For the week of March 12 - 18, 2003

Big air is big success
for Sun Valley

At Aspen races

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By MICHAEL AMES
Express Staff Writer

The Sun Valley Freestyle team sent seven skiers to a snowy Steamboat, Colo. for the U.S. Freestyle Junior Olympics this past weekend.

Some outstanding performances included some Sun Valley girls placing high in the Big Air competition.

Kylie Douglas finished first and teammate Britt VanPaepeghem came in just behind as these two Sun Valley competitors continued to dominate their J2 class. Douglas also finished in 16th place in single moguls.

The biggest success story of the weekend came from Nic Hanscom who took second in his J1 class and finished second in overall mogul competition. In dual moguls, Hanscom placed fifth overall in a field of over 50 skiers.

Also doing well in dual moguls were VanPaepeghem who made it to a round of 16 in a pool of 50, and Douglas and Katie Fieguth who each made it to a round of 32.

Competing in the halfpipe were Collin Collins, Corey Warren and Kurtis Fieguth.

Big air was also a big success for Sun Valley during the Utah divisionals March 2 at Olympic Park in Park City.

Ross Falcone, 13, had the second-highest score of the day and placed third in M3. Coach Tom Kennedy said, "Ross threw a pretty sick 10-80—the best jump I saw all day. The kid who got the best score ahead of Ross was 20."

Sophia Schwartz was third overall and first in F4 (11-12). Kylie Douglas and Britt VanPaepeghem placed 1-2 in F2 (15-16), and Katie Fieguth finished first in F3 (13-14).

For the boys, Corey Warren ended up third overall and first in M2. Right behind him in M2 were Reed Boeger in second and Kurtis Fieguth in third. Karl Fostvedt was first in M4 and Collin Collins second M1. Placing 2-3 in M3 were Banks Gilberti and Falcone.

 

What’s next

Among those headed to Alpine Meadows in California for US Championship qualifying this week are Hanscom, Warren, VanPaepeghem and Douglas. They’ll join Sun Valley’s Shane Cordeau and Christine Cordeau there.

Once skiers qualify in moguls and dual moguls during the March 13-16 races at Alpine Meadows, it’s up to Missoula, Mont. for this years freestyle championships.

For the rest of the Freestyle team, there remains some Spring Series events to be held at Park City and Deer Valley in the last weekend of March and the first week of April.

 

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