porino made a move from bib 62 to 10th in the giant slalom; similarly, Charlotte Davis-Jeffers went from bib 56 to 11th place in the slalom. In the men’s competition, three SVSEF athletes broke the top 10 in the giant slalom overall; Cole Curci was fourth, Max Meucci fifth, and Tucker Smith eighth. In the slalom, Tucker Smith finished on the podium in second for his U10 age group; Cole was 10th for U12s.
Full results here
IMD
IMD skiers were at Alpine Meadows in California March 17-19 for the Western Region U14 Championships, where athletes competed in fields of 40-50 of the top Western Region competitors. Marit Kaiser repeatedly broke the top five, with a fourth place finish in the super G, a second place in the giant slalom and another fourth place in the slalom. Teammate Jessica Blackburn was also consistent, finishing 12th in the super G and 10th in the giant slalom. Marit Kaiser had a standout result in the slalom, ending up in fourth; teammate Saba Grossman was just behind in fifth. Anhwei Kirk was 11th in the same race.
Ryder Sarchett took a win on the first day of competition for the men in the super G. Josh Blackburn finished fifth. Nathan Gowe was third in the giant slalom; Josh Blackburn again finished in the top 10 in ninth. On the final day of competition, Ryder Sarchett was again victorious in the slalom. Axel Hattrup had a standout performance, moving up from 51st to finish 11th.
Full results here
IMD athletes were also at IMD Finals at Snowbasin, March 18-19. There were slalom and giant slalom events. In the women’s giant slalom, Dakota Barth was SVSEF’s top finisher in third, followed by Lena Nelson in fifth. Three other athletes were in the top 10, with Mattigan Monschke in seventh, Tanner Lee in ninth and Maile Dorland in 10th. In the men’s U14 category, Russell Stumph was ninth. In the slalom, Maile Dorland had a great race, ending up in second in the ladies’ event. Dakota Barth was fourth and Anabel Viesturs fifth.
Full results here
USSA
SVSEF athletes went big at the Western Region U16 Championships in Big Sky, Montana. SVSEF pulled a win in every men’s race and one women’s. Jack Harris topped the podium twice, in the giant slalom and the super G. Bennett Snyder won the slalom by over a second. Wyatt Barth finished second in the giant slalom. Alli Rathfon claimed victory in the super G, while Lily Fitzgerald ended second in the giant slalom.
U16 results forthcoming.
Seven SVSEF racers have qualified for U16 Nationals at Sugarloaf, including U14 athlete Ryder Sarchett. The team leaves Sunday.
FIS
FIS athletes rounded out a week of competition at Schweitzer with a slalom event on March 14. Haley Cutler took the win for the women’s race. Ella Pepin broke the top ten in eighth, and Molly Milgard narrowly missed the grouping, finishing 11th.
Filippo Collini likewise took the win in the men’s race; this was his first overall FIS victory. Teammate Spencer Wright was 11th.
Haley Cutler and Erin Smith ended up first and second overall for women in the series. It was a good week of racing, with many age class and overall podiums over the course of the week.
SVSEF athletes return to their home turf here in Sun Valley for FIS races, which begin on Thursday.
Full results here
2017 USSA Freestyle & Freeskiing Jr. Nationals – Results
Thursday, March 16
Saturday, March 18
Big Air Heat 1
Big Air Heat 2
Big Air Heat 3
Big Air Finals
Big Air (by age group)
Sunday, March 20
Dual moguls round 1
Dual moguls round 2
Dual moguls round 3
Dual moguls round 5
Dual moguls (finals)
Halfpipe (finals)
Women's halfpipe
Men's halfpipe
The Week in Review: 3/14/17
I AM SVSEF
“I am SVSEF” is an opportunity each week to highlight our athletes for demonstrating the core values of the organization.
