U16 Alpine Athletes Compete in U16 Rocky Central Showdown
A group of U16 alpine athletes headed to beautiful Crested Butte to compete in the U16 R/C Showdown, March 7- 10.  During the series, the athletes participated in a day of Super G training, a Super G race, a giant slalom and a slalom race.  The team could not have asked for better weather and snow conditions.  After the training day of Super G, the race track was in perfect condition.  Just hard enough to avoid large ruts, making the competition harder for those running in the back of the start list, but still the right amount of grippy for the athletes to stay in control of their skis.  Wilson Walker, Caleb Walker, Leo Orton, and Naia Broggi all stepped up to the challenge of skiing some of their best turns this season.

In the SG event on the men’s side, Wilson Walker shifted into high gear and earned a 5th-place finish, Caleb Walker finished 9th, and Leo Orton was 12th.  And for the women, Naia Broggi skied into a valiant 15th place.

In the Giant Slalom event, Naia Broggi finished 23rd, while Wilson Walker finished in 6th place in the men’s race.  Both Caleb Walker and Leo Orton skied admirably on the first run but, unfortunately, weren’t able to complete the second course.

Finally, in the slalom event, Naia Broggi again finished in the top 15 and had one of her best races this season, skiing into 14th place. On the men’s side, the competition was tough, and the skiing was fast, with Wilson Walker finishing 4th and Leo Orton in 5th.

All the SSWSC athletes performed well during the series and showed grit and determination. They also had a great time discovering a new resort and venue and competing against some new competitors.

Women’s SG: 15th Naia Broggi
Men’s SG: 5th Wilson Walker, 9th Caleb Walker, 12th Leo Orton

Women’s GS: 23rd Naia Broggi
Men’s GS: 6th Wilson Walker

Women’s SL: 14th Naia Broggi
Men’s SL: 4th Wilson Walker, 5th Leo Orton

PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM
U16 Alpine Team in Crested Butte (from left): Wilson Walker, Caleb Walker, Leo Orton, and Naia Broggi.  Photo: Ann West
U16 R/C Showdown Slalom Podium: 1st Alek Gusiur (WPK), 2nd Chalie Heinrich-Clark (SSCV), 3rd Finnley Hitt (SSCV), 4th Wilson Walker (SSWSC) and 5th Leo Orton (SSWSC)