by Kathy Stahr | Dec 6, 2012 | Member News
Thursday, December 6, 2012 – Copper Mountain, Colorado, USA
FLASH QUOTES – Sarah Freeman (Women's BC Ski Team, Fernie Alpine Ski Team) and Gregor Druzina (Head Coach Women's BC Ski Team)
Sarah Freeman of Pincher Creek, Alberta finished in 5th place, and took top Canadian honours, at Copper Mountain Nor-Am downhill Thursday:
"I definitely would have been ecstatic with a podium finish today, but I'm happy with 5th after not finishing yesterday. I knew I had a good approach yesterday, so I went for the same thing today. I lost time when I had to make a bit of a saving maneuver near the bottom, which is not the fastest thing to do in downhill. It could have been a mental thing because it was in the same section where I missed the gate yesterday. I'm getting closer to where I know I can be."
Gregor Druzina, Head Coach of the women's team, is pleased with the promise his team is showing this early in the season:
“I have to say, this was a much better day for Sarah Freeman, and we know she has the potential to be even better. She had a great run yesterday – was in 3rd place until the last section when she missed a gate and didn’t finish. Today was even more promising. She came into the bottom section in second place, but a small mistake in the last few turns took some speed out of her. Sarah is working hard and getting technically stronger with every race. There’s still work to be done, but with the improvements we’ve been seeing, we look forward to winning some races this season. Also, I am very happy with the progress and performances of the younger BC Team women at these Copper Mountain downhill races (Charley Field, Emma King and Hallie MacLachlan). Even though the track is getting harder, bumpier and faster by the day, they are improving their skills and learning about timing, high speed turns, rollers, terrain changes, different sections, etc.. This is a fantastic speed venue here in Colorado and the BC girls are grateful for the opportunity to train and race with some of the best American women. Tomorrow we will try to make an even bigger impact on the USA national championship downhill race and then will travel back to Canada for the Nor-Ams at Panorama Mountain, where Stephanie Gartner and Sarah Elliot will rejoin the group.”
(L to R = Charley Field, Hallie MacLachlan, Sarah Freeman, Emma King, Sarah Elliot)
Copper Mountain (USA) Nor-Am Cup
Ladies' Downhill Top-10 and BC Results
|
Rank
|
Bib
|
Name
|
Year
|
Nation
|
Total Time
|
|
1
|
8
|
RYAN Katie
|
1993
|
USA
|
1:45.92
|
|
2
|
16
|
GHENT Abby
|
1992
|
USA
|
1:46.54
|
|
3
|
13
|
WILES Jacqueline
|
1992
|
USA
|
1:47.30
|
|
4
|
12
|
MARSHALL Chelsea
|
1986
|
USA
|
1:47.33
|
|
5
|
20
|
FREEMAN Sarah (Fernie Alpine Ski Team)
|
1992
|
CAN
|
1:47.39
|
|
6
|
14
|
MARNO Anna
|
1992
|
USA
|
1:47.61
|
|
7
|
28
|
HARTMAN Katie
|
1988
|
USA
|
1:47.63
|
|
8
|
15
|
DAVIES Tess
|
1991
|
CAN
|
1:47.80
|
|
9
|
22
|
IRWIN Katharine
|
1994
|
USA
|
1:48.76
|
|
10
|
17
|
MICHALIK Victoria
|
1993
|
CAN
|
1:49.05
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18
|
33
|
FIELD Charley (Whistler Mountain Ski Club)
|
1995
|
CAN
|
1:49.66
|
|
22
|
39
|
