Week in Review: March 13
CROSS COUNTRY
COMP/PG
Junior Nationals
Junior Nationals bring together the best cross country athletes from each region throughout the U.S. for four races.Over 350 racers took part. This year, Junior Nationals were held at Soldier Hollow in Utah, an Intermountain region venue. The week commenced with a 5/10km classic interval start, with SVSEF's Sydney Palmer-Leger leading the charge for SVSEF and the Intermountain region with a win in the U16 category. Annika Landis, a SVSEF alumni who now attends Middlebury College, also skied to first in the U20 age group. SVSEF's U16 girls had a great day all together, placing all girls close to the top half of the field – Sydney-1, Logan Smith-4, Anja Jensen-28, Sascha Leidecker-34 and Luci Ludwig-35. Despite illness, Johnny Hagenbuch was sixth for U18 men, and Henry Raff had his best result of the week in 14th for U20 men.
SVSEF skiers got off to a good start in the freestyle sprint qualifiers on Wednesday, March 7, with all U16 girls qualifying for rounds, Logan and Sydney qualifying for second and fourth places, Cash Dart qualifying for U16 heats in fifth, and PG Will Solow qualifying second for U20 men. Alumni Annika Landis and Emily Siegel qualified for U20 women in 12th and 16th, and U18 women Sophia Mazzoni and Lily Brunelle qualified for heats in 12th and 15th.
In heats, Sydney Palmer-Leger and Logan Smith made it all the way to the A final. Logan stuck with the front group in the final heat, powering past the athlete in the lead on the final big climb to assert herself in first for the remainder of the race. Logan won, and teammate Sydney finished third. Will Solow made it all the way to B finals, where he finished fifth in his heat and 11th overall. Johnny Hagenbuch won the B final for U18 men, putting him in seventh overall. In the U20 women's A finals, Annika Landis placed fifth.
The 5/10/15km mass start freestyle on March 10 was a tough race – over 30 competitors dropped out throughout the day. Conditions were rough, with warm temperatures and unpredictable snow. Sydney Palmer-Leger, who was leading the U16 women in the 5km, fell on a long downhill with rollers, leaving her with whiplash and concussion. Cash Dart injured separated his shoulder after a fall in the crowd at the start. Despite these setbacks, SVSEF had some highlights for the day – Johnny Hagenbuch found the podium in third for U18 men, and Annika Landis did the same, finishing second for her second podium of the week in the U20 women's 10km. Lily Brunelle skied will in the U18 5km category, finishing 14th overall, as did Kirsys Campbell and Eve Jensen, who finished 36th and 38th. Emily Siegel had a solid effort, finishing 15th in the U20 women's event. Drew Palmer-Leger did, as well, finishing 28th in the U20 men's 15km.
The last event was a team relay on Saturday, with three 3km classic legs. Annika Landis pulled her team up from sixth place onto the podium in third on her anchor leg, and Logan Smith anchored her U16 team, taking the group into seventh.
The Intermountain region was fourth overall in the 10-team Alaska Cup standings, and SVSEF placed fifth in a group of 43 college and club teams, behind Loppet Nordic, Stratton Mountain School, Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and Alaska Pacific Nordic.
Top Finishes
U20 Men:
Will Solow- 11, skate sprint
Henry Raff- 14, classic distance
Drew Palmer-Leger- 28, skate distance
U20 Women:
Annika Landis- 1, classic distance
Emily Siegel- 15, skate distance
U18 Men:
Johnny Hagenbuch, 3, skate distance
U18 Women:
Sophia Mazzoni -13, skate sprint
Lily Brunelle - 14, skate distance, skate sprint
Kirsys Campbell 36, skate distance
Eve Jensen- 38, skate distance
Ella Wolter- 51, skate sprint
U16 Men:
Cash Dart, 17, skate sprint
U16 Women:
Sydney Palmer-Leger- 1, classic distance
Logan Smith- 1, skate sprint
Anja Jensen- 16, skate sprint
Sascha Leidecker- 18, skate sprint
Luci Ludwig- 28, skate sprint
RESULTS
ALUMNI
PARALYMPICS
SVSEF alum Jake Adicoff is currently representing the U.S. at the Paralympics in Pyeongchang. This is the Bowdoin senior's second Paralympic Games; he first competed in Sochi in 2014. In the men's VI 20km skate race on Monday, Jake took fifth overall. In the March 14 1.5km classic sprint, Jake had a strong qualifying race with the second fastest time. In his semifinal heat, he tied Canadian Brian McKeever, who has won multiple Paralympic medals, to progress to the finals. In a heat of four athletes, Jake was unfortunately disqualified on a skating violation. Next up is a 7.5km classic race on Saturday.