Sportsmanship • Citizenship • Character • Teamwork • Creativity • Passion • Perseverance
CROSS COUNTRY: From Prep Team Head Coach, Kelley Sinnott:
This week’s I am SVSEF athlete for cross country is Prep Team skier Sebi Radl-Jones. Sebi has been a member of the cross country team since he was old enough to join, and from the moment forward has been an ever-positive, enthusiastic force. This season Sebi has grown into not only a positive team member, but a strong leader on the cross country prep team. He demonstrates all of the core values of the svsef and consequently has a great effect on all those around him.
- Sportsmanship Sebi is a cheerleader for all of his teammates on the race course or in hard workouts. No matter how he is feeling, he is always encouraging those around him.
- Citizenship Sebi is the first person to say thank you or offer to help a teammate or coach – he can be counted on both on and off the ski trails.
- Character Sebi is supportive and positive but also well-rounded and grounded; he is strong when he needs to be, but also compassionate and thoughtful. Sebi stands up for his teammates and is dependable.
- Teamwork In an individual sport it can be hard to find the team unity, but it is an important part of a skier’s success. Sebi seems to have realized this at a young age and is always encouraging his teammates, pushing them harder while still cheering for them.
- Creativity Sebi seems to see the beauty in skiing.
- Passion While he does balance school work and the cross country team, it is also very apparent that skiing is Sebi’s true passion. He has a true love for the sport, and his energy and passion for it rubs off on others.
- Perseverance This is a tough sport – it is tough training, tough racing, tough physically and it is tough mentally – yet somehow Sebi’s passion for it never wanes. One of the hardest concepts to grasp in ski racing is that no matter how hard you train and work, sometimes races don’t go your way. The only answer is to push on and keep working; to persevere and keep trying. Sebi might not have his most successful competitive season, but it hasn’t ever affected his hard work and positive mental attitude. He continues to work, to push his teammates and himself and to do so with positivity, passion and more enthusiasm than most people we know.
FREESTYLE: From Jennifer Diehl, freestyle/freeskiing prep and devo team manager:
For this week, Freestyle’s I am SVSEF athlete is Zeppelin Pilaro, who skis on the Freestyle/Freeski Prep Team. Zeppelin possesses a carefree yet passionate approach to everything he does on ski team. He is kind to his teammates, respectful of his coaches, embraces challenges with ease and looks at competition as just another fun experience. His progression in the air and on the snow have come so far this year and all the coaches see great potential in this young, quiet yet dynamic soul. Cheers to you, Zeppelin!
PARK & PIPE: The Park & Pipe athlete this week is freeskier Luke Higgins. According to coach Tyler Conway, “he has been sitting back, keeping it mild and waiting for the right time to ramp up his progression. With the warm weather, slushy snow and sunshine, Luke pushed himself to a new degree and took his skiing to a higher level, with bigger jumps and bigger spins. Great job and way to keep the stoke alive!”
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: 3/14/17
FREESKIING
Hanna Blackwell, a skier on the Freeski Travel Team, has qualified for the FIS Halfpipe Junior World Championships this year. The event will be held in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, from March 24-26. This is a unique and exciting opportunity for Hanna to get some international experience under her belt. The athlete has been working hard in the pipe this year, and has taken advantage of opportunities to travel regionally throughout the season; this marks a major step up in that regard.
ALPINE
FIS
FIS athletes have been competing at Schweitzer Mountain, in fields of 75-90 competitors. SVSEF women started off strong and stayed consistent throughout the week: Haley Cutler took a big win in the giant slalom on March 9, with Erin Smith right behind in second. Four out of the top 10 spots went to SVSEF; Katelyn Rathfon finished eighth, and Skylar Cooley was ninth. Haley kept up the momentum in the following women’s events; she was second in the slalom on March 10, and won another giant slalom race on March 12. In that race, SVSEF again took a number of top spots; Erin Smith finished second, Skylar Cooley seventh and Katelyn Rathfon eighth. On the men’s side of competition, SVSEF showed depth, with different athletes breaking the top ten in each event. Hayden Terjeson was sixth in the men’s super G on March 9, and Spencer Wright was ninth. In the slalom March 10, Filippo Collini and Duncan Fuller went nine-ten. March 11 was another super G, and this go-round it was John Blackburn in fifth and Yuri McClure in ninth. The giant slalom on March 13 saw Duncan Fuller in sixth, and teammates Spencer Wright in 12th and Cooper Dart in an impressive 14th.
