News
ENLARGE
VAIL, Colorado — After adding her slalom time Sunday to Saturday's giant-slalom run, Ski and Snowboard Club Vail's Kendall VanHee took first for the weekend competition in Vail and punched her ticket to the prestigious international children's race, the Trofeo Topolino in Italy, a competition in which Lindsey Vonn won the slalom in 1999.
“I wasn't really nervous because it felt more like training.” VanHee said. “My first run was my fastest and I went the hardest on that run. I'm proud of myself for sticking with it and I'm excited to go to Italy in March. Now I have to work hard and reassess my goals for how well I want to do in Topolino.”
SSCV's Caroline Byrne put together two solid runs of slalom Sunday to end up third overall for the weekend, while teammate Olivia Swift finished 12th.
For the men, Mitchell Underhill, from Minnesota's Buck Hill Ski Team, took the top spot in Sunday's slalom, and, combined with his fast run from Saturday's GS, won the overall title this weekend and a chance to race in Italy.
“I wanted to stay focused,” said Underhill. “I was nervous on my second run because I fell on my first run, and I had a few problems, but I recovered and finished well enough to stay ahead. On my third run, I needed to make up time so I went all out.”
SSCV's Nick Santaniello finished his weekend with a strong slalom race to place second overall. Alex Leever, in eighth place after Saturday's GS, clocked in with a second place in Sunday's slalom trailing the winner by only 4-hundredths of a second to take third overall.
“I felt like I went all out every run and I managed to be aggressive,” said Santaniello. I really skied well this weekend; all the training has paid off.”
VanHee, Underhill, and four other J3 skiers (two women and two men) from the U.S. will travel to Italy on Feb. 26 to train for the week before the Trofeo Topolino. During that week, they will forerun the Italian Junior Championships, which is on the same hill as the Trofeo Topolino at Panarotta Ski Area. After a week of training, they will race on March 5-6.
Millennium Bank Colorado Junior Ski Cup
In Sunday's Junior Ski Cup Giant slalom at Keystone, SSCV's Katherine Irwin tied for third place.
“As a first year J2 skiing against older, more seasoned racers in a junior FIS race, Irwin put two very good runs together,” said coach Nick Foster. “She had a very strong second run which pulled her up to finish in a tie for third.”
The Surefoot Colorado Ski Cup continues with super-G today and Tuesday at Keystone Ski Area.
“I wasn't really nervous because it felt more like training.” VanHee said. “My first run was my fastest and I went the hardest on that run. I'm proud of myself for sticking with it and I'm excited to go to Italy in March. Now I have to work hard and reassess my goals for how well I want to do in Topolino.”
SSCV's Caroline Byrne put together two solid runs of slalom Sunday to end up third overall for the weekend, while teammate Olivia Swift finished 12th.
For the men, Mitchell Underhill, from Minnesota's Buck Hill Ski Team, took the top spot in Sunday's slalom, and, combined with his fast run from Saturday's GS, won the overall title this weekend and a chance to race in Italy.
“I wanted to stay focused,” said Underhill. “I was nervous on my second run because I fell on my first run, and I had a few problems, but I recovered and finished well enough to stay ahead. On my third run, I needed to make up time so I went all out.”
SSCV's Nick Santaniello finished his weekend with a strong slalom race to place second overall. Alex Leever, in eighth place after Saturday's GS, clocked in with a second place in Sunday's slalom trailing the winner by only 4-hundredths of a second to take third overall.
“I felt like I went all out every run and I managed to be aggressive,” said Santaniello. I really skied well this weekend; all the training has paid off.”
VanHee, Underhill, and four other J3 skiers (two women and two men) from the U.S. will travel to Italy on Feb. 26 to train for the week before the Trofeo Topolino. During that week, they will forerun the Italian Junior Championships, which is on the same hill as the Trofeo Topolino at Panarotta Ski Area. After a week of training, they will race on March 5-6.
Millennium Bank Colorado Junior Ski Cup
In Sunday's Junior Ski Cup Giant slalom at Keystone, SSCV's Katherine Irwin tied for third place.
“As a first year J2 skiing against older, more seasoned racers in a junior FIS race, Irwin put two very good runs together,” said coach Nick Foster. “She had a very strong second run which pulled her up to finish in a tie for third.”
The Surefoot Colorado Ski Cup continues with super-G today and Tuesday at Keystone Ski Area.
