BY HEATHER FOSTER

The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation’s Alpine U12 and U14 Travel teams were on the road in Wyoming this weekend, competing in their first away races of the season.

Both teams achieved strong results in their races held at Grand Targhee and Snow King. 

The U12 Travel Team traveled to Grand Targhee for a series of giant slalom (GS) races. With a top-five podium sweep on the boys side and consistent podiums on the girls side, the team is poised for strong competition for the rest of the season.

Conway Selznick won first place in Boys Overall U14 and Elliott Leahy won first place in Girls Overall U14.

Henry Questad took two first-place finishes and Savannah Pringle, one. Elliot Leahy took two second-place finishes with other second-place results going to Savannah Pringle, Thijs Lloyd, Huxley Flood and Charlie Reid.

Cameron Beck, Huxley Flood and Conway Selznick seized third-place finishes. 

Conway Selznick and Elliott Leahy were U14 Overall Podium winners.

“It was great to start the season off with two victories on Saturday and Sunday,” said Henry Questad, SVSEF U12 Travel Team athlete. “It was extra special to have SVSEF sweep the top five on Sunday. I couldn’t have done it without all of the coaches' help.”

The first race of the season is where the athletes meet other Intermountain Division teams who they will compete against throughout the season. 

“All the kids did a great job showing encouraging team spirit by cheering each other on throughout the weekend,” said Adele Savaria, U12 Travel Team Head Coach. “The athletes skied well and charged the courses in some really tough conditions, making huge leaps and bounds in their skiing.” 

The U14 Travel Team raced in Snow King for the first IMD U14 Qualifier and absolutely dominated each race. Competing with nearly 100 other racers and teams, the SVSEF girls' and boys' teams were consistently in the top five results in each slalom and giant slalom race. Conway Selznick and Elliot Leahy both secured the overall podium wins from the race series. 

“These athletes ALL did a fantastic job,” said Charlotte Gourlay, SVSEF U14 Travel Team Head Coach. “Tons of great skiing out there, learning to tune/wax, finding what works best in race start routines, and everything else that will help the athletes excel further in ski racing. They each have something to hang their hat on after this weekend.”

With the first race jitters out of the way, these teams will only continue to learn, succeed, and excel throughout the season.

U12 Travel Team - North Series Targhee GS Races

GIRLS #1 GS (1/14/23) 

Savannah Pringle - 1st 

Piper Spengler - 5th 

Jennings Fraser - 9th

Camille Reid - 10th

Fernanda Hurtado - 12th

Taylor Rundell - 16th 

Olivia Harrington - 19th 

Brianna Smiley - 27th 

Halley McGrew - 27th 

Aviella Buoncristiani - 28th

Ava Gilmour - 29th 

Kinley Letson - 31st 

Alta Questad - 33rd

Iliana Little - 35th 

Brady Bloomfield - 38th

Payton Scheigraber - 39th 

Irie Black - 41st 

Makenna Steel - 42nd 

Hannah Howard - 63rd

BOYS #1 GS (1/14/23) 

Henry Questad - 1st

Corbin Flood - 4th

Charlie Spengler - 5th 

Finn malone - 8th

Brixen Ehleringer - 12th 

Cody Lloyd - 13th

Coen Lamb - 14th 

James Holman - 16th

Cash Mintz - 18th

Eli Sattler - 21st

Wesley Sewell - 23rd

Hunter Gove - 28th 

Walker Gove - 46th

GIRLS #2 GS (1/15/23)

Savannah Pringle - 2nd

Piper Spengler -7th 

Olivia Harrington - 9th

Taylor Rundell - 12th

Fernanda Hurtado - 14th 

Camille Reid - 15th

Halley McGrew - 21st 

Ava Gilmour - 28th

Brianna Smiley - 29th 

Aviella Buoncristiani - 30th

Alta Questad - 31st 

Gaia, Luem - 35th 

Payton Scheigraber - 36th 

Kinley Letson - 37th 

Iliana Little - 39th 

Brady Bloomfield - 40th 

Makenna Steel - 42nd 

Irie Black - 47th

Hannah Howard - 62nd 

BOYS #2 GS (1/15/23) 

Henry Questad - 1st 

Thijs Lloyd - 2nd

Cameron Beck - 3rd 

Charlie Spengler - 4th 

Corbin Flood - 5th 

Finn Malone - 7th 

James Holman - 11th 

Brixen Ehleringer - 12th 

Wesley Sewell - 17th 

Cody Lloyd - 19th 

Coen Lamb - 20th 

Cash Mintz - 21st 

Eli Sattler - 25th 

Hunter Gove - 35th 

Walker Gobe - 50th 

U14 Travel Team - IMD U14 Qualifier at Snow King

Boy’s Overall - Conway Selznick 

Girl’s Overall - Elliot Leahy 

GIRLS GS (1/13/23)

Elliot Leahy - 2nd 

Hadley Walker - 7th

Maya Gunn - 9th

Skye Pringle - 14th

Fleur Brazil - 21st 

Colette Duke - 31st 

Blakeslee Davis-Jeffers - 35th

Elle Deckard - 38th

Bianca Smith - 39th

Alexandra Heidel - 48th

Sasha Preuss - 50th

Helen Hobbs - 54th 

Carolyn Fleming - 58th

BOYS GS (1/13/23)

Charlie Reid - 2nd 

Conway Selznick - 4th 

Tucker Reimund - 9th 

Huxley Flood - 11th 

Espen Schernthanner - 14th 

Thatcher Beck - 19th 

Wyatt Gilmour - 22nd

Declan O’Toole - 29th

Kai Sammis - 34th 

Jack Heinz - 54th

Jake Schlatter - 57th

BOYS SL #1 (1/14/23)

Huxley Flood - 3rd 

Conway Selznick - 4th 

Charlie Reid - 5th

Declan O’Toole - 11th 

Thatcher Beck - 14th

Espen Schernthanner - 15th

Sawyer Morgan - 17th

Kai Sammis - 24th 

Jake Schlatter - 41st

Brooks Gove - 42nd

BOYS SL #2 (1/15/23)

Huxley Flood - 2nd

Conway Selznick - 3rd

Charlie Reid - 5th

Sawyer Morgan - 12th

Tucker Reimund - 13th

Wyatt Limburg - 16th

Thatcher Beck - 17th

Kai Sammis - 24th

Espen Schernthanner - 35th

Brooks Grove - 50th

Jake Schlatter - 53rd

GIRLS SL #1 (1/14/23)

Elliot Leahy - 2nd

Hadley Walker - 5th 

Maya Gunn - 9th 

Skyler Jensen - 14th

Fleur Brazil - 15th

Ruby Thurston - 17th

Colette Duke - 20th

Blakeslee Davis-Jeffers - 24th 

Jasmine Smiley - 27th

Bianca Smith - 31st 

Sasha Preuss - 36th

Elle Deckard - 39th 

Carolyn Fleming - 43rd 

Alexandra Heidel - 48th 

Helen Hobbs - 51st

GIRLS SL #2 (1/15/23)

Elliot Leahy - 3rd 

Maya Gunn - 15th 

Ruby Thurston - 19th 

Colette Duke - 26th 

Jasmine Smiley - 29th

Blakslee Davis-Jeffers - 30th 

Bianca Smith - 33rd

Sasha Preuss - 35th 

Elle Deckard - 39th 

Carolyn Fleming - 44th 

Helen Hobbs - 55th