SVSEF Racers Ending Season With A Bang
Freestyle skiers end on a high note at U.S. Championships, Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Eight SVSEF skiers qualified to compete at the 2016 U.S. Freestyle Championships this year in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, marking the culmination of the 2016 season. For all of the athletes, this was their very first time at U.S. National Championships. Athletes flew down the moguls course on Friday, March 18th – the top SVSEF finisher in the men’s category was Alex LaFleur, who was second in his age group and 32nd overall in a field of 74 skiers. Teammate Hunter Diehl finished first in his U15 age class and 39th overall, Henry Cherp was 44th, Luke Rizzo skied to 50th and Wilson Dunn finished 53rd. SVSEF alum Trevor Norris was 17th overall. In the women’s competition, Addie Rafford finished in 41st, Eliza Marks was 49th and Devon Brown was 55th. Another SVSEF alum, Sophia Schwartz, made her way into ninth place, after an impressive fifth place qualifying run.
Aerials followed on Saturday, and the weekend ended with dual moguls on Sunday. In dual moguls, Wilson Dunn led the SVSEF men, finishing 43rd. Alex LaFleur was 61st, just ahead of Henry Cherp in 62nd. Hunter Diehl finished 66th and Luke Rizzo was 68th. Alum Trevor Norris skied to 18th after making it into the round of 32. Addie Rafford charged in the women’s dual moguls, cracking the top 50 and landing in 47th. Eliza Marks was hot on her tail in 48th and Devon Brown was 54th. Sophia Schwartz ended the weekend with a seventh place finish after breaking into the quarterfinals.
Freeskiing and Freestyle Program Director Andy Ware commended the SVSEF athletes on their great effort over the weekend and mentioned that, “they were not just in their very first U.S. National Championships, but were going against people literally 10 years older – the best in the country – so they gained some really valuable experience.”
The event was the last of the 2015-16 season for the SVSEF competitors. Hunter Diehl’s performance at Junior Nationals here in Sun Valley, where he was 39th in moguls, has led to an invitation to the U.S. Freestyle Team Young Guns camp. This is a select camp that is offered to top freestyle athletes.
Results:
Moguls, Friday, March 18
Men:
17- SVSEF alum Trevor Norris
32- Alex LaFleur
39- Hunter Diehl
44- Henry Cherp
50- Luke Rizzo
53- Wilson Dunn
Ladies:
9- SVSEF alum Sophia Schwartz
41- Addie Rafford
49- Eliza Marks
55- Devon Brown
Dual moguls, Sunday, March 20
Men:
18- SVSEF alum Trevor Norris
43- Wilson Dunn
61- Alex LaFleur
62- Henry Cherp
66- Hunter Diehl
68- Luke Rizzo
Women:
7- SVSEF alum Sophia Schwartz
47- Addie Rafford
48- Eliza Marks
54- Devon Brown
Full results:
http://freestyle.usskiteam.com/events/us-freestyle-championships
SVSEF alum Jake Adicoff delivers on the IPC World Cup circuit
Jake Adicoff, a SVSEF nordic alum, spent a week racing in Vuokatti, Finland, at the IPC Cross-Country Skiing World Cup. Adicoff, who competed in the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, had a remarkable week of racing in a field of strong international competitors in the men’s visually impaired class. The first event was the 7.5km biathlon, in which he finished in 11th place. In the one-kilometer classic sprint, Adicoff was just out of medal contention, finishing fourth behind three Russians. In the 30km classic event, he was sixth in a field of 11. Brian McKeever, a Canadian who dominated at the 2014 Paralympics, won the event, followed by Russian skier Alexsander Artemov in second and Thomas Clarion of France, in third. The final race of the week for Adicoff was a 10km freestyle. In a field of 19 racers, the Ketchum native again finished fourth. This was a telling week for the young athlete, as his strong performances and consistency in a talented field demonstrated the focus he has put on training and the potential he has to succeed internationally. This was the first international event since Sochi for Adicoff, who currently skis at the collegiate level for Bowdoin College in Maine. He was guided by John Farra, a former member of the U.S. Ski Team who now directs the U.S. Paralympics Nordic Program.
Full results:
https://www.paralympic.org/nordic-skiing/calendar-results
Guide John Farra with Jake Adicoff at the finish of the men’s sprint. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Paralympics Nordic Program.
Alpine IMD Team steps it up at Snowbird for U14 Tri-Divisionals
SVSEF U14 alpine racers tackled the super G, giant slalom and slalom at the Tri-Divisional Championships at Snowbird in Utah, March 17-20. The event featured both U14 and U16 athletes, and as the Alaska Division did not attend this year, the quota for the IMD and ND divisions was expanded. Under sunny Utah skies, SVSEF skiers sped down “Big Emma,” clocking solid times across the board.
