Stiegler wraps championships, career with win
Well done, Resi
For U.S. Ski Team alumna and three-time Olympian Resi Stiegler, Friday’s slalom victory at U.S. Alpine Championships at Aspen Highlands was the cherry on top of a storied 19-year career.
Team X Alpine and University of Utah’s Madi Hoffman was second, .30 seconds back, and Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team and University of Denver athlete Katie Hensien rounded out the podium in third.
When Stiegler realized she had won — her first national title since 2017 in Sugarloaf, Maine —, her current and former teammates and competitors Hoffman, Hensien, Allie Resnick, Emma Resnick, Tricia Mangan, AJ Hurt, and more, rushed to her to congratulate her and give her hugs.
“It feels so good…this was the absolute best way to go out,” Stiegler beamed. To be honest, I kind of had to stay focused to the very end, because I’m a fighter and I’ve always wanted to win everything. I know in these days you want to celebrate everything and be ready to retire, but for me, I wanted to win so badly and go out with the fight I’ve always had and the best skiing I’ve always had.”
With her brother Seppi coaching her, and her best friend and U.S. Ski Team alumna Sarah Schleper there to cheer her on — Schleper named her daughter Resi— Stiegler felt supported and loved for her final show, and was stoked for it to happen on home turf.
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“So I just had to stay super focused, and today I was probably the most nervous I’ve ever been, but I had my brother (Seppi) here on the hill and my best friend (Sarah Schleper) went up on the hill and got me fired up…so that always helps a little bit,” she said. “And obviously racing in Aspen again, it’s like our home hill, we race World Cups here, it’s close to Jackson, and it’s in the U.S. They put on a great show for the last race of the season for all of us.”
Who’s next?
Stiegler’s farewell is the not the only one of this season for the U.S. Ski Team. Alice McKennis Duran and Lauren Ross have also announced their retirements, so the red, white and blue needs some newbies, right?
Tegan Wold, an alumna of Ski & Snowboard Club Vail now at Montana State, turned some heads finishing seventh.
Along those lines, T10 was a pretty popular place to be on Friday. Reece Bell, a local racer and all-American at Denver University, and Allie Resnick, of SSCV, tied down to the hundredth.
Twelfth place? SSCV’s Emma Resnick. She might have heard of Allie as well. SSCV’s Cleo Braun was 21st and Liv Moritz took 24th.
Local athletes also sparkled during Thursday’s giant slalom. SSCV’s Nellie Rose Talbot was the top local in eighth. That started a nice run in the results with Sarah Schleper in ninth and Emma Resnick in 10th.
Braun and Moritz finished 22nd and 24th respectively.
