Athlete of the Month: February 2020
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Dasha Romanov, Alpine FIS
Dasha Romanov is a senior at the Sun Valley Community School, but is a first-year FIS athlete. This season, she has seen success at NorAms and FIS races, earning a spot on a training and racing trip to Europe with the U.S. Development women’s team. In Europe, she tackled FIS races appropriate for her age and where she is developmentally, to see success and also compete in challenging fields. She competed in Utah for the FIS Elite Series – she had a number of good results, especially in slalom in her first runs, and was able to qualify for U.S. Nationals (unofficial). Most recently, she competed at Junior Nationals at Snowbasin, where she reached the podium in the slalom. Skiing to third place in a field that included skiers up to 20 years in age was a big accomplishment for a first-year FIS athlete. “She is extremely self-disciplined, amazingly so,” said Schwing. “Dasha battled some injuries earlier this season, with an ankle roll in the fall and a concussion at Thanksgiving Camp, which kept her out for much of December. She has definitely battled through those injuries, and it’s been awesome to see her succeed despite some setbacks.”
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Jack Smith, Alpine PG
Jack Smith, who graduated from the Sun Valley Community School in 2019, is currently a member of the U.S. Alpine “D” Team, as well as the Western Region PG Team. Jack has been competing on the NorAm circuit this season, and based on results as well as discretion, was selected to represent the U.S. at World Juniors in Norway. He is the third SVSEF male skier to qualify for World Juniors in recent years, behind notable former SVSEF athletes Tanner Farrow and Kipling Wiesel. “Jack has clearly made it, based on his work ethic and passion for the sport – there is no mistake that he wants to be a ski racer. That’s what he works for, and it’s been cool to see him get the nod for World Juniors,” said SVSEF FIS coach Nate Schwing.
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Dasha, third in slalom at Junior Nationals
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January 2020 Athlete of the Month: Sydney Palmer-Leger
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Photo by Parker Photo Film
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Sydney Palmer-Leger, originally from Park City, Utah, is currently a senior on the Cross Country Comp Team. An individual who approaches her training with self-discipline, positivity, and a penchant for diving headfirst into the pain cave without reservation, Sydney’s results this season have reflected the time and effort she has steadily put toward her athletic career. She’s proven to be among the top in the nation in her sport – multiple spots at and near the top this season have landed her the title of SVSEF Athlete of the Month for January 2020.
At the start of the 2019-2020 competitive season, Sydney posted her best SuperTour results to date, with podiums in Canmore and on her home turf in Sun Valley. These races set her up for a solid run at U.S. Nationals, held in Houghton, Michigan, in early January. Sydney ended up qualifying first of all the junior girls named to the World Juniors team. “Most importantly,” explained SVSEF Cross Country Program Director Rick Kapala, “she had a really good breakthrough race; she won the 7.5km classic junior race at Nationals against all the girls she typically battles with.”
This put her in good form heading to Lausanne, Switzerland, for the Youth Olympic Games, which brings together the top 16-17 year olds from around the world. She posted two fourth place finishes, among the best results the U.S. has ever had at the Youth Olympic Games. On the women’s side, along with Kendall Kramer, Sydney garnered the first top-5 results for women. “She’s skiing really well now, and we have a little less than a month to get her prepped and ready for World Junior Championships,” said Kapala. Sydney will be training at home for the next couple weeks before heading to Soldier Hollow, where she’ll complete her final tune up races for World Junior Championships.
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Sydney in third at the Sun Valley SuperTour, women's 10km freestyle.
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Sydney in first at U.S. Nationals, women's junior 7.5km classic.
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“The other thing that’s been exciting for Syd,” noted Kapala, “is that she signed a national letter of intent to attend the University of Utah, so she has the next phase of her skiing and educational journey set now. Hailing from Park City, UU is a good fit for her, and it’s really great that she has this opportunity to ski for Utah and take advantage of what her skiing has done for her so far.”
“Sydney’s put a lot of effort into improving her classic skiing this year, to the point where now classic distance skiing is one of her strengths. She’s always been a good classic sprinter, but her training and focus on classic distance this season has put her in a place where she’s an all-around good skier – she’s among the best girls in the country across the board, having seen success competing in both techniques in distance, as well as in sprinting.”
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Sydney skis the 5km classic at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games, Lausanne, Switzerland. (Photo: OIS/Joel Marklund.)
