Winter Park U16 Rocky/Central Championship Qualifier
A few weeks ago, the U16 alpine team traveled to Winter Park to compete in two slalom races and two giant slalom races to qualify for the U16 Rocky/Central Championships next week from March 14-18, in Vail, Colorado.  The Winter Park Competition Center put on a great event, and the snow conditions were perfect.  That is until the men’s last slalom races, where we started with decent weather and ended with an absolute powder dump.  Our U16 crew skied really well, though, and some even unlocked a new gear.  On the women’s side, Logan Grosdidier won both slalom races and finished 2nd in the first GS.  Caley Goforth took home two top-10 finishes in the slaloms, and Bella Fisher scored her best GS result with a 4th-place finish this year and two top 10 in the slaloms.  Rewani Shrestha went home with a 12th and 16th place in slalom. Naia Broggi had one of her best results, placing 26th in the first slalom race.

On the men’s side, Matthew Kafka skied into 12th and 7th place in each of the GS races.  Schuyler Biglow skied with grit and fire and earned his best result of the season with a 6th place finish in the second slalom race, as well as an 11th in the first slalom race, and two 16th places in giant slalom.  Koda Kiser earned two top 15 finishes in slalom and two top 20 in GS.  Leo Orton skied into 15th in the first slalom race.  Wilson Walker finished 20th in the first slalom race.  Caleb Walker had three top-30 finishes in the GS and slalom.  Pthalo Plomteux ended the race series with two top 20s in slalom.

50 Rocky Mountain Division (RMD) Athletes were selected for the U16 Rocky/Central Junior Championships Team. Congratulations to the following 7 Steamboat athletes who qualified based on their results from the RMD qualifying races in Winter Park and Aspen- Logan Grosdidier, Caley Goforth, Bella Fisher, Rewani Shrestha, Matthew Kafka, Schuyler Biglow, and Koda Kiser. The following events will be contested at the R/C U16 Junior Championships- Downhill, Super-G, Alpine Combined, Giant Slalom, and Slalom. The remainder of the Steamboat U16 team will have the opportunity to compete in the U16 Rocky/Central Showdown in Crested Butte, March 8-10th, where they will compete in Super-G, Giant Slalom, and Slalom.

Photo Captions from Top to Bottom:

The Alpine U16 Team (from left): Coach Ann, Schuyler Biglow, Wilson Walker, Caleb Walker, Pthalo Plomteux, Caley Goforth, Bella Fisher, Rewani Shrestha, Naia Biglow, and Coach Ben.  Photo: David Haupt

Winter Park Qualifiers Slalom Podium: 1st Logan Grosdidier (SSWSC), 2nd Mari Renick (SSCV), 3rd Lara Huml (SSCV). Photo: Ann West

U16 Alpine Athletes Qualified for U16 R/C Championships (from left): Caley Goforth, Bella Fisher, Rewani Shrestha, and Schuyler Biglow. Photo: Ann West

U16 Alpine Athletes Qualified for Championships (from left): Rewani Shrestha, Caley Goforth, Matthew Kafka, Schuyler Biglow, and Koda Kiser.  Photo: Ben Brown