Athlete Profile: Sascha Leidecker
SASCHA LEIDECKER
Cross Country Comp Team
AGE
15
SCHOOL
wood river high school
YEARS WITH SVSEF
seven
OTHER ACTIVITIES/HOBBIES
debate, ballet, jazz, school
LUNCH WITH ANYONE
rowan blanchard
ONE FOOD FOR REST OF YOUR LIFE
definitely ice cream
LOOKING FORWARD TO
debate and ski season next year
BEST RICK KAPALA-ISM
"go like a RB"
MOST USED EMOJI
😂
Congratulations to the Class of 2017
Graduation from high school is a milestone for SVSEF athletes, and not just from an academic perspective. Student-athletes who have participated in SVSEF programming have managed to juggle academic requirements with time-intensive training and competition schedules – not to mention all of the other hobbies and interests they have invested in beyond school and snowsports. This year, SVSEF saw 19 student-athletes graduate from high school and from the organization; 16 from Community School and three from Wood River High School. Of those, 10 athletes have made their way through the programs and teams of SVSEF since they were 12 years old or younger.
Twelve SVSEF athletes are going on to top colleges and universities across the country. Making the transition to higher education programs are Brody Buchwalter (Montana State), Cooper Dart (Bowdoin College), Blake Deilke (University of Denver), Lukas DeWolfe (University of Puget Sound), Addy Jacobsen (Western State University), Kiran Merchant (Brown University), Keene Morawitz (Dartmouth College), Katelyn Rathfon (St. Mary’s College of California), Sage Rheinschild (Santa Barbara City College), Nikki Sabiers (Montana State Honors Program), Alexandra Schaffner (Whitman College), and Peter Wolter (Middlebury College). Keene Morawitz and Peter Wolter will both continue in their sport of cross country skiing at their respective schools; Keene will represent the Big Green at Dartmouth, and Peter will race for the Panthers at Middlebury.
Six graduates will be staying with SVSEF for a post grad year on the alpine FIS team. John Blackburn (deferred at Montana State University), Charlie Lamb, Noah Leininger, Erin Smith, Hayden Terjeson and Spencer Wright (deferred at University of Denver) will continue to train and compete under the tutelage of top FIS coaches here in the Wood River Valley.
The final graduate is Filippo Collini, who attended Community School as an international student and was a member of the FIS team. Filippo will return to Italy for another year of school.
With the graduation of our athletes, we look forward to seeing how courage will supersede conformity, how passion will dispel fear of failure, how a sense of self will bolster resilience, and how all of these qualities will support an inclination to embrace opportunity, gain new perspective and continue to grow as individuals and as community members. Congratulations, Class of 2017!
Bacca Sisters Qualify for 2017 Project Gold Snowboardcross Camp
Bacca sisters Payton, 15, and Zoe, 13, have qualified to attend the 2017 Project Gold Snowboardcross Camp, held Jun 11-21 at Mt. Hood, Oregon. Invitations were based on finishes from the Revolution Tour, Hole Shot, USASA Nationals and selected outstanding performances. Attendees will have access to training with the U.S. Snowboarding Team and with top coaches from across the country on a private full-length training course. A total of 44 athletes have been invited.
Both Payton and Zoe had consistent, solid results this season, often making their way onto the podium. Beyond regional and national competition, Payton was selected to represent the U.S. at FIS Snowboard Junior World Championships in Klinovec, Czech Republic, in February.
SVSEF FIS Skiers, Alums Make Their Mark at U.S. Nationals
Nine current and former SVSEF athletes made the cut to compete at U.S. Alpine Nationals, held at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine, March 25-28. This is the most that have qualified for national championships since the early 90s. Athletes competed across super G, slalom and giant slalom events. As stated by USSA, "the U.S. Championships are a vital part of the USSA's national development program, pitting top club athletes from regional teams around America against U.S. Ski Team veterans from the Audi FIS Ski World Cup tour." The newly instated U19 and U21 Junior National Championships followed right on the heels of Nationals, March 29-30.