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Athlete of the Month, December: Cross Country Comp Team
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A sea of blue suits in Bozeman. Photo via Sydney Palmer-Leger.
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The focus when it comes to results is quite consistently on the individual athlete. It is a logical inclination, given the nature of the sports that are offered through SVSEF programming; from snowboardcross competitions to GS races to skate sprints, it’s the athlete’s time or technical proficiency alone that counts. While Athlete of the Month is a platform to highlight skiers and riders who have achieved results-based success, it behoves us to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. The aggregate of top results recently amassed by cross country athletes as a team warrants recognition of the program’s overarching strength; this is the reason why our Athlete of the Month is not an individual, but the entire Cross Country Comp Team.
As of mid-January, SVSEF athletes have competed at three major events, both regionally and nationally. At each of these events, they have featured prominently at the top of the result lists. At the first JNQ, SVSEF secured over half of the podiums for the weekend. Across the country at U.S. Nationals at Craftsbury, top finishes resulted in four SVSEF athletes earning spots at Junior and U23 World Championships. SVSEF again nabbed a large number of podiums at the super qualifier at Soldier Hollow on January 18-19, which featured large fields of competitors, not just from the Intermountain region, but from all over the west.
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In years past, SVSEF cross country skiers have certainly garnered significant results. This season, though, the range is especially impressive. “This year, in particular, we just have athletes in almost every age category who could likely podium or ski in the top ten at Junior Nationals,” explained comp team head coach Ashley Knox. “Other years, we might have a couple of really strong age groups, but not across the board. And some years, like this one so far, all the pieces fall into place better than others.”
Knox acknowledges that success for the cross country program is, at least in part, rooted in the influence of its younger teams. “I really think the success at the Comp Team level speaks to the growth and strength of our Devo and Prep programs,” said Knox. “The addition of the Prep Pro and Prep summer training has really upped the level and ability of skiers moving up to comp team. Instead of having the majority of our move-ups being new to summer training and roller skiing, they come to comp team already competent at roller skiing, and with an understanding of the importance of summer training.”
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Young SVSEF skiers at Striders and Prep training; these, along with Devo, are the precursors to Comp Team.
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Training at Lake Creek, photo by Travis Jones.
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Also playing a major factor is the volume of time spent together, and the mutual respect and work ethic that are widespread amongst this group. The Comp Team offers team training 44-46 weeks out of the 48 weeks of the calendar year, with athletes logging an average of 10 hours a week. Training in the spring is lighter, and builds through the summer and into the competition season. Kids can end up in close quarters, as they do on the Haig glacier and on competition trips, and they ultimately spend a significant number of hours together on the trails, on the road and in the gym. Knox explained the team’s approach to cultivating an environment in which support, respect and drive take form naturally:
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“We have always made a point of building a program based on mutual respect and holding ourselves to a high standard for who we are as individuals and a team. The athletes all know they are in a hard sport and understand it takes countless hours of dedicated hard work, and I think most know it is much more enjoyable with teammates. Many of these skiers spend more time with each other, both inside and outside of training, than they do with their families, which makes ski team almost a second family and the hut a second home. And as much as everyone wants success for themselves, they want it for each other too. So whether it’s pushing each other during intervals, doing school work together on a race trip, or hugging at the finish line, they are usually there to support and push each other.”
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Comp, PG and Gold Team athletes at summer training at Community School's Dumke Family Sagewillow Campus.
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An organic mentorship system also lends itself to the cross country program’s success. “The PGs add depth and variety to the training group – they train and travel with the Comp Team often,” said Knox. “The Gold Team shows the younger athletes what is possible. Our most recent example is Kevin Bolger. He made the U.S. Ski Team and is currently skiing on the World Cup and posting some good results. This summer, Johnny Hagenbuch was jumping into some training sessions with Bolger. Pretty cool to have that connection.”
With 211 of SVSEF’s 695 enrolled athletes, it’s expected to find some snippets of success in the cross country program. What stands out, however, is how widespread the success has been so far this season, and how the team dynamic, from the ground up, has lent itself to both individual and group success.
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Gold Team skier Kevin Bolger is racing on the World Cup circuit this winter.
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Sophia Mazzoni and Sydney Palmer-Leger in Finland for Junior World Championships.