Full results
CROSS COUNTRY
Comp/PG Teams
Thirteen SVSEF athletes competed at Junior Nationals in Lake Placid, New York, representing the Intermountain Division. Sarah Goble, a PG skier, raced for the Great Lakes Division, and Bentley Walker-Broose, an Australian skier who has been training with SVSEF, raced as a guest.
According to Program Director Rick Kapala, who coached the IMD team for the week-long event, this was one of SVSEF’s better Junior Nationals in recent years. The team had a number of different kids skiing to the top of their race classes. Said Kapala, “we were fortunate that our athletes stayed relatively healthy this season. The last few weeks of preparation were pretty good; we weren’t struggling with illness, and were able to execute workouts.” This meant that the team was able to arrive at Lake Placid with maximum potential to secure good results. It was also beneficial that some of the athletes have been to JNs in the past, so they knew what to expect, and that this group trains consistently at altitude, which helped the skiers get up and over the hills that were featured on the challenging 2.5km course. All courses were moved to the backup site of the Olympic Jumping Complex from Mt. Van Hoevenberg, due to lack of snow. By the end of it all, they’d seen a little bit of everything weather-wise, from moderate temperatures, to t-shirt and klister weather for the classic sprint, to -6 degrees with 20mph winds on the last day of competition with team sprints.
The kids had a decent first day of racing with the distance skate on Monday. Johnny Hagenbuch took home silver in the U16 men’s division. Kapala felt like the group really warmed to the challenge for the following competition and the rest of the week, with solid results across the board in the classic distance and the relay.
Johnny continued his week of strong finishes on Wednesday, making it to the U16 final heat in the classic sprint, and finishing fourth. He won the classic 5km distance race on Friday, and was on the winning relay team for his age class on Saturday. Anja Jensen made the final B heat for U16 women, and finished second in that heat and eighth overall. In his final individual race, Peter Wolter was second in the U20 men’s 15km race. Teammate Eli Jensen finished sixth in the same race. Peter and Eli were on the third-placing relay team on Saturday, and Ella Wolter and Anja Jensen were together on the fifth-placing relay team for U16 girls.
As a club, SVSEF ended the week third in the country. IMD was second in divisional standings. Kapala noted the importance of this. “It means that the standard of competition in our conference is quite high, which is important in our efforts to help our kids elevate their skiing. If the athletes our kids are racing against divisionally are good, they have an appropriate challenge around them. It’s important and encouraging to know this, as it gives our younger athletes the ability to come to the conclusion that there’s no reason we can’t build on the success of this year, and keep the momentum going for next year. They’re still growing and getting stronger, and this gives us something to work towards.”
Full results here
Comp/Prep Teams
From Prep Team Head Coach, Kelley Sinnott:
The SVSEF Cross Country Team travelled to Bend, Oregon this past weekend to compete in the Cascade Crest Marathon at Mt.Bachelor. Skiers from both the Comp Team and Prep Progresssion team raced three different distances, on what ended up being a warm yet wet, snowy day on the Bachelor trails. Landon Paschall and Cooper Roquet competed in the 25km race and Taylor Dorland in the beginner 10km race, while the rest of the skiers entered the 12.5km x four person 50km relay category. Teams were: Team “Kelley Rocks”; Fisher Gardner, Logan Smith, Luci Ludwig and Blake DeHart, Team “Sioux City Sasparilla”; Chloe Tanous, Jenna Nurge, Kirsys Campbell, and JHSC coach Tamsen Kaylor, Team “You’ve Probably Heard Of Us”; Kate Horowitz, Tia Vontver, Kiran Merchant and SV coach Ashley Knox.
The fast skis paid off for the Sun Valley crew, which notched a good set of podiums:
Cooper Roquet was third overall in the 25km and first in his U18 men’s age class, while Landon Paschall was second in the U18 men’s age class. Taylor Dorland finished first in the women’s category and second overall in the 10km individual race. In the relay category, “Sioux City Sasparilla” was first in the women’s division, Team “Kelley Rocks” was first in the mixed division and Team “You’ve Probably Heard of Us” was third in the mixed division.
