Duffy stuns Nyman, Ganong for win at US Nationals SG

SUGARLOAF, Maine — On an uncharacteristically sunny and warm day at Sugarloaf, top athletes in North America competed at the U.S. Alpine Championships for the title of the nation’s best super G skier. U.S. Ski Team World Cup regular Alice McKennis triumphed in the women’s field with her teammate Jackie Wiles taking third behind Canadian Valerie Grenier.

On the men’s side, U.S. Ski Team development squad invitee Drew Duffy claimed a nearly unbelievable win from bib 30 over Steven Nyman in second and Travis Ganong third. The 20-year-old Green Mountain Valley School alumnus was looking to put a positive mark on the end of a tough season.

“It’s always fun coming into nationals because all of the young guys are gunning for you and we’re tired. We’ve been out west for a long time, so it’s good to come back east. There’s a rich ski racing history out east, and it’s a big deal to get the nationals back out here,” said Nyman.

The men’s race was exhilarating, as the crowd had already given Nyman the win. Nyman had thrown down a solid, clean run on the hero snow to grab first place ahead of Ganong, convincing the crowd, his teammates and himself of his victory. But 23 racers after Nyman, the youngster Duffy, wearing bib 30, came down the course and shocked everyone by finishing in first place by four hundredths.

“I’m pretty psyched,” said Duffy after his race, when asked about what he thought when he saw the number one next to his name. “I don’t even know what to think of my run.”

This was Duffy’s first ever U.S. Alpine Championships win, and only his third FIS-level victory. Although he’s had strong results in the past, his performance was unprecedented when he came down to beat World Cup, World Championships and Olympic medalists.

“I just wanted to let it all go and not think much about my run and send it. I was pretty pumped. I didn’t really expect that. I was hoping to squeak in the top 10, so yeah, I’m pretty excited,” Duffy added. “It’s pretty cool, pretty amazing. Just seeing Steve and Travis down here, and I think they were just as shocked as I was.”

It was all USA in the men’s race, with just one racer competing from another country. Just off the podium, Tim Jitloff showed off his super G training, taking fourth. The downhill national champion from earlier in the week, Wiley Maple, took fifth. Brennan Rubie was sixth, while World Cup racers Andrew Weibrecht finished seventh, Marco Sullivan eighth, Jared Goldberg ninth, and Bryce Bennett 10th.

The course down Narrow Gauge was smooth and perfect for the women, with racers smiling in the sun-drenched finish corral. McKennis, who has come back from a serious injury this season, snuck in the win over junior Grenier of Canada by one tenth. Wiles was third, and U.S. development teamer Breezy Johnson was fourth.

This was McKennis’ first U.S. Alpine Champs title — a title she really wanted after a tough season on the World Cup circuit. She had a few shining moments, including a solid 13th place finish in Garmisch one year after she broke her leg there, but couldn’t crack the top 10 this season in a World Cup. But she’s determined to continue and show the strong speed talent that she has displayed in the past.

Hometown favorite Sam Morse spent the day prior to the race trying to inspire the next generation of ski racing athletes from the Carrabassett Valley.

“Yesterday I got to go back to my elementary school and see my old teachers and all of the little kids. I talked to them about the characteristics of ski racers that you need and that you can learn to take into life,” said Morse.

Next up, the women race GS on Thursday, with the first run beginning at 9:30 a.m. at Sugarloaf.

Release and photo courtesy of USSA

Results

1	30	DUFFY, Drew	USA	EAST	U21	1:19.73   (1)
2	7	NYMAN, Steven	USA	USST	SR	1:19.77   (2)
3	6	GANONG, Travis	USA	USST	SR	1:19.80   (3)
4	4	JITLOFF, Tim	USA	USST	SR	1:19.94   (4)
5	2	MAPLE, Wiley	USA	RC	SR	1:20.03   (5)
6	14	RUBIE, Brennan	USA	USST	SR	1:20.17   (6)
7	5	WEIBRECHT, Andrew	USA	USST	SR	1:20.38   (7)
8	3	SULLIVAN, Marco	USA	USST	SR	1:20.49   (8)
9	8	GOLDBERG, Jared	USA	USST	SR	1:20.57   (9)
10	9	BENNETT, Bryce	USA	USST	SR	1:20.59 (10)
11	10	CHRISTIANSON, Kieffer	USA	EAST	SR	1:20.64 (11)
12	27	TRAVERS, Dean	CAY		U21	1:20.78 (12)
13	29	GOWER, Jack	GBR		U21	1:20.91 (13)
14	24	COHEE, Nick	USA	RC	SR	1:21.26 (14)
15	13	FARROW, Tanner	USA	WEST	SR	1:21.45 (15)
16	22	KENNEY, Patrick	USA	EAST	U18	1:21.91 (16)
17	18	FUCIGNA, Peter	USA	EAST	U21	1:21.96 (17)
18	11	FORD, Tommy	USA	USST	SR	1:22.21 (18)
19	31	JORDAN, Colby	USA	EAST	U21	1:22.22 (19)
20	15	CHODOUNSKY, David	USA	USST	SR	1:22.27 (20)
21	25	ENGEL, Mark	USA	USST	SR	1:22.39 (21)
22	32	ANKENY, Michael	USA	RC	SR	1:22.40 (22)
23	38	MOONEY, Ryan	USA	EAST	U21	1:22.61 (23)
24	20	MITCHELL, Nicholas	USA	RC	U21	1:22.79 (24)
25	34	MOYER, Bobby	USA	RC	U21	1:22.89 (25)
26	28	SZWEBEL, Florian	USA	RC	U21	1:23.02 (26)
26	17	MORSE, Sam	USA	USST	U21	1:23.02 (26)
26	21	LEBEL, James	USA	WEST	U21	1:23.02 (26)
29	36	WAGNER, Kalle	USA	EAST	U18	1:23.05 (29)
30	46	MACKIE, Logan Rip	USA	WEST	U21	1:23.18 (30)
31	43	HOPFINGER, Jacob	USA	EAST	U18	1:23.28 (31)
32	23	VAN DEURSEN, Jake	USA	EAST	U21	1:23.34 (32)
33	19	WRIGHT, Bronson	USA	WEST	SR	1:23.38 (33)
34	26	TAYLOR, Darwin	USA	WEST	U21	1:23.52 (34)
35	44	GUTSTEIN, Trent	USA	EAST	U18	1:23.88 (35)
36	49	SHEILS, Paul	USA	EAST	U18	1:23.99 (36)
37	39	CASHMAN, Jordan	USA	WEST	U18	1:24.11 (37)
38	41	LAYMAN, Brooks	USA	RC	U21	1:24.61 (38)
39	40	DOMONOSKE, David	USA	WEST	U18	1:24.96 (39)
40	45	HANCOCK, Andrew	USA	RC	U21	1:26.75 (40)
	42	DESPRES, Jack	USA	EAST	U18	DNF
	37	GALLAGHER, Christian	USA	EAST	U18	DNF
	16	WEISEL, Kipling	USA	USST	U21	DNF
	35	CAMPBELL, Pate	USA	EAST	U18	DNF
	33	WINTERS, Luke	USA	WEST	U18	DNF
	12	DUPRATT, Samuel	USA	WEST	SR	DNF
	47	FULLER, Duncan	USA	WEST	U18	DNF
	48	ANDERSON, Tommy	USA	RC	U18	DNF
	1	KELSEY, Sky	USA	RC	U18	DNF