Last week’s Eric Hays Memorial giant slalom and slalom races on Payday run at Park City Mountain Resort was a fine launching pad on the 2013-14 season for Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation alpine kids.
There were 28 young SVSEF alpine racers in the Utah starting gate of the four-day Intermountain Division Open Series technical races for 168 competitors in U-21 through U-14 age classes.
SVSEF U-16s Will Snyder and John Garrett led the local boys.
Snyder placed second in his age class Thursday in the slalom, 18th overall, and nearly made the U-16 podium with a fourth in the Dec. 17 giant slalom, 19th overall. Garrett was 24th overall in slalom and 18th in giant slalom, climbing as high as fourth among U16s in the GS.
The Sun Valley team boasted a solid block of U-16 girls in Ava Mazzoni, Sage Rheinschild, Katelyn Rathfon and Royce Rheinschild. Mazzoni placed 10th twice in her class, while the Rheinschilds and Rathfon all cracked the top 10 in the U-16 group.
Molly Milgard, 13, finished all four races with successive U-14 class placings of 4-4-6-6. She placed as high as 27th overall in slalom and 15th in GS. As for the U-14 boys, Charlie Stumph boasted three podiums in his class, rising to second place twice, and Jake Blackburn had two podiums.
· In Canada, SVSEF racer KJ Savaria, 18, capped off an outstanding week of results during the Keurig FIS Series at Panorama Mountain Village, Alberta.
Having finished fourth overall in Wednesday’s super giant slalom, Savaria turned around Thursday and finished third of 65 finishers in another SG just .80 seconds back of winner James Crawford of Canada.
Savaria showed his versatility Friday with a seventh place of 49 finishers in the Keurig men’s slalom. He was the second U-21 in a 92-racer field with 43 failing to finish both runs.
Other SVSEF finishers in Thursday’s Panorama SG: 28—Ben Kanellitsas (12-U21). 42—Tanner Josey (25-U18). 55—Payton Anderson (36-U18). 57—Austin Savaria (37-U18). 58—Montana Kurahara (38-U18). In Friday’s slalom, Josey (18-U18), Austin Savaria (20-U18) and Taylor Cooper (24-U18) finished 35-37-41 respectively in the overall.
SVSEF placings and summary from the Park City series last week:
Friday, Dec. 20, women’s SL: 13—Ava Mazzoni (10-U16). 20—Sage Rheinschild (14-U16). 22—Royce Rheinschild (16-U16). 27—Katelyn Rathfon (20-U16). 35—Molly Milgard (6-U14). 37—Libby Kaiser (7-U14). 39—Maddox Ormiston (25-U16). 47—Ella Viesturs (9-U14). 51—Libby Lindstrom (34-U16). 56—Carolina Mahedy (38-U16). DNF—Margot Griffith.
Friday, Dec. 20, men’s SL: 24—John Garrett (7-U16). 30—Yuri McClure (11-U16). 32—Sebastian Mastor (12-U16). 45—Cooper Dart (21-U16). 50—Wyatt Smith (24-U16). 51—Noah Leininger (25-U16). 54—Charlie Stumph (3-U14). 60—Mac Mizer (31-U16). 67—Logan Chai (5-U14). 69—Matt O’Connor (7-U14). 74—Keegan Webber (39-U16). 76—Blake Deilke (41-U16). DNF—Duncan Fuller, Kristian DeWolfe, Jake Blackburn, John Blackburn, Will Snyder.
Thursday, Dec. 19, women’s SL: 13—Royce Rheinschild (8-U16). 14—Katelyn Rathfon (9-U16). 15—Sage Rheinschild (10-U16). 19—Margot Griffith (13-U16). 27—Molly Milgard (6-U14). 30—Libby Kaiser (8-U14). 34—Maddox Ormiston (21-U16). 37—Ella Viesturs (9-U14). 43—Libby Lindstrom (26-U16). 52—Carolina Mahedy (31-U16). DNF—Ava Mazzoni.
Thursday, Dec. 19, men’s SL: 18—Will Snyder (2-U16). 30—Yuri McClure (8-U16). 37—Kristian DeWolfe (11-U16). 40—Cooper Dart (13-U16). 44—John Blackburn (15-U16). 46—Jake Blackburn (2-U14). 50—Wyatt Smith (20-U16). 51—Noah Leininger (21-U16). 66—Matt O’Connor (5-U14). 67—Logan Chai (6-U14). 70—Keegan Webber (33-U16). 75—Mac Mizer (35-U16). DNF—Sebastian Mastor, John Garrett, Charlie Stumph, Duncan Fuller, Blake Deilke.
Wednesday, Dec. 18, women’s GS: 15—Molly Milgard (4-U14). 19—Ava Mazzoni (10-U16). 30—Libby Kaiser (7-U14). 35—Maddox Ormiston (20-U16). 45—Libby Lindstrom (26-U16). DNF—Royce Rheinschild, Ella Viesturs, Sage Rheinschild, Carolina Mahedy, Margot Griffith, Katelyn Rathfon.
Wednesday, Dec. 18, men’s GS: 18—John Garrett (4-U16). 24—Yuri McClure (9-U16). 27—John Blackburn (11-U16). 34—Wyatt Smith (14-U16). 36—Sebastion Mastor (16-U16). 42—Noah Leininger (20-U16). 43—Charlie Stumph (2-U14). 46—Jake Blackburn (3-U14). 62—Matt O’Connor (7-U14). 64—Mac Mizer (36-U16). 68—Keegan Webber (38-U16). 70—Blake Deilke (39-U16). DNF—Will Snyder, Duncan Fuller, Kristian DeWolfe, Cooper Dart.
Tuesday, Dec. 17, women’s GS: 13—Katelyn Rathfon (8-U16). 24—Ava Mazzoni 16-U16). 26—Margot Griffith (18-U16). 27—Molly Milgard (4-U14). 30—Royce Rheinschild (20-U16). 41—Libby Kaiser (7-U14). 44—Maddox Ormiston (31-U16). 55—Libby Lindstrom (35-U16). DNF—Carolina Mahedy, Ella Viesturs, Sage Rheinschild.
Tuesday, Dec. 17, men’s GS: 19—Will Snyder (4-U16). 25—Duncan Fuller (9-U16). 10—John Garrett (10-U16). 11—Yuri McClure (11-U16). 35—John Blackburn (16-U16). 37—Sebastian Mastor (18-U16). 39—Kristian DeWolfe (19-U16). 42—Wyatt Smith (21-U16). 47—Noah Leininger (24-U16). 51—Charlie Stumph (2-U14). 52—Cooper Dart (28-U16). 59—Jake Blackburn (4-U14). 63—Matt O’Connor (6-U14). 67—Mac Mizer (38-U16). 69—Keegan Webber (40-U16). 71—Blake Deilke (41-U16).