Full results here
Gold Team
Cole Morgan, Jack Hegman and Matt Gelso are off to Quebec City for World Cup Finals, March 17-19. Deedra Irwin traveled back home to the Midwest, and won the Great Bear Chase 50km skiathlon in Calumet, Michigan; the event had a field of 20 women, and featured both classic and skate technique.
Full results here
SVSEF Hires Cynthia Knight as Director of Development
The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation is pleased to announce that Cynthia Knight will be joining the SVSEF team as Director of Development, effective March 20. As it moves into the future with an eye on elevating each athlete’s experience, SVSEF needs to continue working towards programmatic improvements and venue upgrades. With Cynthia’s professional experience and depth of fundraising knowledge, the organization looks forward to making these goals a reality.
A graduate of Boston University and Golden Gate University School of Law, Cynthia has since garnered extensive fundraising proficiency, including an understanding of contractual complexities and estate giving. She comes to SVSEF with over 25 years of experience in educational, legal and business sectors; her roles have taken her across the country, as well as locally in the Wood River Valley. She was most recently a Major Gifts Officer at the Madeira School in McLean, Virginia, and has served in our community as president and board member of the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley and as a committee member on the City of Sun Valley’s Comprehensive Land Committee.
Cynthia has a deep understanding of the importance of snowsports within the community, having lived and raised her four children in the Wood River Valley. This appreciation for the unique culture of the valley is reflected in her comments when accepting the position: “the SVSEF mission spoke to what I believe in. I want to work with people who embrace the development of the whole child through snowsports. My family calls Sun Valley ‘home’ and all my children learned to ski at Sun Valley as youngsters and subsequently worked in the community. So, what could be a better fit than returning ‘home’ and working in a positive environment for something I truly believe in.”
Cynthia’s work with the organization will directly support over 675 athletes, ranging from second graders to high school graduates, as well as 22 full-time and 112 seasonal staff. All those involved with SVSEF support the organization’s mission of providing exceptional snowsport programs for the youth of the Wood River Valley, and Cynthia looks forward to becoming part of the team.
Executive Director Sam Adicoff spoke to the professionalism, energy and compatibility that the new Director of Development adds to SVSEF. “Cynthia brings a unique skill set to our organization: extensive professional fundraising and development experience, a passion for winter sports shared by her entire family, and strong ties to the Wood River Valley. We are lucky and excited to have her join SVSEF.”
SVSEF Athletes Qualify for Regional, National Events
Congratulations to SVSEF athletes who have qualified for regional and national events.
ALPINE
A total of 10 current and former SVSEF Alpine skiers have qualified for U.S. Nationals, which take place at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine, March 25-30.
John Blackburn, Duncan Fuller, Yuri McClure, Skylar Cooley, Haley Cutler, Katelyn Rathfon, Erin Smith, Tanner Farrow (alumni, Gold Team), Will Snyder (alumni), Kipling Weisel (alumni, Gold Team)
Fifteen SVSEF athletes have qualified for U16 Regionals. SVSEF has the most women competing at Regionals and the second most athletes qualified. The event this year will be held at Big Sky in Montana, March 16-19.
Wyatt Barth, Ridley Lindstrom, Buey Grossman, Jack Smith, Bennett Snyder, Maddie Ferris, Carlota Pomes, Lily Fitzgerald, Allison Rathfon, Merumo Ishimaru, Emma MacGuffie, Sage Holter, Falon Hanna, Carly Walther-Porino, Cailin Chandler
All SVSEF U12 Alpine skiers qualified for IMD Championships, which take place in Park City, March 17-19. The Championships will feature one slalom, one giant slalom and one duel event.
