Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Team Crushes 2024-2025 US National Championships in Lake Placid
Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club was represented in force last weekend at the 2024-2025 US National Championships in Lake Placid, New York. Fifteen Rocky Mountain Division athletes—six current SSWSC members, Ella Wilson, Haley Brabec, Sawyer Graves, Arthur Tirone, and Ethan Maines and ten alumni Annika Belshaw, Erik Belshaw, Alexa Brabec, Decker Dean, Estella Hassrick, Niklas Malacinski, Jason Colby, Gunnar Gilbertson, Erik Lynch, Annika Malacinski (did not start), competed on the HS100 and HS128 for the title of National Champion.
In women’s ski jumping, Annika Belshaw was crowned National Champion for the 4th year in a row! And the Women’s Nordic Combined was proudly swept with Steamboat women. Alexa Brabec, Ella Wilson, and Haley Brabec took the top three spots, respectively. The HS100 competition was cut short to only one round of jumping due to wind delays, but the athletes showed great resolve and composure throughout the competition.
Steamboat showed up in the Men’s Ski Jumping competitions, too with Erik Belshaw taking 2nd and Decker Dean 3rd on the HS100. In Men’s Nordic Combined, Niklas Malacinski skied a blazing 10K race to overtake his teammate Ben Loomis for the win.
SSWSC’s team members extended their stay in Lake Placid for an extra week to get some training jumps before we head home and wait for snow. It’s especially important to get extra time at this venue because Lake Placid will host the 2025 Junior World Championships this February and many of our young skiers are hoping to qualify to represent the USA.
Summary of SSWSC Results
(Rankings adjusted to include Americans only)
Women’s Ski Jumping - HS100
1 Annika Belshaw
6 Ella Wilson
7 Alexa Brabec
8 Estella Hassrick
9 Haley Brabec
DNS - Annika Malacinski
Men’s Ski Jumping - HS100
2 Erik Belshaw
3 Decker Dean
6 Niklas Malacinski
7 Jason Colby
8 Sawyer Graves
10 Arthur Tirone
21 Gunnar Gilbertson
24 Erik Lynch
26 Ethan Maines
Women’s Ski Jumping - HS128
1 Annika Belshaw
6 Alexa Brabec
7 Ella Wilson
8 Estella Hassrick
9 Haley Brabec
DNS - Annika Malacinski
Men’s Ski Jumping - HS128
4 Erik Belshaw
5 Decker Dean
6 Jason Colby
8 Sawyer Graves
9 Gunnar Gilbertson
11 Arthur Tirone
12 Erik Lynch
21 Ethan Maines
Women’s Nordic Combined
1 Alexa Brabec
2 Ella Wilson
3 Haley Brabec
DNS - Annika Malacinski
Men’s Nordic Combined
1 Niklas Malacinski
6 Erik Lynch
8 Arthur Tirone
10 Gunnar Gilbertson
13 Ethan Maines