RESULTS:
3/25: Super G
Haley Cutler – 10th
Skylar Cooley – 18th
Kipling Weisel (alum/Gold athlete) – 5th
Tanner Farrow (alum) – 23rd
John Blackburn – 45th
Yuri McClure – 48th
3/26: Slalom
Cutler – 40
Cooley – DNF 1st run
Will Snyder (alum) – 29th
McClure – DNF 1st run
Blackburn – DNF 1st
Weisel – DNF 2nd run
Farrow – DNF 2nd run
3/27: Women’s Giant Slalom
Cutler – 9th
Cooley – DNF 1st run
3/28: Men’s Giant Slalom
Weisel – 10th
McClure – DNF 1st run
Blackburn – DNF 1st run
Snyder – DNF 1st run
Farrow – DNS 2nd run
3/29: U.S. Junior Nationals Giant Slalom
Cutler – 5th
Cooley – 24th
Blackburn – DNF
McClure – 39th
The Week in Review: 2/14/17
I AM SVSEF
ALPINE: Kaia Jensen is this week’s I am SVSEF athlete. Says coach Brett Morris, “Kaia has been working really hard all year and especially these past couple of weeks, going out on her own repeatedly working on drills and trying to make some adjustments to here skiing. Additionally, her attitude has been phenomenal, always keeping positive and trying to see the best in situations even when results aren’t going her way. At Schweitzer speed Kaia, entering her first FIS speed (DH and SG) series did a great job. She got down from one run of SG and had the biggest grin on her face just from the thrill and joy of running the course. Her time didn’t matter; she just had pure fun.”
CROSS COUNTRY: According to Dave Bingham, Cross Country Devo Head Coach, “Zach Quesnel is one of those first-to-come, last-to-leave kids that shows up ready to rock. As a lead dog of the hard charging “Omega” Team, Zach dives in to every practice like a golden lab goes after a thrown stick. Despite a somewhat quiet demeanor, Zach manages to project an enthusiasm for sport that fellow athletes just want to be part of. Not surprisingly, Zack’s mom and uncles are all SVSEF alumni, solid community contributors, and just plain great folks. Congrats to Zach for being coaches’ pick for athlete of the week!”
FREESTYLE: This past competition, coaches saw a lot of progress in Luke Rizzo’s skiing. Dedication to his workouts during the year have moved him up through the rankings. Luke is polite, respectful, consistently there and puts in the work; he is an exceptional role model for the younger athletes growing up in the program.
PARK & PIPE: Ridge Dirksmeier is at every practice, giving 100% and pushing himself and his teammates to be their best selves. A quality that is important for making improvements is a good attitude; Ridge certainly brings this, and is open to learning more about the sport and what he can do to make strides.
THE WEEK IN REVIEW – 2/14/17
Alpine
FIS/USSA Teams – Laura Flood Memorial Cup
The Laura Flood Memorial Cup took place last weekend on Baldy, despite heavy rain that closed down the mountain for two consecutive days. This was a U16 qualifier, as well as an open USSA race. All teams decided to stay an extra day and race on Monday – a race occurrence – since the event was a qualifier and conditions ended up working out. A huge thank you goes out to Sun Valley Company, SVSEF staff and all of the volunteers who made this event a resounding success, despite the extreme weather and the conditions and changes that ensued.
Snow conditions set up to be extremely icy – Will Brandenburg, SVSEF Head USSA Coach and a former World Cup and Olympic skier, observed that “it ended up setting up like a World Cup venue for the GS race on Monday – it was the type of surface that people try to make – we got lucky.”
Strong results came from both FIS and USSA athletes. SVSEF women took five of the top ten spots in both slaloms events, with Lily Fitzgerald taking the win on Saturday and Merumo Ishimaru claiming first on Sunday. The men took went one through four on Saturday, with Charlie Lamb claiming victory. They took three of the top ten spots on Sunday; Filippo Collini was first, followed by Bennett Snyder in second. FIS athlete Haley Cutler won the women’s giant slalom on Monday, with teammate Alli Rathfon in second. Maddie Ferris broke the top ten, finishing sixth. The men finished strong, with five in the top ten on the final day of the weekend. Filippo Collini again took the win.
Emma MacGuffie earned the unofficial move-up award for the weekend, cruising from starts in the 80s into the top 15 and top 10 in the two slalom events, securing a spot for regionals. The SVSEF U16 athletes have proven their strength as a unit this season, having secured a win at every U16 event throughout the last two qualifiers – in 12 races total, SVSEF has had seven different winners – Lily Fitzgerald, Bennett Snyder, Jack Smith, Merumo Ishimaru, Buey Grossman, Alli Rathfon and Wyatt Barth have all reached the top of the podium.
