Cross Country

SSWSC XC 2020/2021 Bulletin

The snow finally fell in sufficient quantities. We skied. First, round and round on Bruce’s Trail. Then, thanks to the City’s snowmaking efforts, a portion of the Howelsen trails opened up. With more storms, the Fish Creek Trail at the Touring Center was an option. Finally, the many XC skiing locations in our broad valley became available in full: Howelsen, Touring Center, Haymaker, Catamount, and assorted Forest Service Trails. We do have many wonderful places to XC ski.

Through the diligence of the SSWSC Administration, all SSWSC sports programming was able to begin around the 3rd week in May. We were very fortunate in this regard. The XC U16/18/20 group began their training regime around this time, with a full complement of athletes, approximately 24. Two families, with two XC athletes a piece, moved to town and joined the team: Allen and Michelle Jones and their boys Trey and Owen, Jeff and Ramona May and their girls Ruby and Kiri.

At first, our training group size was limited to six, which was a logistical challenge on all fronts. Thanks to the additional coaching help from Tasha Thrasher and Ben Barbier, we were able to organize training to fit inside given parameters.  Health regulations, in time, began to ease and by the end of the summer, we could almost train as normal. The bigger issue, as we approached winter was would we be able to race? The larger national events were cancelled early on and all of the events scheduled for December were also cancelled. Thankfully, we were able to provide two in house races in December to afford the athletes the chance to put a bib on and gauge their skills against others. Ben Barbier became our timing contractor. With his mathematical background, he was able to become proficient with the Race Splitter App and provide professional race results. Rocky Mountain Nordic was committed to creating a regional competitive schedule for 2021. In some cases proposed events had to be cancelled due to local health restrictions, but RMN venues such as Vail, Aspen, and Steamboat Springs, were able to host events with certain modifications. What a bonus for our athletes! Across the state line, in Utah, the 2002 Olympic Venue, Soldier Hollow, had more freedom to host events and they went full force, hosting a variety of events from January through March.

A shining star came our way, via Park City, Utah. Brenna Egan moved to town in early November and began coaching with the SSWSC XC Programs. She brought a wealth of experience from her years as competitive XC athlete. She split time between the U14 group and the U20 group and was an asset to both programs.

Competitive U16/18/20 highlights:
• Wally Magill qualifies for the 2021 World Junior Championships in Vuokatti, Finland. He was the youngest competitor for the United States in Cross Country.
• Sidney Barbier has several top 15 finishes against western collegiate athletes and elite team members.
• Three SSWSC XC U16 boys, Grey Barbier, Owen Jones, and Henry Magill each win a race at Western Regional Championships. Thomas Cooper places top ten in each of the three races.
• Grace Zanni completes the season with three top twenty results at the Sun Valley FIS races.

We will have three graduating seniors this year. All have been with the SSWSC from a young age:

  Wally Magill- He will be attending Dartmouth College and competing for the Dartmouth Ski Team.

  Sidney Barbier- She will attend Denver University and join the DU Ski Team.

  Sumner Cotton- He is considering several options: CU, DU, and MIT

SSWSC XC U14 athletes began their campaign the latter part of September 2020, under the guidance of Head Coach, Ben Barbier. Ben was supported by Assistant Coaches: TJ Thrasher, Tasha Thrasher, Brenna Egan, and Nicole Olexa. Racing opportunities were limited for U14 skiers due to the health restrictions. That did not keep the U14 athletes from training hard and improving their skill set over the course of the season. Intervals and time trials sharpened their fitness and drills and games elevated their skills. They did have a few key races offered in 2021. Vail put on a one day junior race for U16 and under. Aspen also provided a single day race for U14 and younger. The SSWSC, for the first time, staged the two day Mike Elliott/RMN Youth Ski Festival, at the end of February. The festival was well attended by RMN Clubs and the SSWSC XC programs. It catered to all athletes U14 and younger. Winter snow conditions prevailed and inspired racing was displayed by all participants. Day one was the standard individual start freestyle format. Day two was a concept thought up by coaches Ben Barbier and TJ Thrasher: a mainly downhill course with a significant elevation loss. This “Downhill Plunge” was a big hit with the racers and coaches. Below are a quick view of top results:
Mike Elliott/RMN U14 Youth Ski Festival 2021
Individual Start 3/2.5/1K Freestyle Day #1

U14 Female                                                                                                                                                                          
3rd- Nikita Andre U14 Male
2nd- Campbell McLaren
3rd- Tristan Thrasher
U12 Female
2nd- Georgia Bishop
5th- Rae Olexa
6th- Tig Loomis
8th- Emi Goldsmith