RESULTS
NCAAs
Five former SVSEF athletes represented their schools at NCAA Championships in Steamboat Springs, March. Peter Wolter and Katie Feldman, who are both alumni of the cross country program, represented Middlebury College and the East Region. Peter Wolter, in addition to being named to NCAAs, was the EISA Rookie of the Year. Joining Peter and Katie was Eli Jensen (Montana State), a longtime member of the program, and Sam Wood (Middlebury) and Braden Becker (Williams), who were both PG athletes in the SVSEF program and who have continued to train with us as members of the Summer Training Group.
In the women's 5km classic, Katie placed 19th overall. Braden was 15th in the men's 10km classic, one second ahead of Sam in 16th. Peter was 24th, and Eli finished 34th.
In the men's 20km skate, the top alumni finisher was again Braden, this time in 11th. Sam repeated his result from two days prior, skiing to 16th. Peter finished 25th and Eli 34th. Katie had a great race, coming in 13th in the women's 15km.
RESULTS
GOLD TEAM
Following his standout World Cup premier, in which he finished 11th in the skate sprint, Kevin Bolger competed in his first 50km in the infamous Holmenkollen, skiing to 52nd on the World Cup circuit. In the March 7 classic sprint, he finished 50th.
PARK & PIPE
JUNIOR NATIONALS
Two SVSEF athletes, Ben Fethke and Harper Mallett, competed at U.S. Freeskiing Junior Nationals in Park City. As an 11-year-old, Ben was the U13 national champion in halfpipe. In the overall field, which included athletes significantly older (mostly 15-19 year olds), Ben was eighth – an amazing result, given the competition. Harper Mallet also had a strong showing, finishing second in the U15 category and seventh overall. Ben 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. Both of Ben's results (in slopestyle and halfpipe) were the best for an 11-year-old at Junior Nationals in recent years.
IFSA BIG MOUNTAIN
IFSA big mountain skiers competed at Breckenridge Nationals. Paris Pratt had an outstanding two runs, edging out Crested Butte’s Avery Bernholtz for the win in the 15-18 female category. Joe Goitiandia had solid scores, as well, finishing 10th out of 40 competitors in the 12-14 male category. Wilson Dunn and Black Harmon stuck together, skiing to 46th and 48th in the 15-18 male group, and Molly Kucher was 23rd for 15-18 females.
RESULTS
TRAVEL
The Rev Tour at Mammoth got started yesterday with a slopestyle event. SVSEF’s Will Griffith finished 42nd overall in a field populated by 57 athletes, mainly from the U.S. and Canada. His next event is the big air competition on March 14.
RESULTS
ALUMNI
Chase Josey wrapped up his season at the U.S. Open in Vail (he finished third in the 2017 iteration of the event). The Olympian qualified second for men in the halfpipe semifinals on March 8, behind Ayumu Hirano, but clipped the deck in finals on March 10, compressing his back. Chase finished ninth overall.
RESULTS
ALPINE
Five SVSEF athletes have qualified for U.S. Alpine National Championships, and nine have qualified for U.S. Alpine Junior National Championships; both events will be held in Sun Valley this year. Additionally, three SVSEF alumni have qualified for Nationals. Read about our qualified athletes here.
Alpine FIS
Nor Am finals are underway as of Monday in Kimberly, British Columbia. SVSEF alumni Kipling Wiesel had a solid first race, with a ninth place finish in the giant slalom. In the second giant slalom on Tuesday, he was 16th. Lily Fitzgerald did not finish her second slalom run on Monday, and Alli Rathfon did not finish her first run. Competition continued Tuesday with another slalom; Lily finished 40th overall.