U12 Girls: Paige DeHart, Maya Lightner, Goldie Kirk, Laura Daves, Reece Walther-Porino, Chloe Vogel, Isabella Hattrup, Lowie Watkins, Charlotte Davis-Jeffers, Asia Angel, Natalie Gowe, Ruby Crist, Maeve Bailey, Ava Agnew, Scarlet Rixon, Jodiewillow Maguire, Ripley Scales, Eden Gardner
U10 Girls: Taylor Hovey
U12 Boys: Cole Curci, Max Meucci, Tommy Normand, Tor Johnston, Sacha Stern-Pre, Hank Moss, Zephyr Carruth, Bodin Lee, John Tumolo, Eric Parris, Owen Walker
U10 Boys: Tucker Smith
SNOWBOARDING
Thirteen SVSEF riders have qualified for USASA Nationals, many in multiple disciplines. Competition is slated for March 31-April 6, at Copper Mountain in Colorado.
Caleb Hothem: HP / Slope
FREESTYLE/FREESKIING
The USSA Freestyle & Freeskiing Junior Nationals will be hosted locally by SVSEF at Dollar and Bald Mountains, March 13-19. The top athletes from each region have been invited to participate; below are the SVSEF athletes who will be competing on their home turf.
FREESTYLE
Alex LaFleur, Henry Cherp, Addison Rafford, Toby Rafford, Eliza Marks, Hunter Diehl, Katie Markthaler, Rainey Wilson, Brody Buchwalter, Esmee Verjhien, Luke Rizzo, Sammy Smith, Wilson Dunn, Holden Largay
FREESKIING
Big Air: Will Griffith
Slopestyle: Will Griffith, Ridge Dirksmeier, Harper Mallett, Ryan Dobi
Halfpipe: Ridge Dirksmeier, Sam Ware, Charlie Price, Joey Markthaler, Lachlan McFarland, Harper Mallett, Barrett Beyer, Dylan Mills, Walker Woodring, Hanna Blackwell, Liesl Beyer
CROSS COUNTRY
SVSEF qualified 13 athletes overall to represent the Intermountain Division at Junior Nationals in Lake Placid, NY, which took place March 6-11. On top of that, Sarah Goble, a PG skier, represented the Great Lakes region, and Bentley Walker-Broose competed as a guest skier; he is an Australian athlete who has been training and racing with SVSEF. You can view results from JNs here.
U16 girls: Sophia Mazzoni, Anja Jensen, Ella Wolter, Laine Allison
U16 boys: Johnny Hagenbuch, Cash Dart
U18-20 girls: Lily Brunelle, Eve Jensen
U18-20 boys: Peter Wolter, Eli Jensen, Andrew Siegel, Henry Raff, Keene Morawitz
SVSEF Cross Country Gold Team athletes Cole Morgan, Jack Hegman and Matt Gelso have all qualified to compete at World Cup Finals in Quebec City. These will be the first ever World Cup starts for Cole and Jack, competing against the 50 best athletes on the World Cup, but on North American soil. The event takes place March 17-19.
[osd_social_media_sharing]
The Week in Review: 3/7/17
I AM SVSEF
“I am SVSEF” is an opportunity each week to highlight our athletes for demonstrating the core values of the organization.
Sportsmanship • Citizenship • Character • Teamwork • Creativity • Passion • Perseverance
ALPINE: Tommy Hovey, who skis on Devo, is this week’s I am SVSEF athlete for Alpine. Observed Brian Caulkins, head devo coach, “Tommy started the season strong and continues to work hard to improve his skiing. Every weekend he comes ready for more feedback and advice. He does not shy away from more advanced topic, such as being more patient in the turn, but instead listens, learns, and applies consistently.Tommy is a wonderful teammate and is always willing to help others. He is humble, fun to be around, and respected by all. We can’t wait to see Tomy’s trajectory over the course of the next month! Tommy also had the fastest time at the Kindercup for all ski team age groups.”
CROSS COUNTRY: This week's I am SVSEF athlete is Anna Gilman, a member of the Croy Devo Team. Throughout the season, Anna constantly impressed her coaches with her upbeat nature, her words of kindness towards teammates, and her level of maturity. She always came to practice ready to learn, play, and enjoy the outdoors; she was a great example to younger athletes on the team. In the face of adversity, Anna has proven her ability to rise to the occasion, as demonstrated at the Devo Triathlon this past weekend. In the midst of the blizzard, her ski fell off, and she was unable to get it back on. Anna finished the race on one ski, showing perseverance and a positive attitude to make the most of an unfavorable situation.
