In a strong field of Western Region Tech Series alpine ski racers, 16-year-old Teagen Palmer of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation placed fifth of 50 two-run finishers in Wednesday's women's giant slalom.
Palmer, the second J2 (ages 15-16) finisher, had the sixth-fastest first heat on Park City's CB's run in Utah and ended up only 1.13 seconds behind the winning time of 2006 Olympian Matea Ferk, 23, of Croatia.
It was a SVSEF highlight of the first three days of the four-day U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Tech Series that attracted 190 of the West's most promising junior racers to Park City and Snowbird re-sorts.
Palmer also won the J2 class and was ninth overall in Tues-day's slalom race at Snowbird.
Another SVSEF racer, 22-year-old Miles Fink-Debray, captured the bronze medal po-sition in third place of Tues-day's men's GS at Park City, just .38 seconds behind winner Seppi Stiegler of Denver Uni-versity. There were 128 starters in that race.
Here are results, omitting only Thursday's men's GS at Park City and women's slalom at Snowbird:
Jan. 12, women's GS at Park City: 5—Teagen Palmer (2-J2). 13—Amanda Stelling (5-J2). 23—Sierra Fox (14-J1)—50 finishers, 75 starters..
Jan. 12, men's SL at Snowbird: 28—Bergen Palmer (15-J1). 36—Miles Sweek (20-J1). 40—Harlan Collins (23-J1). 42—Kipling Weisel (6-J2). DNF—Miles Fink-Debray (5th-best first run), Tanner Farrow and Tanner Dirstine—82 finishers, 115 starters.
Jan. 11, women's SL at Snow-bird: 9—Teagen Palmer (1-J2). 27—Stelling (4-J2). 31—Fox (16-J1)—57 finishers, 86 starters.
Jan. 11, men's GS at Park City: 3—Fink-Debray. 33—Tanner Farrow (11-J1). 38—Collins (14-J1). 52—Sweek (22-J1). 57—Bergen Palmer (24-J1). 64—Dirstine (27-J1). 82—Weisel (14-J2)—93 finishers, 128 starters.
Jan. 10, women's GS at Park City: 14—Lauren Eder (Denver Uni-versity). 18—Teagen Palmer (2-J2). 42--Stelling (6-J2). DNF—Fox—81 finishers, 99 starters.
Jan. 10, men's SL at Snowbird: 34—Farrow (12-J1). 53—Bergen Palmer (23-J1). 72—Weisel (15-J2). DNF—Dirstine, Sweek and Collins—83 finishers, 121 starters.
