BY HEATHER FOSTER

Nearly 200 ski racers turned out for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation’s annual Monroe Cup alpine ski race at Rotarun Ski Area near Hailey Feb. 22-23.

Named after ski racing coach and legend Lane Monroe, the Monroe Cup brings nearly 200 U10, U12, and a handful of U14/U16 athletes from across the region to compete in this Intermountain Division Qualifier event for the IMD Championships.

“We had a fantastic two days of racing at Rotarun!” said SVSEF Alpine U12 North Series Head Coach, Claudia Stern. “Racing there brings out some of the best skiing from our kids all around. What a perfect race venue!” 

Alex Grant hoists the Monroe Cup.

Monroe was the Program Director and Head Alpine Coach at SVSEF from 1970 to 1996, with a hiatus between 1973 and 1976 to serve as a U.S. Ski Team coach. From 1973-1974 Monroe was the Men's Special Teams coach and then the Head Women's Coach from 1975-1976.

The Monroe Cup was first held in 1997 on Bald Mountain, and continued there until 2021 when it moved to Rotarun Ski Area to continue as a slalom-only event. This was the fifth year the event has been held at Rotarun.

SVSEF Alpine U12 North Series coaches Adele Savaria and Skip Merrick were coached by Monroe and both went on to compete for the U.S. Ski Team.

Monroe was on site to present the awards on Saturday. “It’s so great to have Lane show up every year for his annual Monroe Cup race to hand out the awards,” said Savaria. “He is so honored to have this race named after him and it’s always great to see his smiling face.” 

Skiers await their turn running the slalom gates.

Matt McNeal, who won the first Monroe Cup in 1997, handed out the awards on Sunday, while getting to watch both his son and daughter race.

The 2025 Monroe Cup featured two slalom races (four runs) on Saturday for the boys under mostly sunny skies with onsite race commentary by NBC Sports announcer Steve Porino. The girls raced in snowy conditions for most of Sunday, but their spirits were high with lots of smiles and face glitter!

Overall, the SVSEF Alpine U12 North Series and U10 Mini World Cup teams had strong showings with several podium finishes across the U10 and U12 age classes.

The competition was fierce, with athletes traveling to Rotarun from the North Series of the Intermountain Division including McCall Winter Sports Club, Jackson Hole Ski Club, Bogus Basin Ski Education Foundation, Grand Targhee Ski and Snowboard Foundation and Alyeska Ski Club from Alaska.

Coaches Adele Savaria and Skip Merrick join Lane Monroe.

At the conclusion of both races on Saturday, SVSEF’s Alex Grant was awarded the Monroe Cup for his second- and first-place overall finishes. Mia Anderson from McCall Winter Sports Club won the Monroe Cup on Sunday with first- and third-place overall finishes for the girls. 

Awards were presented to the top five finishers for each race in the U10, U12, and U14 age categories.

Top SVSEF Athlete Results:

Boys - SL Saturday, February 22

Race #1 Overall

1st - Asa Sattler

2nd - Alex Grant

3rd - Breclan McCarthy

7th - Chase Martens

9th - Halsten Bruun

12th Walker Gove

Race #2 Overall

1st - Alex Grant

2nd - Breclan McCarthy

3rd - Asa Sattler

8th - Halsten Bruun

11th - Chase Martens

12th - Ford Rixon (First Place in U10 age class)

14th - Wyatt Mathews

Girls - SL Sunday, February 23

Race #1 Overall

3rd - Tea Smither

4th - Presley Jensen

5th - Sophie Robins

6th - Kayla Kloster (First Place U10 age class)

9th - Amelia Beck

10th - Marie McNeal

11th - Lauren Larabee

Race #2 Overall

1st - Alta Questad

2nd - Presley Jensen

5th - Tea Smither

6th - Marie McNeal

9th - Lauren Larabee

10th - Kayla Kloster (First Place U10 age class)

11th - Sophie Robins

12th - Amelia Beck