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.
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