U12 Male
1st- Charlie Wiedel
7th- Colin Clark
10th- Connor Devin
U10 Female
3rd- Quinn Loomis
5th- Beatrice Bishop
8th- Annika Wiedel
9th- Klara Novotny
U10 Male
2nd- Jett Brosterhous

Mike Elliott/RMN U14 Youth Ski Festival 2021
“Downhill Plunge” Day #2

U14 Female                                                            
1st- Nikita Andre
6th- Tig Loomis
8th- Shea Rossi
U14 Male
1st- Campbell McLaren
2nd- Tristan Thrasher
U12 Female
1st- Emi Goldsmith
3rd- Georgia Bishop
4th- Rae Olexa

U12 Male
3rd- Charlie Wiedel
6th- Colin Clark
9th- Bode Rhodes
10th- Jackson McLaren
U10 Female
1st- Quinn Loomis
3rd- Beatrice Bishop
9th- Klara Novotny
10th- Annika Wiedel
U10 Male
3rd- Jett Brosterhous

Fun is a SSWSC Core Value and the U10/12 Team puts that value at the top of their priority list. Most every training session contained a Poma Run, games galore, and loads of laughter. They had fire pit post training parties. They toured The West Summit Loop on Rabbit Ears and ventured up to Steamboat Lake for a sled/ski combo day. A brief news tally includes: 40 boxes of Girl Scout cookies consumed, one broken ski, two broken bindings, a couple bloody noses, one arm skied over, and plenty of hooting and hollering. Though certain changes had to be initiated, the famed Steamboat Cup Series did take place, with one exciting event per month starting in January. A special thanks goes to the U10/12 coaching staff: Deb Rose, Artemis Hamrick, Bill Philip, Sandi Gibson, and Nicole Olexa.

The SSWSC XC Cruiser Group had plenty of ski time and approximately 40 kids in the program, which was an all-time high number. Their bi-weekly training plan always included adventurous excursions around Howelsen and beyond. On Tuesday and Thursday evenings, packs of Cruisers could be seen charging through the deep snow and emerging from the thick woods on the flanks of Emerald Mountain. Three cheers for the all-star coaching staff: Chris Sias, Burkie, Tim Cunningham, Lori Goldsmith, Jen Wright, and Frankie Hannah

Our youngest skiers, the Mini Cruisers, started their training sessions in early January. This was fortuitous, as snow quality really improved at the start of 2021 and the Mini Cruisers took advantage of the great conditions. Natalie Sattler joined the XC Coaching Staff and took over the Head Coach position. We initiated a Junior Coach Program which had U14 athletes helping Mini Cruisers gain skills and enjoy XC skiing. Many thanks to Tig Loomis, Rae Olexa, and Shea Rossi for stepping up and coaching these little ones.
In a season of adjustment and modification, gratitude needs to be shared with all the XC parents for being true team members and supporting the XC Program in many different ways.

Nordic Combined/Jumping

Forty-five athletes were nominated to the national and junior Nordic combined and ski jumping teams, according to a news release from USA Nordic. Of those 45 athletes, 14 compete with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.
Congratulations to the following SSWSC Athletes:

Men’s Nordic Combined National Team

Grant Andrews, 23, Steamboat Springs

Taylor Fletcher, 30, Steamboat Springs

Jasper Good, 24, Steamboat Springs

Niklas Malacinski, 17, Steamboat Springs

Women’s Nordic Combined National Team

Tess Arnone, 18, Steamboat Springs

Alexa Brabec, 16, Steamboat Springs

Annika Malacinski, 19, Steamboat Springs

Men’s National Ski Jumping Team

Erik Belshaw, 16, Steamboat Springs

Decker Dean, 20, Steamboat Springs

Women’s National Ski Jumping Team

Annika Belshaw, 18, Steamboat Springs

Logan Sankey, 22, Steamboat Springs

Men’s Nordic Combined Junior Team

Gunnar Gilbertson, 18, Steamboat Springs

Women’s Nordic Combined Junior Team

Aspen Bennett-Manke, 15, Steamboat Springs

Men’s Ski Jumping Junior Team

Jason Colby, 15, Steamboat Springs

Join theThe Tread of Pioneers Museum in a Q and A with three SSWSC athletes about how the SSWSC and the community of Steamboat shaped their training, and their roles in making history in the sport of Nordic Combined. Watch “Fighting for Flight: Three Local Women Make History in Nordic Combined”

Virtual Junior Nationals
USA Nordic is currently hosting Virtual National Championships, and the U12 boys competed last night, with SSWSC athletes completing a podium SWEEP!

Congratulations to:
1st: Nico Bowdre
2nd: Nathan Rind
3rd: Ethan Maines

Watch the U12 Boys