The overall Laura Flood Memorial Cup winners this year were Filippo Collini and Merumo Ishimaru. The overall award is based on the second slalom race and the giant slalom, as the event has historically featured these two events. Filippo won the men’s slalom on Sunday, as well as the giant slalom on Monday. Merumo won the Sunday slalom and was 29th in the giant slalom.
Full results here
FIS Team
Three FIS athletes competed at FIS-sanctioned races in Copper over the past week, which saw top racers from throughout North America, as well as a few U.S. Ski Team World Cup speed racers. Haley Cutler finished the nine-race series with five top-15 overall finishes, helping her earn 11th place overall in the final Nor-Am Series Downhill standings. On top of that, she secured a top-10 finish in the U.S. National Championship Downhill race, also held at Copper.
This was Erin Smith’s second Nor-Am Series; the athlete managed to score her first Nor-Am Series points (these are given to the top 30 overall finishers). Skylar Cooley, despite having just come off a nasty flu, earned her first Nor-Am at Copper, from Nor-Am points earned in the super-G races.
Coach Brett Jacobsen applauded the athletes for their “hard work, solid attitudes and impressive skiing” in a high-caliber field.
Full results here
Cross Country
Comp/Prep Teams
Cross country Comp and Prep skiers competed in their final JNQ at West Yellowstone. Saturday was a skate sprint; the snow set up really well and the crew did a great job grooming, following a day of rain and sloppy snow on Friday. There were a number of SVSEF athletes who had their best-ever results on Saturday. Katherine Estep had her best result to date, finishing fifth overall and reaching the A final. Keene Morawitz had his best skate sprint result, qualifying for the B final. Lily Brunelle also made B finals. Overall, it was a good day for SVSEF, and the race helped solidify qualifying for Junior Nationals for a number of athletes.
The final JNQ race on Sunday was a classic mass start. Highlights for the day were Peter Wolter skiing to a win in the U18/U20 men’s 10km, in his last effort as a SVSEF athlete. Eli Jensen brought up a solid fourth. Henry Raff and Andrew Siegel both secured positions on the Intermountain JN team. PG skier Sarah Goble, despite battling illness all weekend, still managed to ski to third. In the men’s U16 race, Johnny Hagenbuch was third in a closely contested race. The U16 girls had a strong day, taking first, third and fourth; Sophia Mazzoni took the win, skiing hard off the front of the pack. Laine Allison threw down a big result, out-lunging teammate Anja Jensen for third and cementing her position for Junior Nationals.
SVSEF qualified 13 athletes overall to represent the Intermountain Division at Junior Nationals. On top of that, Sarah Goble, a PG skier, will represent the Great Lakes region, and Bentley Walker-Broose will compete as a guest skier; he is an Australian athlete who has been training and racing with SVSEF.
SVSEF athletes qualified for Junior Nationals:
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
Full results here
Full IMD JNQ rankings here
Freestyle
Freestyle athletes were in Deer Valley, Utah for moguls and duals. Athletes competed on the longest course they have been on to date, and one of the toughest; it was used a week previous as a World Cup competition venue, with Olympic-caliber athletes competing. The course was 250 meters long, which is a quarter longer than the average mogul course.
A heavy downpour of rain plagued training on Friday, before it transitioned to snow, making conditions more challenging on Saturday with six to eight new inches. On Sunday, everything froze; with an icy, hard surface, conditions were tough.
Saturday was a singles event, with tough competition on the men’s side in the form of former U.S. team members. SVSEF had four athletes in the top 15 in the men’s competition and five in the top 10 in the ladies’ event; the highlight was an overall win for 11-year old Sammy Smith in a field of athletes up to eight years her senior, who threw a 360 to a backflip. (Sammy’s performance over the weekend qualified her for Nationals, which will have to wait, as the minimum age requirement to compete is 14.) In the men’s competition, Alex LaFleur was eighth, Brody Buchwalter 10th, Henry Cherp 11th and Luke Rizzo 12th. In the ladies’ event, Sammy was first, Addie Rafford wasn’t far behind in fourth, Esmee Verheijen finished seventh, Katie Markthaler ninth and Eliza Marks tenth.
