Rusch to receive national honor in San Diego
Ketchum endurance athlete Rebecca Rusch, 42, will be honored with the Singletrack.com "Mountain Biker of the Year" title presented by the Competitor Group during the Endurance LIVE awards gala Saturday, Jan. 22 in San Diego, Ca. She is the three-time 24-Hour Solo World Mountain Bike queen. Visit rebeccarusch.com.
Arritola, Hamilton on U.S. World Championship team
Ketchum's Morgan Arritola, 24, and Simi Hamilton, 23, of Aspen, Colo. were among 14 American cross-country skiers named Jan. 12 to the 2011 U.S. Nordic World Championship Team headed for the Holmenkollen at Oslo, Norway Feb. 24-March 6. They will compete in 10 races over 11 days at Oslo.
Teton Ridge Classic cross-country
Ketchum's Jon Engen (1.21:29) led the 28-kilometer (17.4-mile) cross-country ski racers in the eighth annual Teton Ridge Classic race Jan. 15 in eastern Idaho. Del Pletcher (1.37:24) placed 12th overall of 67 racers at the long distance and won the men's 65-69 age class. Muffy Ritz (1.38:32) was the second woman overall. And Richard Knoebel (1.39:04) was 16th, age 55-59 winner.
Among 35 finishers at the 14k (8.6-mile) distance, Dick Andersen (55:32) was second overall and the men's 60-64 winner. Joni Cashman (1.02:54) was second woman overall, winner of the 55-59 class. And Charley French, 84, was 19th overall with a final time of 1.07:44. Check today's Web site for complete results.
Rev Tour at Mt. Hood Meadows
Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Freestyle Team coaches Clint Lightner and Al Lanning took the Park/Pipe team to Oregon's Mt. Hood Meadows last week for the USSA Revolution Tour. Despite steady rain Thursday, Sun Valley athletes shined. Ben Parker had an outstanding run to claim fifth place of 39 competitors in skier slopestyle, Trevor Hattabaugh earned seventh of 22 in halfpipe and Renee Shapiro made the podium in third place halfpipe. Other results: Parker 17th halfpipe, Hattabaugh 23rd slopestyle, Nathan Moses 30th in SS and 21st in HP, River Kelly 34th in SS and 18th HP, and John Chrysikopoulos 39th in SS.
Meanwhile, SVSEF Snowboard Team's Ryan Roemer finished as the second J2 and ninth qualifier of 39 in Thursday's Rev Tour snowboardcross event at Mt. Hood Meadows.
New title sponsor for Janss Pro-Am
There is a new title sponsor for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation's Janss Pro-Am Classic, according to the SVSEF Web site. It is Stifel Nicolaus Weisel, the investment banking platform of Stifel Nicolaus & Co.—a leading investment bank focused mainly on the middle market.
Event registration is now open for the 2011 Janss Pro-Am Classic set for April 7-9 at Sun Valley Resort. Called "the best party on snow," it is a leading fundraiser for the SVSEF. Call Kate Berman 720-6789 or visit svsef.org to sign up.
Super Bowl benefit raffle Sunday
Help a local youth group raise money for a mission trip to Zambia in the summer of 2011 by buying tickets in a Super Bowl raffle Sunday, Jan. 23 from 6-8 p.m. at McClain's Pizzeria, Hailey. All proceeds will benefit the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood's youth mission trip to Zambia. Buy raffle tickets at the event for $10 each or 12 for $100. You can also buy tickets prior to Sunday from the "Impact Ndola" mission team. The raffle winner can use the package (airfare, tickets, hotel) in 2011, 2012 or 2013.
Western Region Tech Series wraps up
In the men's giant slalom at Park City and women's slalom at Snowbird, Utah, the USSA Western Region Tech Series finished up Thursday, Jan. 13 with these results for Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation racers. Women: 15—Sierra Fox (8-J1). DNF—Teagen Palmer and Amanda Stelling. Men: 22—Harlan Collins (13-J1). 40—Tanner Dirstine (21-J1). DNF—Tanner Farrow, Bergen Palmer and Kipling Weisel.
Alpine racers in Wyoming for Barron Speed Series
Although several super giant slalom races were canceled by weather conditions, the Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club still managed to stage its Wes Barron Speed Series at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 15-16.
The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation sent 31 skiers in the J3 (ages 13-14) and J4 (11-12) classes. In all, there were 124 racers in the J3 class from Idaho, Wyoming and Utah, and another 31 in the J4 groups.
Jordan Fitzgerald captured a pair of third-place bronze medal finishes in the J3 girls' category. Making the podium in J4 were Yuri McClure and Sage Rheinschild in second places, and Margot Griffith in third place.
Most of the racing occurred Saturday and Monday over the holiday weekend. Weather conditions forced the cancellation of two men's scored super giant slaloms, two men's unscored SGs, plus one women's scored SG and one women's unscored SG.
The races are named after Wesley Barron, a longtime athlete and coach for the Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club who died rock climbing in the Bridger-Teton National Forest June 30, 2009. He was 26.