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Time trial at Prairie Creek, photo by Glen Allison.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Bozeman JNQ:
The JNQ season opener at Bozeman was both a nod to the base SVSEF cross country skiers have steadily built over the past eight months, and an indication of good things to come. Prep, comp and PG athletes raced December 22-23 at Bozeman for the first of three Intermountain region JNQ qualifiers. SVSEF athletes were constantly on the podium; Johnny Hagenbuch won the men’s U18 freestyle mass start, and PG athletes Scott Schulz and Adam Witowski were first and second for U20s. Bjorn Halvorsen also secured a win in the U16 age class. For U18 women, Sydney Palmer-Leger took the win, followed by Sophia Mazzoni in second and Anja Jensen in fourth. Lily Brunelle was the third U20, followed by Heidi Booher in fourth and Sarah Morgan in fifth. U16 women swept the podium, with Logan Smith in first, Sammy Smith second and Anja Grover third. All told, SVSEF took 10 of 18 podium spots for U16-U20 classes; over half of the kids standing on the podium throughout the weekend were wearing the SVSEF suit.
Nationals:
The team’s momentum continued into the new year at Nationals. Top professional, collegiate and junior athletes from across the country converged for classic sprints and classic and skate distance races. Johnny Hagenbuch was the top U18 in the nation in the classic distance race. On the women’s side, Sydney Palmer-Leger was the top U18 female in the classic distance race, as was Logan Smith for U16s. Peter Holmes stepped onto the American podium in third for the men’s classic sprint. He was fourth overall and the first U23. Sophia qualified for women’s senior heats and was the second junior overall, and Logan Smith also qualified for senior heats as a U16. Sydney Palmer-Leger skied to second in junior heats, Sarah Morgan to fifth and Johnny Hagenbuch to fifth. In Sunday’s mass start, Johnny Hagenbuch again won his age group, this time in the men’s 10km freestyle race. PG skier Scott Schulz broke the top 10 in ninth. Sydney Palmer-Leger made the junior women’s podium in third for the 7.5km, and Logan Smith was 15th and the top U16 finisher.
National-level accolades:
Aside from overall titles, athletes competing at Nationals were looking to qualify for race opportunities abroad. A record number of SVSEF athletes did so; Peter Holmes, Johnny Hagenbuch, Sydney Palmer-Leger and Sophia Mazzoni all made the cut for U.S. World Junior Championships in Lahti, Finland, which are currently taking place. SVSEF has often had one or two (and twice, three) athletes qualify for World Juniors, but four is unprecedented. In addition to the four who qualified for Junior Worlds, Comp Team athlete Logan Smith had a standout series. At just 14 years old, Logan pre-qualified for Junior Nationals, and also qualified for the U18 Nordic Nations Cup in Scandinavia. She was also the second alternate for Junior Worlds, based on her results at Nationals.
These four athletes aren’t the only SVSEF skiers representing the organization in Europe. Gold Team skier Kevin Bolger has been competing on the World Cup circuit as a member of the U.S. National Team; he was named last spring following success domestically as well as in his first World Cup competition (he placed 11th overall in a freestyle sprint in Lahti last season). He has recorded some solid results for his first season racing full-time in Europe; Kevin qualified 13th in Toblach in the skate sprint, and finished 21st overall.
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Athletes of the Month: March
SVSEF athletes of the month are selected collectively by program directors, based on successful athletic performance in competition. Logan Smith, a skier with the cross country comp team, and Ben Fethke, a member of the park & pipe progression team, are the athletes of the month for March.
LOGAN SMITH, 14, Cross Country Comp Team
By Rick Kapala, cross country program director
Logan has jumped into the US Ski Racing scene by making a big splash this year. We knew Logan was likely to make the transition to Comp team from Prep Team based on her previous success as a U14, but her rookie season showed us and the ski world that she was more than ready to make the next step. She put together a really solid Intermountain campaign with JN Qualifying wins across all disciplines. She carried that success to Junior Nationals where she opened with a really solid fourth in the U16 girls 5km classic.
That in and of itself would have been considered a great first result for her first Junior Nationals, especially since she is actually a second year U14 and is competing at Junior Nationals a year early. However, Logan had more to show when she put together a great day in the individual sprint and WON herself a US Junior National Title. She did it by decisively charging the hardest part of the race course with a burst of ski speed that separated herself, and then backed it up with a furious charge down the finish straight. Congrats, Logan, for showing us once again what a tremendous work ethic combined with a love of challenge can accomplish.
