For the week of March 20 - 26, 2002

Alpine skiers off to Junior Olympics

From Sun Valley, Hailey

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Getting ready for their trip to Junior Olympics are members of the Sun Valley Ski Team, posing at the base of Warm Springs. From left, coach Hank Minor, J1 Jessica Hamilton, J3 Taylor Stoecklein, J2 Laura Durkheimer, J4 Shanny Cohen, J1 Luke Speer, J3 Cassidy Doucette, J3 Kristian Timmons, J3 Lauren Eder, J3 Laura Speck, J3 Dixon Mooseau, J3 Lauren Parsons and J2 Amy Alexander. Other skiers chosen for the big meet were packing and didn’t make the picture. Courtesy photo by David Wheelock.

Thirty-four Sun Valley and Hailey alpine skiers have been chosen for Intermountain Division teams heading west for three separate season-ending Western Region competitions.

·  The Chevy Truck USSA Western J1/J2 Olympics March 18-24 at Mt. Bachelor, Ore. will feature some of the Sun Valley Ski Team’s best skiers in the 15-19 year-old classes.

Representing the Sun Valley girls will be Laura Durkheimer and Jessica Hamilton plus Hailey Duke of Boise State University. The Sun Valley boys are Sean Higgins, Jason Eder, Zac Brown, Marcus Acker, Luke Speer and Wes Powell.

·  The Chevy Truck USSA Western J3 Olympics/J4 Festival is March 20-24 at Mt. Hood Meadows, Ore. Generally, the competitors are ages 12-14.

Selected as J3s were Lauren Eder, Cassidy Doucette, Laura Speck and Lauren Parsons, all of the Sun Valley Ski Team.

The J3 boys from Sun Valley are Dixon Mooseau, Kristian Timmons, Willi Cannell and Taylor Stoecklein, plus independent Miles Fink-Debray. Picked from the Hailey Ski Team were Dewey Moss, John D. Anderson and Luke Chaney.

Alternates from the J3 ranks were John D. Davidson, Ben Luck and Corey Bellinger.

Among J4s picked for the big meet were Shanny Cohen and Tristan Brown of Sun Valley, and Barrett Cincotta of Hailey.

·  10 Sun Valley Ski Team racers have been chosen for the Intermountain team competing at this week’s Western FIS Technical Championships in California.

The girls are Sage Pressman, Langely McNeal, Charlotte Gourlay, Amy Alexander, Tracy Chubb and Abby Dubois. The boys are Michael McClure, Slater Storey, Matt Job and Cameron Minor.

 

Two podiums at Bachelor

Sun Valley Ski Team racer Wes Powell, 17, clocked the fastest second-run time to win the silver medal in Monday’s Western Region J1/J2 Olympics men’s giant slalom race at Mt. Bachelor, Ore.

Powell (2:30.49) placed second .71 seconds behind winner Ted Ligety, 17, of Park City. Sun Valley’s Zac Brown (2:31.31) took the bronze in the field of 97 men on Thunderbird.

Other Sun Valley GS finishes on Monday: 23—Jason Eder. 42—Marcus Acker. 55—Luke Speer. Sean Higgins was a first-run DNF.

Sun Valley’s Laura Durkheimer, 16, was fifth and Hailey Duke 10th in Sunday’s women’s GS won by Oregon’s Polly Hopkins, 17. There were 64 women.

The remaining J1/J2 Olympics schedule at Bend: Tuesday, women’s super giant slalom; Friday, downhill; Saturday, men’s SG; and Sunday, slalom for men and women.

 

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