Sunday’s first competition was a singles run to seed for duals later that day. Addie Rafford was second overall and Sammy Smith third. Luke Rizzo led the SVSEF men in fourth, followed by Alex LaFleur in fifth. Toby Rafford, a young gun, had a stand out performance with a sixth place finish, and Ben Anderson made the top ten in seventh. Toby hung with the older athletes and was able to qualify for Junior Nationals. Luke’s result helped him qualify for Nationals, which are at Steamboat at the end of March.
In duals, Luke was fourth and Alex fifth. Addie finished on the podium in second for the ladies, Sammy Smith was fourth and Rainey Wilson was eighth.
This was the last event for Intermountain qualification for Junior Nationals. A full list will be released next week of qualified athletes.
Full results here
Snowboard
Phebe Erickson and Aidan Green competed in Mammoth at the Rev Tour, despite the rugged weather that shut down the freeski aspect. Phebe finished 18th in the women’s field of 50 and Aidan was 17th in the men’s competition.
Payton Bacca just left for Junior Worlds in the Czech Republic yesterday, to represent the U.S. in boardercross. The event takes place February 18.
The Snowboard Team had a small crew head over to Bogus Basin for the USASA slopestyle event. Nico and Sebastian Lerner, Maddie and Caleb Hothem Chelsea Kelley from Australia competed for SVSEF. Everyone came home with some hardware; Nico got fjrst in his age division, Sebastian secured a win and Caleb was second in their division, Maddie Hothem was first for girls, and Chelsea finished first for the younger girls’ division.
Freeski
Freeskiing events at the Mammoth stop on the Toyota U.S. Revolution Tour were cancelled due to weather (wind, heavy snow). The next stop is Seven Springs, PA, March 6-8, and will feature freeski halfpipe and slopestyle.
The Jackson Hole Big Mtn. West Series was also cancelled due to weather. A couple of SVSEF athletes who live in Boise decided to stay home and compete in a USASA slopestyle event at Bogus Basin; Kyle Kope ended up in third place, and Ryan Dobi was first in his age group. Results have not yet been posted.
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SVSEF Achieves USSA Gold Level Club Certification
The United States Ski and Snowboard association (USSA) announced that it has elevated SVSEF’s club certification from Silver, which was originally awarded in 2014, to Gold, the highest honor possible. According to USSA, “this level of certification is intended for clubs that are Best in the World. These clubs serve as a model, both organizationally and athletically, and are resources to the sport as a whole in the U.S.” The designation of a club as Gold level is not an examination, but rather an opportunity for USSA to assess a club’s current situation and determine areas of need. Gold certified clubs possess a heightened level of accountability to maintain and build upon areas of both strength and improvement, to ensure the longevity and stability of the organization and to help, through feedback and observation, to grow the cumulative strength of clubs throughout regions and across the country.
Commented Ellen Adams, Club Development Manager for USSA, “USSA’s Podium Club Certification Program is designed to recognize excellence and create a platform for continued improvement. The process to achieve Podium level certification involves a rigorous, mission driven self-assessment and review of best principles and practices in eight areas of organizational performance. As a Gold certified club, SVSEF has demonstrated excellence in all areas and is recognized as an important partner of USSA and a leader among USSA Clubs. We look forward to continuing to work together.”
SVSEF is honored to receive this premier recognition from the national governing body of our sports, and to be included as one of the very best junior snowsport programs in the nation. Other Gold level clubs include Burke Mountain Academy, Mammoth Mountain Ski and Snowboard Team, Stratton Mountain School and Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, to name a few. In conjunction with Gold level status, SVSEF will have access to heightened professional development opportunities for staff, support from club development expert consultants, discounted rates on consulting services, and the opportunity to be considered for the USSA High Performance Club Partnership Program, which opens up the potential for designation as a U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team development site or high performance center.
“SVSEF’s new certification level combined with the U.S. Olympic Committee classification as an official Olympic Training Site clearly identifies SVSEF sport programs as setting an extremely high standard of quality, direction and content,” said Phil McNichol, SVSEF Athletic Director. “These accolades help assure we are striving in the right direction to reach our mission, which is ‘to provide exceptional snowsport programs for the youth of the Wood River Valley thereby enabling each participant to reach his/her athletic potential, while developing strong personal character through good sportsmanship, strong values, and individual goals.’”
