Super G tests skiers at Bogus, Brundage
Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation J3 (ages 13-14) alracer Samantha Busby won every podium color—gold, silver and bronze—during the Intermountain Division Brendan Armstrong Memorial super giant slaloms Friday through Sunday near McCall.
Busby was second overall of 73 girls in the Friday and Saturday SGs, then she was third overall Sunday on Sidewinder/Alpine run at Brundage Mountain Resort. She placed first, second and third in her age class, highlighting the results of 13 SVSEF girls there.
Nearly 100 Intermountain boys had their own SGs Friday and Sunday on Paradise run at Bogus Basin near Boise. William Harder, a first-year J2 (15-16), climbed as high as sixth overall and placed second, third and fourth in his class.
Top weekend SG placings for 32 SVSEF racers at Brundage and down at Bogus Basin for the Trudi Bolinder Memorial:
Brendan Armstrong Memorial
J1 (ages 17-18) girls: 4—Sierra Fox (7th overall).
J3 (13-14): 1—Samantha Busby. 4—Haley Cutler. 11—Josie Allison. 12—Madison Milgard. 17—Olivia Wentzell. 28—Alexandra Black. 32—Megan Murphy. 36—Margot Griffith. 37—Royce Rheinschild. 39—Loni Unser. 40—Hallie MacPherson. 46—Isabella Welsh.
Trudi Bolinder Memorial
J1 boys: 4—Connor Farrow (5th overall). 6—Colin Waycott.
J2 (15-16) boys: 2—William Harder (6th overall). 4—Tanner Josey. 5—Cole Caulkins. 9—Garrett Lodge. 12—Taylor Adler. 14—Logan Shipley.
J3 boys: 4—Austin Savaria. 5—Jay Fitzgerald. 7—Will Snyder. 10—Griffin Curtis. 14—Duncan Fuller and Kristian DeWolfe. 22—Emmett Say. 24—Patrick Riedinger. 27—Michael Levy. 31—John Blackburn. 38—Travis Flynt.
Cordeau grabs another NorAm moguls win
For the second time in two weeks, 25-year-old U.S. Freestyle Team member Shane Cordeau of Ketchum has won a NorAm event, this time claiming first place in single moguls at Killington, Vt. Sunday.
Cordeau now has three Nor-Am podium finishes including first and second in dual moguls on Canadian slopes since mid-February.
The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Gold Team member advances to the U.S. National Freestyle Championships March 22-25 at Stratton Mountain, Vt.
Meanwhile, SVSEF mogul coach Joey Cordeau revealed that freestyle team members RJ Bracken, Trevor Norris (injured) and Claire Siderman have also earned the right to compete at U.S. Nationals.
Junior National qualifiers
The SVSEF Freestyle team had 16 athletes qualify for the U.S. Junior National Freestyle Championships March 6-11 at Steamboat Springs, Co.
SVSEF program director Andy Ware said, "Our team has some of the top junior freestyle athletes in the country. Trevor Norris and RJ Bracken are ranked No. 9 and No. 10 in the U.S. for dual moguls, and Claire Siderman is ranked No. 7 in dual moguls. Trevor Hattabaugh is No. 5 in halfpipe and Ben Parker No. 8 in halfpipe."
To qualify for Junior Nationals an athlete must be ranked in the top 50 in the country for halfpipe and slopestyle, the top 60 for moguls and the top 48 for dual moguls.
Here is the SVSEF Freestyle Junior National team:
RJ Bracken, Trevor Norris, Wyatt Wilson, Zac Maricich-Siele, Jake Little, Trevor Hattabaugh, Ben Parker, Perry Boyle, Timothy Gould, Brody Buchwalter, Alvaro Jiraldo, Claire Siderman, Alysha Herich, Renee Shapiro, Parker Nance and Morgan Shaver.
Intermountain Divisional Championships are March 2-4 at Park City (Utah) Mountain Resort, single moguls Saturday and duals Sunday.
Slopestyle, pipe at SV
Sun Valley Resort was host again for the Intermountain Division Freestyle slopestyle and halfpipe championships last weekend.
Ware said, "This was the third freestyle skiing event that Sun Valley Co. has hosted in the last month. If not for Sun Valley's willingness, many of our athletes would have missed out on opportunities to make it to the Freestyle Junior National and U.S. National Championships."
The coach added, "Our athletes had a terrific weekend on their home turf. It is great to see an athlete giving his best effort and landing the run they have been training all season."
Highlights included:
Eli Roberts winning both slopestyle events in the M4 class and he was the 1st M4 in the second halfpipe event;
Rookie team member Timothy Gould had the biggest air of the day in halfpipe en route to a 2nd overall and 1st M1 in Sunday's first halfpipe event. Other top class placings in the pipe were:
M2: 1—Ben Parker. 3—Hayes Gilman.
M3: 2—Perry Boyle. F3: 1—Renee Shapiro. 2—Parker Nance.
M4: 1—Alex LaFleur and Eli Roberts. 2—Alvaro Jiraldo. 4—Frederick Grathwohl. 5—Ian Thomas. F4: 1—Devon Brown.
M5: 1—Axel Diehl. 2—Christopher Pedersen. 3—Jack Horowitz.
M6: 1—George Murray and Blake Beckwith.
SVSEF J3 racer Samantha Busby placed first, second and third in her age class at Brundage Mountain. Courtesy photo by Heather Black