KING Emma (Whistler Mountain Ski Club)
|
1995
|
CAN
|
1:50.11
|
|
32
|
42
|
MACLACHLAN Hallie (Fernie Alpine Ski Team)
|
1995
|
CAN
|
1:51.60
|
|
38
|
38
|
LEROUX Sofi (Whistler Mountain Ski Club)
|
1994
|
CAN
|
1:52.69
|
COMPLETE OFFICIAL FIS RESULTS
by Kathy Stahr | Dec 3, 2012 | Member News
Copper Mountain, CO (USA)
Nor-Am Cup
Ladies' Super G – Saturday, Dec 1/12 (COMPLETE RESULTS)
1 – 9 MARNO Anna 1992 USA 01:32.9
2 – 15 RYAN Katie 1993 USA 01:33.8
3- 6 WALES Brooke 1990 USA 01:33.9
4 – 22 IRWIN Katharine 1994 USA 01:34.2
5 – 1 HARTMAN Katie 1988 USA 01:34.3
6 – 14 MOLTZAN Paula 1994 USA 01:34.7
7 – 8 DAVIES Tess 1991 CAN 01:34.7
7 – 5 SMALL Greta 1995 AUS 01:34.7
9 – 10 WILES Jacqueline 1992 USA 01:34.7
10 7 SAMUELS Lauren 1992 USA 01:34.9
15 – 3 ELLIOT Sarah (Big White Racers)1992 CAN 01:35.6
22 – 11 FREEMAN Sarah (Fernie Alpine Ski Team) 1992 CAN 01:36.4
23 – 25 TOMMY Mikaela 1995 CAN 01:36.4
25 – 33 FIELD Charley (Whistler Mountain Ski Club)1995 CAN 01:36.5
27 – 17 MICHALIK Victoria 1993 CAN 01:36.6
29 – 35 KING Emma (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 1995 CAN 01:36.8
32 – 42 TURNER Andrea 1995 CAN 01:37.3
33 – 38 MACLACHLAN Hallie (Fernie Alpine Ski Team) 1995 CAN 01:37.5
34 – 16 MCLEISH Madison 1992 CAN 01:37.5
Copper Mountain, CO (USA)
Nor-Am Cup
Ladies' Super G – Sunday, Dec 2/12 (COMPLETE RESULTS)
1 – 8 MCJAMES Megan 1987 USA 01:37.4
2 – 9 MARNO Anna 1992 USA 01:37.5
3 – 7 HARTMAN Katie 1988 USA 01:37.8
4 – 2 SMALL Greta 1995 AUS 01:38.0
5 – 5 TOMMY Mikaela 1995 CAN 01:38.3
6 – 11 RYAN Katie 1993 USA 01:38.7
7 – 16 IRWIN Katharine 1994 USA 01:38.8
8 – 15 DAVIES Tess 1991 CAN 01:39.0
9 – 10 WALES Brooke 1990 USA 01:39.0
10 – 13 MOLTZAN Paula 1994 USA 01:39.1
13 – 26 KING Emma (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 1995 CAN 01:40.2
15 – 29 ELLIOT Sarah (Big White Racers) 1992 CAN 01:40.3
16 – 19 FREEMAN Sarah (Fernie Alpine Ski Club) 1992 CAN 01:40.4
18 – 1 MICHALIK Victoria 1993 CAN 01:40.5
19 – 23 MCLEISH Madison 1992 CAN 01:40.6
20 – 28 FIELD Charley (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 1995 CAN 01:40.7
25 – 36 CLARKE Devon 1994 CAN 01:41.3
40 – 46 LEROUX Sofi (Whistler Mountain Ski Club) 1994 CAN 01:45.0
Did not finish 1st run
39 – MACLACHLAN Hallie (Fernie Alpine Ski Team) 1995 CAN
Downhill Training is on the agenda this week for both men and women – watch LIVE TIMING
by Kathy Stahr | Nov 22, 2012 | Member News
Women's BC Ski Team at Nakiska, November 2012 (left to right back row – Gregor Druzina, Sarah Elliot, Sarah Freeman, Aaron Speden; front row – Charley Field, Emma King, Hallie MacLachlan; missing Stephanie Gartner, Alix Wells)
VANCOUVER, B.C. (Nov. 22, 2012) – A mix of talented veterans and hungry rookies makes up a group of 16 skiers named today to the B.C. Alpine Ski Team, after six-months of preparation that has the team feeling “race ready”.
Veterans Sarah Elliot, Tyler Werry, Ford Swette, Sarah Freeman and Broderick Thompson lead the team which represents six ski clubs from around the province. Elliot, 20, one of five skiers who competed with the Alpine Canada “Prospect Team” last season, rejoins the provincial team with aspirations to make the jump to the World Cup level.
