Junior freestyle worlds: U.S. crowds top 5 in moguls

NorAm moguls champion Bryon Wilson, of the U.S. C team, laid down a powerful final moguls run Sunday and led a U.S. sweep of the top four places at the 2007 FIS Freestyle Junior World Championships. Kayla Snyderman of the U.S. C team, the women's NorAm moguls champion, took silver in the women's moguls event.
AIROLO, Switzerland — NorAm moguls champion Bryon Wilson, of the U.S. C team, laid down a powerful final moguls run Sunday and led a U.S. sweep of the top four places at the 2007 FIS Freestyle Junior World Championships. Kayla Snyderman of the U.S. C team, the women's NorAm moguls champion, took silver in the women's moguls event.
    Wilson received 28.85 points for his final run, which included the fastest time on course. He nailed double full (two-twists-one-flip) on his first jump and a cork-7 (off-axis, double rotation) on the bottom. B teamer Jay Bowman-Kirigin, the men's World Cup Rookie of the Year, took silver with 28.30 and Telluride junior Joe Discoe was the bronze medalist (27.50). Fourth place went to Jimmy Discoe in a tiebreaker (27.31).
    "It was one of the best runs of my life," Wilson said. "It's been warm and conditions were slushy but it was fun."
    Kirigin, who reached his first World Cup podium a month ago when he was second in Inawashiro, Japan, clicked with a 720-iron cross (double rotation with his skis pulled up under him in an X) up top and a cork-7 ion cross (off-axis, double spin with his skis pulled up).
    "It's a beautiful day and my boards were ripping. The course is flat but definitely rippable with large landing pads," he said. "I was just trying to be smooth and go big."
    Joe Discoe did a 720 (double spin) off the top jump and a D-spin, mute grab (holding his ski during an off-axis double-spin) at the bottom. "This was sweet, really nice. The snow got soft but you could really fly through it," he said. "Having one or two teammates on the podium is great and having my [younger] brother fourth, right behind me, is so much fun."
    Snyderman, a student at Dartmouth College who won both moguls and duals last month in a NorAm weekend at Snowbowl in Montana to clinch the NorAm moguls crown, echoed her teammates. "It was a good day. It's warm and the snow softened for finals. I was excited, coming off winning NorAms … and this is perfect."
    Polly-Jo Clark, U.S. freestyle program director, called the performances "pretty incredible. These kids just kept putting down one outstanding run after another. We were looking for success but four medals in a day, going 1-2-3-4 in men's moguls and 2-4-5 in women's … wow!"
    The Junior World Championships conclude Monday with dual moguls.

2007 FIS FREESTYLE JUNIOR WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS
Airolo, SUI – March 18, 2007
Men's Moguls (16 made finals)
1. Bryon Wilson, South Taylorsville, UT/Wasatch Freestyle/U.S. C Team, 28.85 points
2. Jay Bowman-Kirigin, Salt Lake City/Wasatch Freestyle/U.S. B Team, 28.30
3. Joe Discoe, Ridgway, CO/Telluride Ski&Snowboard Club, 27.50
4. Jimmy Discoe, Ridgway, CO/Telluride Ski&Snowboard Club, 27.31 (tiebreaker)
5. Alexandr Smishliaev, Russia, 27.31

Women's Moguls (16 made finls)
1. Ekaterina Stoliarova, Russia, 27.09
2. Kayla Snyderman, Winchester, MA/Waterville Valley Black&Blue Trail Smashers/U.S. C Team, 26.07
3. Chloe Dufour-Lapointe, Canada, 25.98
4. McKenzy Golding, Reno, NV/Squaw Valley Freestyle Team/U.S. B Team, 24.73
5. Ani Haas, Park City, UT/Park City Freestyle Team, 24.60
–
13. Kristen Sweeny, Falmouth, ME/Carrabassett Valley Academy, 22.12

Click here for complete results