ALUMNI
Haley Cutler represented the University of New Mexico at NCAA Championships in Steamboat. In the March 7 giant slalom, Haley placed 13th, and was the third UNM skier. In the slalom on March 9, she was 21st.
MOGULS
TRAVEL
SVSEF athletes competed at Junior Nationals in Park City; the event hosted athletes based on the top 60 male and female U18 athletes in the country. A highlight of the week was Sammy Smith’s victory in the F13 singles, while achieving 10th overall in a field with athletes up to age 18. Rainey Wilson took 11th for F17 (34th overall), and Luke Rizzo finished fifth in the M17 category (19th overall).
Week in Review: February 21
CROSS COUNTRY
Comp/PG
Comp and PG athletes competed in the final JNQ of the season at McCall, with a classic sprint race on Saturday and a 5/10km distance race on Sunday.
Snow flew on Saturday as SVSEF skiers found their stride on McCall’s sprint loop, which was relatively short with a steep climb mid-course. Sprints are not just one short effort; Program Director Rick Kapala described the challenges that come with sprinting. “First, there is the preliminary effort to get seeded into heats. If a skier makes it all the way to the finals, they will have raced three more races at absolute maximum effort within just a couple of hours.” In this sprint, many SVSEF skiers had their best races of the season. U18 girls had a standout showing, with three skiers qualifying for the A final; Sophia Mazzoni, Sydney Palmer-Leger and Lily Brunelle.
“The skate distance races, held at Ponderosa Park (site of the 1998 and 2002 Junior Nationals) offered the skiers a good test of their skating skills,” explained Kapala. “The course features gradual climbing throughout without much rest.” Anja Jensen powered through the hills, leading the SVSEF squad with another silver in the U16 girls division. Prep Team skier Anja Grover improved on her second from Saturday with a win in the U14 girls event on Sunday.
Saturday – Top tens in classic sprint
U18/20 Boys: Hagenbuch – 5, Will Solow – 7
U16 Boys: Cash Dart 12 – qualified 3rd
U18/20 Girls; Mazzoni – 3, Sydney Palmer Leger – 4, Lily -5, Ella – 7
U16 Girls: Anja Jensen – 2, Luci Ludwig -7
U14 Girls – Anja Grover - 2
U10 Boys – McCallen Campbell - 2
Sunday – Top tens in skate 10/5km distance
U18/20 Boys – J Hagenbuch -5, Henry Raff – 6, Will Solow – 8
U16 Boys Kai Nelson – 11, Sebi Radl Jones – 16
U18/20 Girls – Sydney Palmer Leger – 2, Eve Jensen – 6, Lily Brunelle – 11 U16 Girls – Anja Jensen – 2 , Sascha Leidecker – 7, Luci Ludwig – 9
U14 Girls - Anja Grover – 1
RESULTS
15 SVSEF cross country athletes qualify for Junior Nationals
The weekend of February 17-18 brought with it the final Intermountain qualifying event for SVSEF cross country athletes who have had their sights set on Junior Nationals this season. Junior Nationals, to be held in Soldier Hollow March 6-10, brings the top junior athletes together by region to compete for national titles.
SVSEF skiers Johnny Hagenbuch and Sydney Palmer-Leger both secured their spots at Junior Nationals at the beginning of January, when they posted top results at U.S. Nationals in Anchorage. Both Johnny and Sydney represented the U.S. at the International Scandinavian Series, held in Vuokatti, Finland, at the end of January.
The following thirteen SVSEF athletes will join Johnny and Sydney as part of the Intermountain Team, based on their results at JN Selection Series races this season. The Intermountain team, comprised of 45 athletes, will compete against over 350 other skiers from across the U.S.
In addition to these 15 skiers, alumni Peter Wolter and Eli Jensen, who ski for Middlebury College and University of Montana, respectively, have also qualified for Junior Nationals.
For more information about Junior Nationals, visit their website here.