FREESTYLE: This week we have two athletes for Freestyle, stepsisters Simone Williams and Lainee Ludington. The pair just joined Freestyle Devo this year. According to Jennifer Diehl, freestyle and freeskiing prep and devo team manager, "Simone 'Mo' and Lainee are two delightful step sisters on the Freestyle Devo Team. They are not only supportive and encouraging of each other, but they grant the same courtesy and respect to every teammate. They make new friends, listen to their coaches, and put in 150% at training. They have come so far in their skiing this season because they put in such tremendous effort. They also try everything with a smile: moguls, powder, boxes, rails, and racing. These two individuals are exceptional and they both exhibit everything SVSEF. We are so proud of you Lainee and Mo!"
PARK & PIPE: Pat Lee, snowboard team manager, had a lot of good things to say about this week’s I am SVSEF athlete, Sebastian Lerner. “Sebastian is calm cool and collected, always showing up with a smile on his face to training. He and his brother, Nico, have attended every event so far on the USASA Big Mountain West schedule. Prior to the Park City event, Sebastian showed up to train on his days off, showing he has great drive and motivation. The training paid off, as he battled his way onto the podium in Park City. I'm super stoked to see him standing up on the podium with a great group of competitors in a tough age bracket.”
THE WEEK IN REVIEW – 3/7/17
Freeski & Snowboard
Freeski and snowboard athletes were in Park City, Utah, for their last USASA Big Mountain West series event of the season. This was the final opportunity for athletes to qualify for USASA National Championships, which will be held at Copper Mountain in Colorado in April. With four days of competition, athletes took on two halfpipe and two slopestyle events, which was double the normal amount of competition in one weekend that they’ve seen this season. ,The event hosted between 65 and 110 competitors each day, depending on the discipline. Freeski athletes had great performances throughout, with some reaching the podium for the first time this season. The team brought 10 athletes to the competition. The Snowboard team also brought 10 athletes to compete in the double-header; by the end of the weekend, a total of 10 SVSEF snowboarders stood on podiums.
Head Freeski Coach Tyler Conway gave a breakdown of the first slopestyle event. “The first day of slopestyle was a good warm up for the team and a chance for athletes to get adjusted to the course and fly through the air in Park City. Slopestyle is a sport where you need to go fast, take chances and do so with finesse, control and style.”
Just missing the podium on the first day were freeski athletes Ridge Dirksmeier, Joey Markthaler and Will Griffith.
In the Snowboard Grommet (8-9) division, Nico Lerner had a stellar performance on the day and took the win. For Snowboard Menehune (10-11) boys, Jack Verhaeghe built on a solid season with a third place finish, followed by teammate Walker Pate in fourth.
The second day of the event featured halfpipe competition. In the Freeski Breaker boys category (12-13), Ridge Dirksmeier took the win. SVSEF had great grouping, with Dylan Mill in third place, teammate Lachlan McFarland in fourth, Luke Higgins in fifth and Joey Markthaler in sixth. In the Freeski Open women’s class, Hanna Blackwell finished first.
Two SVSEF athletes made the podium in the Snowboard Breaker (12-13) girls competition, with Maddie Hothem in second and Zoe Bacca in third. Nico Lerner continued his streak with a win in the Snowboard Grommet (8-9) boys category. Jack Verhaeghe and Walker Pate hung tight again, each stepping up a spot in the Snowboard Menehune (10-11) boys competition, into second and third. In a field of six athletes, Elk Spencer finished second for Snowboard youth (14-15).