“I had a great experience with the Prospect Team last season and unfortunately I tore my (anterior cruciate ligament) again, but I feel really confident going into this season,” said Elliot, who hails from Kelowna and the Big White Racers. “With the dryland I had this summer and the great training we had this fall, I feel great. My goals for this season are to have a healthy, injury-free year, have fun and qualify for the national team.”
Elliot, who was raised on an orchard farm outside Kelowna, and is no stranger to hard work and dedication, sees a bright future for the team.
“I’ve been really impressed with the young girls on the team, with their skiing and how they’re super focused,” said Elliot. “The team dynamic is getting better and better as we all gel more and support each other. We’re having fun.”
Ford Swette, a Whistler Mountain Ski Club alum who is ranked fourth in the country in giant slalom, got his season off to a flying start when he won a U.S. Ski Team Invitation GS race earlier this week at Copper Mountain, Colorado. He is ready and champing at the bit for the men’s team to prove their skills. Tyler Werry from the Fernie Alpine Ski Team is “pumped” with how the team has worked together this summer.
“We've had first-class training and the team as a whole is ready to make our presence felt on the slopes this winter,” said Werry. “Ford, Broderick and I have been training in Colorado for the first Nor-Am races of the season at Loveland and Aspen. Ford and I have been duking it out every day in GS, and at the end of the season one of us will win the Nor-Am GS title.”
Two skiers on the men’s team; Brodie Seger of the Whistler Mountain Ski Club and Roger Carry of the Fernie Alpine Ski Team, have been forerunning the Lake Louise Winterstart World Cup this week and will run the course during the men’s downhill and super-G races this weekend. Rookie BC Teamer Blake Ramsden, also from the Whistler Mountain Ski Club, is at Lake Louise with his teammates putting the finishing touches on his return-to-snow, following a knee injury suffered at the end of last season.
Both teams will jump into the uber-competitive Nor-Am racing circuit in early December in Aspen and Copper Mountain, Colorado.
“It’s pretty busy from now until Christmas,” said Freeman, who is ranked third in the country in downhill. “The first race is coming up in Colorado, a Nor-Am speed race, and then we come back to Canada for Nor-Ams in Panorama and then the Van Houtte Cups right before Christmas. And then maybe we can get some pumpkin pie and turkey before we start up again.”
Freeman, who had 9 starts on the World Cup circuit last season, looks to draw strength from her family’s roots to boost her to the next level in the sport. “My family lives on an organic cattle farm down in Pincher Creek, so between camps I go back there and definitely help out with chores which usually means driving tractors, riding horses and chasing cows around the field.”
The women's team, led by returning coaches Gregor Dru
by Kathy Stahr | Nov 20, 2012 | Member News
On November 4th, six weeks ahead of schedule, little 5lb Rocco Michele Giannelli decided it was time to meet his parents face to face! Who wants a Christmas birthday anyway?!?
Rocco is healthy, strong and doing well, as are his proud parents Mike and Janine. Mike is a former CAST athlete and a member of the BC Alpine board of directors.
Also sharing in the joy of this new early arrival are grandparents Joan and Mike Giannelli Sr.
by Kathy Stahr | Nov 19, 2012 | Member News
COPPER MOUNTAIN, USA (Nov. 19, 2012) – Men's BC Team giant slalom specialist Ford Swette of North Vancouver and the Whistler Mountain Ski Club proved he’s a serious threat to the competition Monday, winning both runs against some of the best American juniors at the USSA Nor-Am Qualification GS at Copper Mountain, Colorado.
"Ford has done an exceptional job in our last two GS races in Colorado," said Men's BC Ski Team Head Coach Brandon Dyksterhouse. "On November 12th, with a world class field present, Ford was leading after first run but failed to reach the finish line after hitting a rut. Today he confirmed his speed in GS!"
"Learning how to win is difficult because we don't get used to winning often," said Swette. "Being able to keep your cool in a situation where you understand you have a real chance of winning isn't easy. I'm happy I kept my cool today and put together two solid runs."
Next week the BC Team men head to Aspen for the start of the Nor-Am series and the first real test of the season!
COMPLETE OFFICIAL FIS RESULTS