U20 Boys (18-19)
Henry Raff – 3rd Junior Nationals
Will Solow – 3rd Junior Nationals
Drew Palmer Leger – 3rd Junior Nationals
U18 Boys (16-17)
Johnny Hagenbuch – 3rd Junior Nationals
U16 Boys (14-15)
Cash Dart – 2nd Junior Nationals
U18 Girls (16-17)
Sophia Mazzoni – 3rd Junior Nationals
Lily Brunelle = 4th Junior Nationals
Eve Jensen = 2nd Junior Nationals
Ella Wolter – 3rd Junior Nationals
Kirsys Campbell – 1st Junior Nationals
U16 Girls (14-15)
Sydney Palmer-Leger 4th Junior Nationals
Anja Jensen – 2nd Junior Nationals
Logan Smith – 1st Junior Nationals
Sascha Leidecker – 1st Junior Nationals
Luci Ludwig – 1st Junior Nationals
Gold Team: Four SVSEF Athletes Selected to Compete in Europe
An update from Head Coach Chris Mallory
Kevin Bolger, a two year post grad with SVSEF and first-year Gold Team member, put together a string of top races in Ishpeming, MI, at the recent SuperTour event. He skied away from the field to win the skate sprint Thursday, February 15, then took second and sixth in the 20km skate and 10km classic events. These results secured his position on top of the US SuperTour points list; he’ll now head to Scandinavia for Period 4 World Cup starts in Lahti, Drammen, Oslo and Falun.
Jack Hegman also had a stand out weekend, taking second in the sprint and seventh and fifth in the distance events.
Rogan Brown suffered a broken pole in the skate distance, taking him out of contention, and Matt Gelso had to sit out due to illness, but they’ll look to bounce back in this weekend’s American Birkie.
Kelsey Phinney, Jack Hegman, and Rogan Brown were selected to compete for the U.S. in the OPA Cup Finals, which get underway in March in Italy and Spain.
PARK AND PIPE
Snowboarders Payton and Zoe Bacca traveled to Maine to compete in NorAm and RevTour snowboard cross events. In NorAms at Sunday River, Payton took 16th on February 13 and 21 on February 14 in fields of 40 women. Sister Zoe competed in the RevTour on Februrary 15, where she placed 12th in snowboard cross, and was the third U16 finisher.
RESULTS - PAYTON
RESULTS - ZOE
Will Griffith competed in his first RevTour event at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. In the men’s freeski slopestyle, Will finished 26 and 27 in a field of 39 athletes, February 15-16.
RESULTS
ALPINE
FIS Wild West Snow King
The FIS series at Snow King started with women’s races and transitioned into men’s. Top finishes came for Alli Rathfon, who was 11 in the women’s giant slalom, Maddi Ferris, who also found 11 in the women’s second giant slalom. Jack Smith, who was ninth in the men’s first GS, tied for fifth with teammate Hayden Terjeson in the men’s giant slalom on February 20th. Racing finishes up with men’s slalom on the 21st.
RESULTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
Alpine: Laura Flood Memorial (24-26)
Alpine: North Series, McCall (23-25)
Alpine FIS: University Races, Steamboat (23-26)
IFSA Big Mtn: Targhee National Competition (21-25)
P&P: Aspen Open (19-25)
Cross Country Prep and Devo: Intermountain Youth Championships, Jackson (24-25)
15 SVSEF Cross Country Athletes Qualify for Junior Nationals
The weekend of February 17-18 brought with it the final Intermountain qualifying event for SVSEF cross country athletes who have had their sights set on Junior Nationals this season. Junior Nationals, to be held in Soldier Hollow March 6-10, brings the top junior athletes together by region to compete for national titles.
SVSEF skiers Johnny Hagenbuch and Sydney Palmer-Leger both secured their spots at Junior Nationals at the beginning of January, when they posted top results at U.S. Nationals in Anchorage. Both Johnny and Sydney represented the U.S. at the International Scandinavian Series, held in Vuokatti, Finland, at the end of January.
