Skiers to J2 Nationals
Three Sun Valley alpine ski racers have qualified for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) Marriott Junior 2 (ages 15-16) Alpine Championships March 5-12 at Mammoth Mt., Ca. Among the 20 boys are Kipling Weisel and KJ Savaria of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. Jordan Fitzgerald made the list along with 14 other J2 girls.
Skier Phelan at Canadian Nordic Loppet
Ketchum's Craig Phelan emerged as the first American in the Men's 60-64 age class during the 51-kilometer (31.6 mile) Gatineau Loppet cross-country ski race Feb. 18 at Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. Competing in the 34th edition of Canada's largest cross-country ski race, Phelan was fourth of 35 in his age class with a final time of 3.27:43, good for 69th overall out of 331 finishers in the classic technique event.
Sign up for Half Marathon training, help Girls on the Run
Help a good cause by signing up for a 12-week Sun Valley Half Marathon training program that begins March 10 with distance running coach Brad Mitchell at the Wood River Community YMCA. The eighth annual Sun Valley Half Marathon is Saturday, June 2.
The good cause is the Girls on the Run spring running program that helps build confidence and emotional/physical health for girls in grades 3-8. The Girls on the Run charity racing program called SoleMates has partnered with Mitchell and organizers of the Sun Valley Half Marathon to offer special incentives including discounts on the YMCA training program, according to GOTR executive director Mary Fauth (788-7863, mary@girlsontherun.org).
SVSEF kids going to IMD finals
Virtually the entire "C" Travel Team of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation's alpine program has qualified for the Intermountain Division Championships March 16-18 at McCall. The 27 qualifiers are, by age class:
J4 boys (ages 11-12): Jake Blackburn, Will Griffith, Noah Leininger, Tobias Verheijen, Charlie Stumph, Cooper Dart, Ethan Daves and Mac Mizer.
J4 girls: Sage Rheinschild, Katelyn Rathfon, Pilar Pennell, Molly Milgard, Libby Kaiser, Riley Revallier, Bailey Holter, Alyssa Ritzel, Katherine Lemma, Lucy More, Libby Lindstrom, Ella Viesturs and Sophia Schwartzman.
J5 boys (9-10): Wyatt Minor and Bennett Snyder.
J5 girls: Madison Ferris, Lily Fitzgerald, Sage Curtis and Allison Rathfon.
Papoose Club Kindercup is March 10
The 56th annual Papoose Club Kindercup alpine ski and snowboard races for the 3-12 age group are Saturday, March 10 on Dollar Mountain. Pre-register at Carol's Dollar Mountain Lodge, Sturtevants in Hailey and Ketchum, Formula Sports and Radio Shack until March 7, or download the entry form from the papooseclub.org Web site. Entry is free.
Middlebury Winter Carnival
Ketchum's Taylor Sundali and former Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation cross-country skier Annie Pokorny finished well for Middlebury College during its 89th annual Winter Carnival Nordic races at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vt. last weekend. Sundali, a senior, finished 42nd in the 20-kilometer men's race and first-year racer Pokorny earned a pair of top-10 finishes in 5k freestyle and 15k classic races.
B+ Hockey results
Vipers, Hutch's Bad Dogs and Aardvarks were winners in Sun Valley Senior B+ Hockey action Sunday night at Sun Valley Skating Center.
Eric Wingard tallied the three-goal hat trick in Aardvarks' 3-2 win over Flounders (John Ellison Jr., Ken Pratt).
Hutch's Bad Dogs prevailed 5-1 over Sharks with Baba Street (2 goals), Steve McCoy, Reed Stokes and Dillon Witmer lighting the light. Bags Brokaw accounted for the Sharks goal.
John Baker (2 goals), Tony Mallane, Tom Trieschman and Jim Laski scored for the Vipers in their 5-1 victory over Islanders (Will Hemmings).