Class placings for SVSEF racers:
J3 boys (ages 13-14): 10—Griffin Curtis. 28—Will Long. 35—Michael Levy. 37—Jack Rizzo. 38—Carson Jones-Wilkins. 39—Elliot Lewis. DNF—Peter Hastings, Jay Fitzgerald, Taylor Cooper, Austin Savaria, Tanner Josey and William Harder.
J3 girls (2 races, Saturday and Monday, places by day): Jordan Fitzgerald 3-3, Samantha Busby 8-12, Haley Cutler 11-8, Josie Allison 23-15, Julia Vorsteveld 27-20, Olivia Wentzell 34-29, Loni Unser 39-37, Alexandra Black 45-39, Chloe Francois DNF-28.
J4 boys (11-12): 2—Yuri McClure. 7—Cade Street. 8—River Vorse-Whittier. 14—Matteo Jorgenson. 15—Travis Flynt. DNF—Noah Leininger. (Sunday's SG).
J4 girls: 2—Sage Rheinschild. 3—Margot Griffith. 10—Bailey Holter. Also: Poppy Vorse-Whittier 5-5 (2 races Saturday and Monday).
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Big weekend of racing Jan. 21-23
SVSEF alpine racers have a big weekend of competition coming up Friday through Sunday, Jan. 21-23.
Sun Valley will host the 21st annual Laura Flood Memorial technical races Saturday and Sunday. The event is named after the Ketchum racer who died in 1990 at the age of 19.
Designed for A and J1/J2 competitors (ages 15-and-up), the Laura Flood Memorial is matched up with the Allan Patterson Memorial giant slaloms set for Friday on Baldy's Hemingway ski run. The Patterson is held in memory of the Hailey racer who died in 1977 at age 20.
The Flood Memorial on Saturday will feature men's GS on Hemingway and ladies slalom on Cozy. On Sunday, the races are ladies GS on Hemingway and men's slalom on Cozy.
Younger racers mostly in the J3 and J4 classes will compete Jan. 22-23 in the 60th annual Cranston Cup North Series slalom at Boise's Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area.
Midgets stopped by tough Wyoming squad
After cruising to a 9-0 Boise League victory over the Bishop Kelly Knights Friday, Jan. 14, the Sun Valley Midgets high school hockey team stayed on the road and faced tougher competition at the Idaho Falls Tin Cup tourney Jan. 15-16.
Sun Valley went 1-1-2 at the two-day tourney and lost Sunday's championship game 10-0 to Team Wyoming. The champions out-shot Sun Valley 45-10 in the finale, putting the big hurt on goalies Cassidy Carson and Cody Levitan (35 saves).
Earlier in the tourney, Sun Valley and Team Wyoming tied 1-1. The Suns opened with a 2-2 tie against Great Falls (Mont.) and defeated Idaho Falls 3-1 behind goals by Parker Weekes, Tony Martin (1 assist) and Cooper Hanley. Tommy Heinrich added two assists.
Ian Murphy (shorthanded), Drew Barsch and Doug King also scored for the Suns at Tin Cup, with Weekes, Davis Hague and Tom Crosby getting assists.
Levitan stopped 30 of 31 Team Wyoming shots in the 1-1 preliminary tie and added 26 saves in the 3-1 win over Idaho Falls. Carson had 12 saves in the 2-2 tie with Great Falls.
On Friday night, Crosby notched the three-goal hat trick and Barsch scored twice in the win over Bishop Kelly. Scoring singles were Martin, Hague, Charlie Evans and Weekes. Assists came from King (3), Weekes (2), Evans (2), Martin, Heinrich and Barsch.
Adult volleyball tourney to help young players
Community School volleyball coach and former Albertson College (College of Idaho) star Kristyn Rutland, along with Kristi Vandenberg, are starting a new club volleyball program for Wood River youth.
To raise scholarship money for young people who can't afford 5B Volleyball Club, Rutland and Vandenberg are organizing an Adult 4-on-4 Coed volleyball tournament for Saturday, Jan. 22 at The Community School gym, Sun Valley. Play begins at 9 a.m.
Cost is $25 per player with prizes for the first-place team. Email information to krutland12@gmail.com
Cheerleaders at Salt Lake
Soldier Mountain All-Star cheerleaders entered their first competition of 2011 Saturday, Jan. 15 at Salt Lake City, Utah. All three teams had outstanding efforts. The 10-member Black Diamonds finished second in the Junior Division. The Silver Stars were equally impressive, placing third of nine teams in Mini Division. The Green Emeralds (ages 5-6) finished third in Tiny Division.
Senior Hockey update
In Senior Hockey League action, league-leading Grumpy's/SV Auto Club came from behind to beat Morgan's Fine Finishes 7-4. Morgan's had taken a 3-0 first-period lead on goals by Chris Benson, Jeff Enos and Baba Street. Enos added another goal in the second period, but Grumpy's tallied seven of the game's final eight goals to win. Frank Salvoni (3 goals), Charles Friedman (2), Rian Timmons and Tyler Davis-Jeffers got the SV Auto Club goals. Standings through Jan. 11 are Grumpy's 6-1, SV.com 3-3, Morgan's Fine Finishes 2-5 and Yoga 2-4.