U14 super G:
2-Ethan Marx
4-Josh Blackburn
12-Nathan Gowe
14-William DeWolfe
9-Emma MacGuffie
U14 giant slalom:
4-Ben Goitiandia
7-Nathan Gowe
9-Ethan Marx
10-Josh Blackburn
12-Connor Campbell
15-William DeWolfe
U14 slalom:
3-Ben Goitiandia
10-Nathan Gowe
14-Joe Goitiandia
For U16’s, Ashley Helm from the SVSEF USSA Team was 10th in the super G and fourth in the giant slalom.
Coach James Tautkus commended the athletes on a brilliant weekend of racing. “As a staff we are so impressed at the level of intensity these athletes brought to the table over the weekend; everyone of them was charging and making the most of the opportunity. The results and the success run deeper than the top 15 mentioned. I think all of these athletes were able to affirm the progress and effort they put into this season. In the last part of the season the amount of progress they continued to achieve was incredible. We are so proud of these kids.”
Ethan Marx and Josh Blackburn take home the hardware
Full results:
http://www.ussa-imd.org/alpine/races15/U14.php
SVSEF Alpine FIS Team in the midst of competition at Sugar Bowl, California
The FIS Team traveled to Sugar Bowl for a series of races. The athletes competed in slalom and giant slalom events, before the March 21 slalom was cancelled. In the March 19 slalom, John Blackburn recorded a top-30 result, finishing 27th. Spencer Wright was 30th, Wyatt Smith 38th and Yuri McClure 40th. Abby Norton finished 32nd for the women, while teammates Skylar Cooley and Katelyn Rathfon were 33rd and 37th, respectively.
Official results are not yet available for the men’s March 20 giant slalom. On the women’s side, Katelyn Rathfon skied a smart race and finished 20th; teammate Abby Norton was 37th.
Full results:
http://data.fis-ski.com/alpine-skiing/results.html
AP FIS NorAm- Vail, Colorado, NorAm Cup
Haley Cutler, coming off of recent standout performances at NorAm Alpine Finals, competed at the FIS NorAm Cup in Vail, Colorado, March 19-21. A high-caliber field of racers from across North America came together to vie for top spots in the giant slalom and slalom. Haley did not finish her first run of the giant slalom on March 19, but returned the next day with a solid 26th place finish in the slalom. In the slalom on March 21, she finished in 44th place. Haley now has her sights set on the U.S. National Alpine Championships, happening this week in Sun Valley – she has qualified to race at Baldy, with top U.S. National Ski Team and collegiate racers.
Full results:
http://data.fis-ski.com/alpine-skiing/results.html
AP USSA: U16 Regionals, Mammoth, California
Amid challenging conditions, the Alpine USSA Team rolled with the punches at Mammoth Mountain, California, for U16 Regionals. Although official results are not yet available, Live Timing has posted unofficial results. Coach Will Brandenburg commended on the athletes’ strong performances. “Especially given that all of them are first years, it’s pretty impressive,” Brandenburg added.
Athletes are gearing up for U16 Nationals, which are at Snowbird, Utah, this year. The event will take place March 30 through April 3. SVSEF athletes who have qualified based on results at U16 Regionals include Lily Fitzgerald, Alli Rathfon and Bennett Snyder; all are first year U16s. Buey Grossman, a second year U14, has also qualified for U16 Nationals.
Bennett Snyder is all smiles on the podium at Mammoth Mountain
Unofficial results:
http://live-timing.com/races.php
Young SVSEF freestyle skiers showcase at Future Freestylers event
SVSEF hosted the Future Freestylers event on Sunday, March 20. The competition featured younger SVSEF athletes on Baldy moguls. Said Freestyle/Freeskiing Prep and Prep Entry Program Director Jennifer Diehl, “all the kids exhibited with flair what they have been working on all season.”
SVSEF freestyle skiers get amped at the top of the course
Results, by age:
Girls:
8: Norah Davis-Jeffers-1
9: Tatum Ware-1, Sawyer Vogel-2, Berkeley Canfield-3, Ellie Shandro-4, Nina Kieserman-5, Molly Roderick-6
10: Ruby Crist-1, Samantha Beaudoin-2, Tillie Babcock-3
11: Frances Cherp-1, Grace Rogers-2
12: Carson Vogel-1
Overall: Carson Vogel-1, Ruby Crist-2, Tatum Ware-3
Boys:
7: Kai Van Bueren-1, Jamie Kelly-2
8: Oscar Mullen-1, Austin McMahan-2
9: Zeppelin Pilaro-1, Teddy Hobbs-2, Easton Turck-3, Nic Rubenstein-4
10: Spencer Ferries-1, Gage Wilson-2, Caleb Allen-3, Anton Holter-4, Ethan Desler-5, Oliver Mullen-6
11: Logan Pilaro-1, Emmett Ruggeri-2, Brady Giles-3, Olin Patterson-4
12-13: Huck Dirksmeier-1, Eric Babcock-2, Sid Tomlinson-3
Overall: Spencer Ferries-1, Gage Wilson-2, Caleb Allen-3