The following thirteen SVSEF athletes will join Johnny and Sydney as part of the Intermountain Team, based on their results at JN Selection Series races this season. The Intermountain team, comprised of 45 athletes, will compete against over 350 other skiers from across the U.S.
For more information about Junior Nationals, visit their website here.
U20 Boys (18-19)
Henry Raff – 3rd Junior Nationals
Will Solow – 3rd Junior Nationals
Drew Palmer Leger – 3rd Junior Nationals
U18 Boys (16-17)
Johnny Hagenbuch – 3rd Junior Nationals
U16 Boys (14-15)
Cash Dart – 2nd Junior Nationals
U18 Girls (16-17)
Sophia Mazzoni – 3rd Junior Nationals
Lily Brunelle = 4th Junior Nationals
Eve Jensen = 2nd Junior Nationals
Ella Wolter – 3rd Junior Nationals
Kirsys Campbell – 1st Junior Nationals
U16 Girls (14-15)
Sydney Palmer-Leger 4th Junior Nationals
Anja Jensen – 2nd Junior Nationals
Logan Smith – 1st Junior Nationals
Sascha Leidecker – 1st Junior Nationals
Luci Ludwig – 1st Junior Nationals
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 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.
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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
Bumps, Jumps, Air, Park & Pipe: 2016 Junior National Freestyle/Freeskiing Championships
Junior Freestyle/Freeskiing National Championships featured SVSEF athletes on their home terrain.
Despite warm temperatures and the occasional spattering of rain, Junior Freestyle/Freeskiing National Championship events were beautifully orchestrated and well-attended in Sun Valley this past week. Athletes from across the country brought their A-game to the slopes of Baldy and Dollar mountains, where they competed March 10-13.
It was a big undertaking, and Freestyle and Freeskiing Program Director Andy Ware acknowledged the effort that went in to making the event a success.
Said Ware, “I love this community. We took on one of the largest and most difficult USSA freestyle and freeskiing events to produce and not only made it happen, we made it an incredible experience for everyone who participated. Those were the worst weather conditions we could have had and [we] still pulled off events. Many of the teams and families from around the country have never been to the Wood River Valley and they were amazed not just with the beauty of it but with the welcoming feeling of everyone here.”
Thursday was the first day of competition; the men took to the moguls, while the women started off with slopestyle. On Friday, roles were reversed; the men competed in slopestyle, while the women attacked the mogul course. Alex LaFleur skied strongly to 14th place overall in the men’s mogul, the best finish by a SVSEF skier in eight years in the event. SVSEF’s Hunter Diehl was third in his age class. In the women’s slopestyle, Hanna Blackwell was third in her age class. On Friday Alvaro Jiraldo skied well in the men’s slopestyle event and took home 24th overall and eighth in his age class. Sammy Smith, who competed in the women’s moguls, was 29th overall as an F11; she was one of the youngest competitors out there.
Competition continued on Saturday with the halfpipe at Dollar Mountain and aerials at Baldy on Roundhouse slope. Jed Waters finished in 16th in the men’s halfpipe, while the women had a strong showing with fourth, seventh and eighth place finishes by Hanna Blackwell, Liesl Beyer and Amanda Brown.
The week of events ended Sunday with the big air competition at Dollar and the dual mogul competition for both men and women on Roundhouse slope. Jedson Waters finished in the top 20 in the big air event, taking 14th overall. Hanna Blackwell finished the weekend on a high note with a fifth place finish on the women’s side.
Commented Ware on the events overall, “It was an amazing display of athleticism from athletes around the country on both Baldy and Dollar. Watching kids perform such incredibly difficult aerial maneuvers and skiing so fast with so much competitive pressure on them is just incredible.”
The professionalism and care put into making the competition a great one would not have been possible without help from the local community. Ware noted, “I am so grateful to our local sponsors; Atkinson’s Markets and Sun Valley Sotheby’s Realty, Dembergh Brown Builders and Sturtevants Mtn. Outfitters. The many parent volunteers who donated their time, the SVSEF and the Sun Valley Company for putting so many people and resources towards this event.”
