BY WILL FALLTRICK

Last year’s winners of the annual Laura Flood Memorial Race defended their title in the prestigious race held this past week on Sun Valley’s Bald Mountain.

The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation welcomed more than 150 ski racers from across the Western Region for four days of racing to earn qualifying points towards the U16 Regional, and Tri Divisional championship.

Giant Slalom (GS) races were held Thursday and Friday (Feb. 19-20) and Slalom racing took place Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 21-22). The race serves as a U16 Intermountain Cup qualifier, and the perpetual trophy is awarded to the top U16 male and female athletes at the conclusion of the race series.

For more than three decades, the Laura Flood Memorial Race has brought together the Western Region's top young ski talent in honor of a young woman whose love of the sport left a lasting mark on Sun Valley's racing community. Laura Flood was a passionate, spirited competitor whose life was cut short in a ski training accident at age 19 while racing for the University of Colorado, yet her memory continues to inspire every racer who charges down the Greyhawk course each February.

“That was quite a show we put on for the Laura Flood Series!” said U16 Team Head Coach Nate Schwing. “Athletes gave it everything they had racing our World Cup Finals tracks! Our race hill is unforgiving and challenging. Having the courage to step in the start gate, knowing the risks, and giving it everything you have is a remarkable accomplishment you all should be proud of.”

Schwing continued with a special shoutout: “A huge thanks to Sun Valley, Riley Berman and the Sun Valley race department, coaches, parents, and volunteers for the massive effort to put on a top-notch event like that!”

Heather Flood Daves and Randy Flood, Laura’s sister and brother, reflected on what this year’s event means to them: "What an incredible race series! The 36th annual Laura Flood Race was a great event to showcase the talent of all the incredible young ski racers of the region. It's so wonderful to honor our sister Laura with this very special race, and to see racers and families pursuing their love of skiing and competing on our World Cup venue.”

Incredibly, last year’s victors--Cree Gilmour from Rowmark Ski Academy and Taryn Moe from Jackson Hole Ski Club--won again to bring home their second Men’s and Women’s overall Laura Flood series titles. 

SVSEF Athlete Results

GS Day 1 (Thursday, Feb. 19)

Women’s U16

2nd - Jasmine Smiley (U16)

4th - Neena DeGennaro (U16)

11th - Bianca Smith (U16)

16th - Piper Spengler (U16)

17th - Alexandra Heidel (U16)

18th - Colette Duke (U16)

20th - Camille Reid (U16)

22nd - Olivia Harrington (U16)

26th - Gaia Luem (U16)

32nd - Aviella Buoncristiani (U16)

33rd - Sophie Kanowsky (U16)

37th - Elle Deckard (U16)

58th - Cece Connell (U16)

Women’s Open Race

3rd - Nina Viesturs (U18)

Men’s U16

4th - Paxton Harris (U16)

8th - Colter Bengtson (U16)

11th - Corbin Flood (U16)

18th - Cameron Beck (U16)

21st - Wyatt Limburg (U16)

22nd - Henry Questad (U16)

26th - Alex Brown (U16)

27th - Brooks Gove (U16)

30th - Kai Sammis (U16)

43rd - Wesley Sewell (U16)

GS Day 2 (Friday, Feb. 20)

Women’s U16

4th - Neena DeGennaro (U16)

5th - Jasmine Smiley (U16)

9th - Bianca Smith (U16)

17th - Colette Duke (U16)

20th - Alexandra Heidel (U16)

23rd - Piper Spengler (U16)

27th - Gaia Luem (U16)

28th - Olivia Harrington (U16)

30th - Camille Reid (U16)

33rd - Georgia Baxley (U16)

40th - Aviella Buoncristiani (U16)

44h - Sophie Kanowsky (U16)

59th - Cece Connell (U16)

Women’s Open Race

2nd - Nina Viesturs (U18)

Men’s U16

5th - Colter Bengtson (U16)

8th - Corbin Flood (U16)

13th - Jake Schlatter (U16)

16th - Henry Questad (U16)

19th - Brooks Gove (U16)

21st - Cameron Beck (U16)

22nd - Wyatt Limburg (U16)

23rd - Henry Nordstrom (U16)

26th - Alex Brown (U16)

28th - Kai Sammis (U16)

39th - Wesley Sewell (U16)

SL Day 1 - Women’s (Saturday, Feb. 21)

Women’s U16 Race 1

6th - Jasmine Smiley (U16)

12th - Colette Duke (U16)

14th - Piper Spengler (U16)

18th - Gaia Luem (U16)

19th - Aviella Buoncristiani (U16)

Women’s Open Race 1

1st - Amilia Selznick (U21)

Women’s U16 Race 2

5th - Neena DeGennaro (U16)

6th - Jasmine Smiley (U16)

13th - Camille Reid (U16)

T 19th - Colette Duke (U16)

T 19th - Piper Spengler (U16)

24th - Alexandra Heidel (U16)

29th - Olivia Harrington (U16)

34th - Georgia Baxley (U16)

36th - Gaia Luem (U16)

Women’s Open Race 2

1st - Samantha Milne (U18)

2nd - Ava Huey (U18)

3rd - Amilia Selznick (U21)

4th - Nina Viestures (U18)

SL Day 2 - Men’s (Sunday, Feb. 22)

Men’s U16 Race 1

3rd - Paxton Harris (U16)

7th - Colter Bengtson (U16)

8th - Corbin Flood (U16)

10th - Wyatt Limburg (U16)

11th - Jake Schlatter (U16)

17th - Cameron Beck (U16)

Men’s Open Race 1

1st - Ulrich Rossi (U18)

2nd - Conway Selznick (U18)

Men’s U16 Race 2

4th - Declan O'Toole (U16)

5th - Paxton Harris (U16)

10th - Corbin Flood (U16)

11th - Wyatt Limburg (U16)

13th - Henry Nordstrom (U16)

14th - Alex Brown (U16)

16th - Brooks Gove (U16)

Men’s Open Race 2

1st - Tucker Reimund (U18)

2nd - Conway Selznick (U18)

For a complete list of Laura Flood GS and SL race results, visit https://imdalpine.org/race-results/ and click on U16/IMC Series.