Saturday again featured slopestyle competition, although the format was altered due to conditions. Conway explained, “the weather rolled in with heavy winds, making it hard to ski the slopestyle course. This forced race officials to switch to a one-run competition for the day. Everyone in the field had one opportunity to put down their best run for the conditions that day.” For the Freeski Breaker boys, once again it was Ridge Dirksmeier in third and Joey Markthaler in fourth. In the Freeski Menehune category, Ben Fethke took the win. Ryan Dobi made his way into third place in the Freeski Junior men category; likewise, Will Griffith finished third in the Freeski Open men’s category.
For snowboarders, Nico Lerner found the podium for a third time, this time in third. Brother Sebastian Lerner was also third in his age class, Snowboard Menehune (10-11).
Sunday was the final day of competition, which took place in the halfpipe. This time taking the top spots for the Freeski Breaker boys were Joey Markthaler in first and Lachlan McFarland in second. Just missing the podium was Dylan Mills, who finished fourth. Teammate Sam Ware skied to fifth. In the Freeski Menehune boys’ class, Ben Fethke finished second. Ryan Dobi again reached the podium for Freeski Junior men, taking second place. In the Open Freeski women’s class, Hanna Blackwell took her second win for the weekend.
The Lerner brothers finished the weekend strong, with Nico finishing second in Snowboard Grommets and Sebastian third in Snowboard Menehunes. Elk Spencer claimed second for Snowboard Youth.
The Freeski Team next competes here at home at USSA Junior Nationals at Dollar Mountain, starting March 16 and running through March 19.
3/2 Slopestyle 1 Results
3/3 Halfpipe 1 Results
3/4 Slopestyle 2 Results
3/5 Halfpipe 2 Results
CROSS COUNTRY
Update from Gold Team Head Coach Chris Mallory
This weekend the Cross Country Gold Team was racing far and wide, with athletes competing in Latvia at Scandinavian Cups, at the West Yellowstone Rendezvous and in Truckee, California at the Great Race Marathon. Kelsey Phinney joined the Norwegian Henning Ski Club for a weekend Mini Tour in Latvia, gaining a great amount of experience racing some of Scandinavia's fastest women and World Cup regulars. Her top result came in the skate sprint where she qualified in sixth place, and finished the day in ninth.
A large part of the men's team made the drive over to West to compete in the 25/50km marathon races there. Jack Hegman and Cole Morgan won the 25km classic and skate races, while Rogan Brown battled BSF's Silas Talbot in the 50km to eventually take second place in a sprint to the finish. There were many familiar faces from the Sun Valley cross country community taking part in West, all enjoying the perfect course conditions this year.
Finally, Gold Team veteran Matt Gelso took the hometown win in the 30km Great Ski Race in Truckee. This year's event sounded very similar to the 2017 Boulder Mountain Tour, with 6-10 inches of snow on the course and tough light, making for a slow and tough grind to the finish.
Next stop for three athletes on the team (Cole Morgan, Jack Hegman, and Matt Gelso) are the World Cup Finals in Quebec City, March 17-19. These will be the first ever World Cup starts for Cole and Jack, competing against the 50 best athletes on the World Cup, but on North American soil.
Comp and PG Teams
A total of 15 SVSEF athletes are currently in Lake Placid, New York, for the USSA Cross Country Junior Championships, colloquially known as Junior Nationals. The event hosts regional teams from across the U.S., as well as some international athletes. Races were supposed to take place at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, but rain washed away that plan; they are now being held at the Olympic Jumping Complex down the road, which is the training base for U.S. Biathlon. Event organizers have set up a 2.5km loop of manmade snow for the event.
U16 skier Johnny Hagenbuch started the week off right in the men's 5km individual start skate race, which took place Monday, March 6. Johnny skied into second place in a field of 67 of the best cross country athletes in the nation, representing Intermountain and SVSEF. In the U20 women’s 5km, PG skier Sarah Goble was fourth, and was the third American finisher. In the U20 men’s 10km skate, Peter Wolter was the fifth American in the men’s U20 10km race, and PG skier Eli Jensen was the sixth. Andrew Siegel, a PG, was another top-20 finisher, ending up in 12th. In the women’s U16 5km event, Sophia Mazzoni came in 18th, followed closely by teammate Anja Jensen in 19th. The next event, a 1.5km classic sprint, takes place on Wednesday, March 8.