Results:
Overall top 3/SVSEF members
Men’s Moguls, March 10
- Abe Studler, M19, Eastern
- Jack Kariotis, M19, Intermountain
- Jesse Andringa, M19, Rocky
SVSEF athletes:
14- Alex LaFleur, M17
38- Wilson Dunn, M17
39- Hunter Diehl, M15
49- Henry Cherp, M15
65- Luke Rizzo, M15
Women’s Slopestyle, March 10
- Rell Harwood, F15, Intermountain
- Marin Hamill, F15, Intermountain
- Caroline Claire, F17, Eastern
SVSEF athletes:
- Hanna Blackwell, F17
Men’s Slopestyle, March 11
- Quinn Wolferman, M19, Northern
- Joseph Lauer, M19, Intermountain
- Nathan Miceli, M19, Intermountain
SVSEF athletes:
24- Alvaro Jiraldo, M17
26- Jed Waters, M15
82- Will Griffith, M17
Women’s Moguls, March 11
- Olivia Giaccio, F17, Rocky
- Hannah Soar, F17, Eastern
- Maggie Ryan, F19, Rocky
SVSEF athletes:
29- Sammy Smith, F11
43- Katie Markthaler, F15
55- Devon Brown, F17
56- Eliza Marks, F15
58- Addie Rafford, F15
Men’s Halfpipe, March 12
- Cody LaPlante, M15, Far West
- Felix Coudouy, M17, Rocky
- Keenan McIntyre, M19, Rocky
SVSEF:
16- Jed Waters, M15
21- Joey Markthaler, M13
22- Ridge Dirksmeier, M13
27- Will Griffith, M17
29- George Murray, M13
30- Sam Ware, M13
36- Trey Potter, M19
37- Charlie Price, M13
38- Alvaro Jiraldo, M17
53- Dylan Mills, M13
59- Lachlan McFarland, M13
61- Luke Higgins, M13
Women’s Halfpipe, March 12
- Marin Hamill, F15, Intermountain
- Zoe Atkin, F13, Intermountain
- Svea Irving, F15, Rocky
SVSEF:
4- Hanna Blackwell, F17, Intermountain
7- Liesl Beyer, F11, Intermountain
8- Amanda Brown, F13, Intermountain
Men’s Aerials, March 12
- Patrick O’Flynn, M19, Eastern
- Michael Lillis, M17, Eastern
- Justin Schoenefeld, M19, Central
Women’s Aerials, March 12
- Winter Vinecki, F19, Intermountain
- Megan Smallhouse, F15, Eastern
- Tyra Izor, F19, Eastern
Men’s Big Air, March 13
- Kiernan Fagan, M15, Rocky
- Scott McLaughlin, M19, Northern
- Mac Forehand, M15, Eastern
SVSEF:
14- Jedson Waters, M15
44- Ridge Dirksmeier, M13
25- Will Griffith, M17
35- Alvaro Jiraldo, M17
43- Joey Markthaler, M13
76- Trey Potter, M19
Women’s Big Air, March 13
- Caroline Claire, F17, Eastern
- Isabella Gold, F19, Far West
- Nikita Rubocki, F17, Intermountain
SVSEF:
5- Hanna Blackwell, F17
Men’s Dual Moguls, March 13
- Abe Studler, M19, Eastern
- Jesse Andringa, M19, Rocky
- George McQuinn, M19, Rocky
Women’s Dual Moguls, March 13
- Hallee Ray, F19, Rocky
- Sophia Marseilles, F19, Far West
- Hannah Soar, F17, Eastern
USSA FREESKIING/FREESTYLE COMPLETE RESULTS
HALFPIPE - USSA JR Champs 2016_HP
SLOPESTYLE - USSA JR Champs 2016_SS
AERIALS - USSA JR Champs 2016_AE
BIG AIR - USSA JR Champs 2016_BA
SINGLE MOGULS - USSA JR Champs 2016_MO
DUAL MOGULS - dualsofficialresults
COMBINED RESULTS/FREESTYLE USSA JR Champs 2016 Combined
COMBINED RESULTS/FREESKIING USSA JR Champs 2016 Freeskiing Combined
