BY HEATHER FOSTER
Sun Valley skier Ruby Smith won all three of her races at the Wes Barron Speed Series held this past weekend at Jackson Hole.
Athletes from the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Alpine U14 Travel Team and the U16 Team traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyo., for the Super G series, where the men and women each had three races over the four-day event.
The series welcomed 100 men and 100 women representing 10 ski clubs from across the Intermountain Division. Seventeen women and 10 men from the SVSEF U16 Team and U14 Travel Teams lined up against some of their toughest competition in the region. Awards were given to the top five overall men and women in each race and to the top woman and man overall at the end of the series.
The women raced on Friday and Saturday, where Ruby Smith stood on the top step of the winner’s podium for all three races, taking the overall title for the series. Smith won the first two races handily by 1.42 seconds and 1.62 seconds respectively; and stayed the course to win race three by 0.21 seconds.
As a team, the women trended strongly in moving up from their starting bib number positions. Faith Enderle jumped from 22nd starting position to a fifth-place overall podium finish in the women’s third race. Elliot Leahy started bib 28 in the first race and finished in 11th. For the next two races, Leahy started in 27th and finished in 10th and eighth respectively.
“The Wes Barron Series is always a great test for our athletes to get on their speed skis and let things run,” said Nate Schwing, SVSEF U16 Head Coach. “Jackson Hole Ski Club and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort put on a really great event and it’s a fun atmosphere for the kids to compete against so many athletes from across the Intermountain Division. We’re super proud to see how the team’s strength and determination came through in their skiing this weekend amidst some challenging conditions with intermittent poor visibility. Everyone really rallied to support their teammates and encouraged each other throughout the series, which is always awesome to see as a coach.”
Race one for the men was held on Sunday with two SVSEF teammates finishing on the overall podium, both less than a second off of Jackson Hole Ski Club’s Jaden D’Amours’ winning time of 54.99. Ulrich Rossi took second place (+0.63) and Huxley Flood finished fifth (+0.84).
In race two, Ulrich Rossi was just .02 seconds off the podium in sixth place. He came back in race three to take third place overall, only .73 behind the winning time; with teammate Tucker Reimund grabbing the fourth-place overall podium spot just .06 behind Rossi.
“The teams’ tenacity was so great to watch,” said Gladys Weidt, SVSEF Alpine U16 Assistant Coach. “Sometimes the variable conditions and the level of competition with this many athletes running the course can be mentally challenging on their own, let alone then pulling together the run you want for every race. I’m super psyched that our teams had a solid speed series at this point in the season, and we’re excited to host the U16s from around the region at the upcoming Laura Flood Memorial Race in Sun Valley Feb. 9-11.”
SVSEF Athlete Results:
Women Race 1 - Friday, Jan. 26
Overall Results: SVSEF 3 in top 15
1st - Ruby Smith - 51.92
11th - Elliot Leahy
12th - Faith Enderle
22nd - Alyssa Huntsman
23rd - Fleur Brazil
27th - Kennedy Kelly
31st - Ruby Thurston
33rd - Madalyn Neal
37th - Bianca Smith (U14)
38th - Zoe Stern-Pre
47th - Anna Yuras
53rd - Jasmine Smiley (U14)
66th - Alexandra Heidel (U14)
79th - Sasha Preuss (U14)
81st - Elle Deckard
Women Race 2 - Saturday, Jan. 27
Overall Results: SVSEF 2 in top 10
1st - Ruby Smith
10th - Elliot Leahy
13th - Kennedy Kelly
14th - Faith Enderle
21st - Fleur Brazil
27th - Zoe Stern-Pre
33rd - Bianca Smith (U14)
34th - Ruby Thurston
37th - Madalyn Neal
43rd - Anna Yuras
51st - Jasmine Smiley (U14)
62nd - Alaska Sewell
64th - Alexandra Heidel (U14)
70th - Ruby Campbell
72nd - Sasha Preuss (U14)
76th - Elle Deckard
Women Race 3 - Saturday, Jan. 27
Overall Results: SVSEF 3 in top 10
1st - Ruby Smith
5th - Faith Enderle
8th - Elliot Leahy
19th - Kennedy Kelly
27th - Fleur Brazil
30th - Ruby Thurston
34th - Madalyn Neal
35th - Alyssa Huntsman
36th - Bianca Smith (U14)
37th - Zoe Stern-Pre
49th - Anna Yuras
55th - Jasmine Smiley (U14)
61st - Alexandra Heidel (U14)
63rd - Ruby Campbell
70th - Alaska Sewell
77th - Elle Deckard
81st - Sasha Preuss (U14)
Men Race 1 - Sunday, Jan. 28
Overall Results: SVSEF 2 in top 10
2nd - Ulrich Rossi
5th - Huxley Flood
15th - Tucker Reimund
16th - Jay Blackburn
17th - Conway Selznick
33rd - Reid Holman
52nd - Henry Flynn (U14)
53rd - Wyatt Limburg (U14)
54th - Declan O’Toole (U14)
Men Race 2 - Monday, Jan. 28
Overall Results: SVSEF 2 in top 10
6th - Ulrich Rossi
7th - Tucker Reimund
11th - Huxley Flood
17th - Jay Blackburn
19th - Conway Selznick
32nd - Reid Holman
54th - Declan O’Toole (U14)
57th - Henry Flynn (U14)
63rd - Wyatt Limburg (U14)
75th - Thomas Connell
Men Race 3 - Monday, Jan. 28
Overall Results: SVSEF 3 in top 10
3rd - Ulrich Rossi
4th - Tucker Reimund
9th - Huxley Flood
22nd - Jay Blackburn
24th - Conway Selznick
27th - Reid Holman
39th - Declan O’Toole (U14)
51st - Henry Flynn (U14)
53rd - Wyatt Limburg (U14)