BEN FETHKE, 11, Park and Pipe Progression Team
Taking initiative gets you places – a good example of this was when Ben Fethke opted to travel to U.S. Freeskiing Junior Nationals in Park City in March. As an 11-year-old, Ben was the U13 national champion in halfpipe. In the overall field, which included athletes significantly older (the majority were between 15 and 19 years old), Ben was eighth – a great result, especially given the caliber of athletes and their age differences. He also competed in the slopestyle event, which was held on a course that will be used for FIS World Championships next year. He came in second for U13s, and was 50 out of 86 overall. Looking back at the past few years, both of Ben’s results (in slopestyle and halfpipe) were the best for an 11-year-old at Junior Nationals.
Taking initiative comes in different forms, and that rings true for Ben, as well. He applies himself at training, making the most of each session in preparation for putting his tricks into practice when it counts. “Ben is very motivated and hardworking," said Park & Pipe Program Director Tyler Conway. "He has a great attitude at training, and has really elevated this aspect of the sport for himself, leading to great results this year in halfpipe and slopestyle.”
On Sunday, April 9, Ben finished first in the halfpipe for his age group at USASA Nationals. Ben has slopestyle on Tuesday and is looking to be a contender for the overall USASA title, too.
Athletes of the Month: February
SVSEF athletes of the month are selected collectively by program directors, based on successful athletic performance in competition. Luke Rizzo, a skier with the mogul travel team, and Jessica Blackburn, a member of the alpine IMD team, are the athletes of the month for February.
LUKE RIZZO
JESSICA BLACKBURN
Jessica, 13, has had a fantastic season thus far, winning four races, including two in the last qualifier in Park City. Her wins last weekend propelled her to the overall award for the weekend, making her the first IMD girl to qualify for U14 Western Region Junior Championships in Jackson Hole. In addition, Jessica has been a model athlete this season, coming to training every day with an incredible level of focus. She pushes to get as many runs as she possibly can, communicates well with coaches, and is a great teammate to her peers. Due to her terrific effort this past season, Jessica has learned quite a bit about the reward of hard work and encourages her to passionately pursue ski racing. As a SVSEF IMD staff, we are very proud of her.
– Head Coach James Tautkus
ALSO MAKING WAVES: KEVIN BOLGER
Cross country Gold Team skier Kevin Bolger turned heads at his World Cup debut on March 3, and with good reason. The former University of Utah skier, who joined the Gold Team last year, walked away at the end of the day in eleventh place in the skate sprint in Lahti, Finland. Bolger jetted over to Europe when he was selected to ski the World Cup circuit, based on his top spot on the North American-based SuperTour circuit. Dubbed “the surprising man,” by the Norwegian announcers, because he had virtually come out of nowhere, Kevin led the American men, and topped a number of international competitors who have plenty of experience racing at the World Cup and Olympic level. Not bad, for a first go – congratulations to Kevin, and we can’t wait to see what he does from here.
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.”
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.
Athlete of the Month, March 2017 – Holden Largay
The athlete of the month for March is Holden Largay, 18, a member of the Freestyle Travel A Team. Holden joined SVSEF this season as a post grad athlete, after skiing in his hometown of Missoula, Montana through the end of his high school career. This was his first season with a full-time ski program; his recent results have shown the impact from this adjustment. He was the top SVSEF freestyle skier this year, with five overall podiums and a fourth place overall finish at Junior Nationals here in Sun Valley in March. Holden was third in his M19 age group, earning him qualification to the USSA Young Guns Elite Camp in July at Utah Olympic Park.
Most recently, Holden competed at U.S. Nationals in Steamboat Springs, CO, March 30-April 1. In the moguls competition, he made finals, and finished 13th overall in a field that featured top athletes from across the country. In the finals, he nearly scored a perfect 10 on his cork 1080 – one of the hardest tricks in the book – with a 9.7. The last SVSEF athlete to make it to finals at U.S. Nationals was Shane Cordeau, back in 2012 at Stratton Mountain in Vermont.
https://youtu.be/7p_Xowy3eSY
13th place run at U.S. Nationals
Dual round of 16, vs. U.S. Ski Team athlete Ryan Dyer (lost by decision)
