Easterners Ferri and O’Brien win U18 parallel slaloms

Men’s parallel slalom podium (KMS)

The U18 Nationals concluded at Copper Mountain, Colo., Thursday (March 6) with a “fun” parallel slalom event and the announcement of the coveted Regions Cup, which went, once again, to the West, but with a much smaller margin than in recent years. The parallel did not count toward the Regions Cup, but the top three competitors will get an invite to the senior National Championships as do winners in all the U18 title races.

The West took the Cup followed by the East right on its tails and Rocky/Central gapped into third.

Eastern men swept the final of the parallel with James Ferri (Killington Mountain School), George Steffey (Stratton Mountain School), Peter Fucigna (Waterville Valley BBTS) and Wyatt Queirolo (Killington Mountain School) making up the final four, respectively.

Nina O’Brien (Burke Mountain Academy/NTG) stopped Stephanie Lebby (USSA TEAM Academy/NTG) from claiming her fourth title in the women’s race. Dani Brownell-Patty (Burke Mountain Academy) was third and her teammate Moriah Wilson fourth.

Lebby won the traditional combined (adding race points from the four events for the lowest total) after claiming the super G, GS and slalom. Her score was 31.24. O’Brien was second in a nearly as strong 33.69, and Patricia Mangan (Holimont Racing/NTG) was third best with a score of 35.83.

The men’s combined went to Florian Szwebel (Ski Cub Vail) with a score of 50.21. Jeff Read, a Banff skier representing Canada, was second and Ferri picked up third.

RESULTS – MEN’S PARALLEL FINALS

RNK BIB    FIS    USSA   NAME             NAT    

  1   6 6531482 E6033732 FERRI, James     USA                                     
  2  11 6531963 E6064406 STEFFEY, George  USA                              
  3   1 6531486 E6049472 FUCIGNA, Peter   USA                   
  4   8 6531535 E6041784 QUEIROLO, Wyatt  USA                                     

Eliminated before top 4 
  5  42 6531523 C6124986 O BRIEN, Keilan  USA                        
  6  19 6531610 R6013098 HANCOCK, Andrew  USA                        
  7  36 6531987 R6201172 KELSEY, Sky      USA                       
  8  13 6531634 R6189708 CALARCO, Matthew USA                        

Eliminated before top 8 
  9   2 6531519 E6028658 MOONEY, Ryan     USA                        
 10   7 6531726 R6085302 SZWEBEL, Florian USA                        
 11  12 6531590 R5953633 KIRWOOD, Clayton USA                        
 12  48 6531499 I6040620 JOSEY, Tanner    USA                       
 13  22 6531454 E6039960 BEUTNER, Michael USA                       
 14   5 6531542 E5989330 STAMLER, Max     USA                       
 15  53  400293 X6047344 WEEMAES, Pieter  NED                      
 16  25 6531854 I5944889 GRIFFITH, Ian    USA

RESULTS – WOMEN’S PARALLEL FINALS

RNK BIB    FIS    USSA   NAME             NAT   

  1   4 6535773 E6052252 O BRIEN, Nina    USA                            
  2   3 6535759 I6007710 LEBBY, Stephanie USA                           
  3   1 6535634 E5941406 BROWNELL-PATTY,  USA                             
  4   6 6535564 E6034201 WILSON, Anna Mor USA                           

Eliminated before top 4 
  5   8 6535497 E6005862 SKOVRAN, Alexand USA    
  6  16 6535461 R6085948 KIDD, Serina     USA     
  7   9  225611 X6060198 FITZGERALD, Jord GBR    
  8  25 6535762 E6051320 LORD, Madison    USA  

Eliminated before top 8 
  9  10 6535590 R6104632 HENEGAN, Sydney  USA   22.32       
 10   7 6535469 R6024541 MCCORMICK, Erika USA   22.52       
 11  19 6535882 R6010029 DESROCHERS, Rach USA   22.63     
 12   5 6535478 E6052161 O BRIEN, Audrey  USA   22.72     
 13  50 6535446 C6068944 GREINER, Megan   USA   22.89    
 14  20 6535494 R5951603 SEDBERRY, Chandl USA   22.96      
 15  26 6535505 I6104681 SULTE, Aspen     USA   23.06    
 16  27 6535477 F5998984 NORTON, Nikita   USA   23.07