Open a Free Checking Account with SVSEF Partner Washington Federal
SVSEF families are invited to open a Washington Federal free Simple Checking account; it only takes a $100 initial deposit to get going. There are no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements (you can have only one penny in the account and not get a fee), plus online tools and debit cards included as well at no cost. For more information or to sign up today, visit Washington Federal at 460 E Sun Valley Rd. #101 in Ketchum, or contact Jessica Juarez (208) 726-1300.
View the PDF here for more information.
SVSEF Athletes Get in the Spirit at Olympic Day
At six feet, four inches, Dick Fosbury towers above the group of SVSEF athletes as they prepare for Olympic Day festivities. In contrast to his stature as an Olympic gold medalist, the words he shares are relatable and down to earth. Fosbury recounts the history of the Olympics, and explains that the spirit of the Games – which have persisted despite various forms of unease and tension afflicting the people and countries of this world – is what underlies the celebration of Olympic Day. The event has taken place each year since 1948, with the intention of promoting fitness, well-being and culture for youth across the United States and the world. Friendship, excellence and respect are championed in the kids’ activities and games, just as they are in the competitions that take place on the world stage.
Joining Olympian Dick Fosbury last Friday, who won gold in the 1968 Summer Olympics in the high jump with his famed “Fosbury Flop,” was fellow local Olympian Reggie Crist. Crist raced in the men’s downhill in the 1992 Winter Olympics and was critical in the development of the sport of ski cross.
Sixty SVSEF athletes converged on the Community School’s Sagewillow Farm premises for games and competitions. Divided into nine teams named after local Olympians and Paralympians, including Kaitlyn Farrington, Picabo Street, Christin Cooper, Graham Watanabe, Gretchen Fraser, Susie and Pete Patterson, Muffy Davis, Crist and Fosbury, athletes tackled a total of 13 relay challenges with fervor and enthusiasm. Across the field and back, athletes balanced eggs on spoons, jump roped, ran in alpine boots and skillfully coordinated human conveyor belts and leap frog. Much liberty was taken as far as rules and regulations were concerned, but it was all in good fun. As is tradition, the relays ended with a full-fledged pie fight; not an athlete emerged from the battle unscathed.
The John R. Kalik True North awards were presented to three SVSEF student-athletes in accordance with Olympic Day. The award is given in honor of John R. Kalik, who was passionate about the area, the outdoors and living life fully. John passed away in a 1980 plane crash at the age of 24.
Alpine Program Director Scott McGrew beautifully articulated the meaning and significance of this award. “Tenacity, grit, and perseverance are core values that come from this journey and the True North is a way for us to acknowledge, celebrate and inspire those values throughout our community. At times the seas are rough and we lose our way through life’s storms. The True North serves as a metaphor to help us navigate the challenges that life presents; core values don’t change with circumstances…that is the spirit of the award and a representation of our heart as an organization.”
Athletes must be a rising junior or senior to have been considered for the award, and recipients were chosen based on an essay they wrote addressing the topic, “What have you learned about yourself as a member of SVSEF and how is this important in your day-to-day life?”
Recipients will receive half off tuition for the upcoming season, along with an engraved True North compass, courtesy of Anne Kalik, John’s sister. This year’s recipients were Hanna Blackwell (freestyle/freeskiing/snowboarding), Kirsys Campbell (nordic) and Noah Leininger (alpine). Hanna is a member of the Freeskiing A Team and will be a junior at Wood River High School this coming fall. Kirsys will also be a junior and skis on the Nordic Comp Team. Noah skis on the Alpine FIS Team and will be a senior this year.
SVSEF athletes Noah Leininger and Hanna Blackwell receive the John R. Kalik True North Award from Interim Executive Director Sam Adicoff. Missing from the photo is the third recipient, Kirsys Campbell, who was unable to attend.
Anne Kalik left the award recipients with a few words to remember. “To the three athletes who received the True North awards today, it seems if you have found some inner compass deep inside: a light to guide you to become your best, true self. Congratulations and may it always be so!”
We’d like to thank all of our athletes who participated and their parents, as well as Anne Kalik, photographer Glen Allison, Lutz Rental, Color Haus, Albertson’s, Olympians Dick Fosbury and Reggie Crist, SVSEF Gold Team athletes and coaches and staff for their help in putting on a successful day of games and good fun.