Full results here
Devo Team
Devo athletes from Croy and Lake Creek congregated at Lake Creek on Saturday, March 4 for the annual Devo Triathlon to close out the season. The event combined a downhill, an obstacle course, and a skate segment into one race. Despite the storm that rolled in as the event started, athletes navigated the course with composure. This event was also included the end-of-the-season banquet, and athletes received awards for a job well done.
(Results are on their way)
ALPINE
Mini World Cup
Athletes took to Dollar Saturday and Sunday for the final Mini World Cup races. Saturday was a super G; the second run was cancelled due to blizzard conditions. Sunday was a Komi race on Cozy; the course started at the road on Cozy, with a slalom running down to the town start. From there, a GS course ran to the finish.
Mini World Cup Team Head Coach Tor Jensen was pleased with the positivity and camaraderie at the event. “ It was great to see the excitement and energy, and to see these athletes out ready to go in tough weather with limited visibility on Saturday. To hear them cheering for their teammates over the radio was awesome; they did a great job and it is really fun to see how much they are all improving.”
In the super G, Paxton Sammis took the win for the boys, followed by Tucker Smith and Abel Marx. Taylor Hovey won in the girls’ race; Eden Gardner was second, and Josie Sarchett third. In the Kombi event, Tucker Smith took the win, with Paxton Sammis second and Owen Walker third. Taylor Hovey again won for the girls, followed by Jodiewillow Maguire in second and Josie Sarchett in third.
The Mini World Cup team will finish up the season this coming Sunday with a skills test.
SG results here
Kombi results here
USSA
USSA athletes headed to Bogus Basin for the Trudi Bolinder Speed Qualifier, which was a U16 qualifying event. Although the event initially intended to host three USSA scored super G races, one was cancelled due to weather. SVSEF claimed victory in both the men’s and women’s competition on March 3, with Lily Fitzgerald and Jack Smith standing on top in both races. Alli Rathfon finished second in both events, and SVSEF had four female athletes in the top 10 in the first race and three in the second. Bennett Snyder made the podium in the men’s first super G, finishing third. SVSEF also had four male athletes in the top 10 in the first race. Jack Smith took another win on March 5, with Buey Grossman not far behind in fourth.
Full results here
Based on results from qualifiers throughout the season, a number of SVSEF U16 athletes have made the cut for IMD Championships. Look here for the list, coming soon.
U12 and U10 Athletes qualify for IMD Championships
A total of 31 SVSEF athletes have qualified to attend IMD Championships, which will be held March 17-19 in Park City.
U12 Girls: Paige DeHart, Maya Lightner, Goldie Kirk, Laura Daves, Reece Walther-Porino, Chloe Vogel, Isabella Hattrup, Lowie Watkins, Charlotte Davis-Jeffers, Asia Angel, Natalie Gowe, Ruby Crist, Maeve Bailey, Ava Agnew, Scarlet Rixon, Jodiewillow Maguire, Ripley Scales, Eden Gardner
U10 Girls: Taylor Hovey
U12 Boys: Cole Curci, Max Meucci, Tommy Normand, Tor Johnston, Sacha Stern-Pre, Hank Moss, Zephyr Carruth, Bodin Lee, John Tumolo, Eric Parris, Owen Walker
U10 Boys: Tucker Smith
Kindercup
Athletes between the ages of three and 12 took to Dollar for the 61st annual Kindercup on Sunday, March 5. The local event attracted over 300 kids, who made their way down the slalom course in good spirits, through bouts of spattering snow and wind. The event was not limited to alpine racers, and saw athletes from SVSEF cross country, freestyle and freeskiing programs.
Full results here
Snowboard
Alumni Chase Josey competed in his final event for the season, the halfpipe at the Burton U.S. Open. In qualifiers on March 2, Chase finished in ninth position, securing a spot in the finals on March 4 (the top 10 moved on). In the finals on Saturday, he solidified another top result for the season, finding his way onto yet another podium in a major international event. Chase finished in third place behind Shaun White and Australian Scotty James.
Full results here