Ross, Cook, Mancuso within .08 at SG Nationals in Squaw Valley

By Published On: March 22nd, 2013Comments Off on Ross, Cook, Mancuso within .08 at SG Nationals in Squaw Valley

On a track with mixed conditions and under a bluebird sky, the world’s best women’s speed team settled the U.S. national super G title in Squaw Valley Friday.

Julia Mancuso was runner-up in the season-long SG standings, finishing just behind Overall winner Tina Maze, whom Mancuso would have had a chance to surpass if the final speed events in Lenzerhiede hadn’t been cancelled.

Friday was Laurenne Ross’ day, however, proving that she may have been the last of the six speed team members to reach the podium this season, but she certainly wasn’t least. Ross finished with a time of 1:02.50, just one-hundredth of a second faster than Stacey Cook.

Ross, who picked up her first career World Cup podium in what turned out to be the final speed events of the season in Garmisch, said her winning run on Friday didn’t feel good.

“It was really messy,” said Ross. “This is a tough hill for super G. Not only is it a tough hill, period, but it’s really hard to set on this hill because it’s really narrow, so speeds are a little higher than you think. It’s just kind of messy out there. It wasn’t pretty skiing.

“[A national title] would be pretty cool,” said Ross conservatively before all the racers had completed their runs. “I’ve never won a national title, so it would be my first. I’d be psyched.”

Mancuso, who yesterday won the GS to pick up a record 16th national title, finished third on the day. Just to mix things up a little, Mancuso raced on Chelsea Marshall’s skis because her own SG boards were MIA. She was just 0.08 seconds behind Ross.

“You always have to have a good run,” said Mancuso. “Super G can be a little intimidating, especially when you’re not ready. My skis didn’t make it. They took a little trip around California.”

Fellow Golden Stacey Cook, who finished fourth in the World Cup downhill standings this season, didn’t think it was a good run when she crossed the finish line.

“It was a little soft up top and it’s breaking down pretty bad,” said Cook. “It just didn’t feel good. It wasn’t a feel-good run at all. But it’s the time that matters in the finish, does’t necessarily matter how you look on the way down.”

Cook radioed up to some of the younger girls to reassure them that the course was fine: “Sometimes there’s a discrepancy what you feel as an athlete and what the coaches are seeing, so I wanted to tell the younger girls what I was seeing and reassure them that it’s bumpy, but it’s fine.”

Squaw Valley, CA (USA)

National Championships
Ladies’ Super G

Rank Bib   Name Year Nation Total Time FIS Points
 1  7 ROSS Laurenne  1988  USA   1:02.50  9.80
 2  4 COOK Stacey  1984  USA   1:02.51  9.97
 3  5 MANCUSO Julia  1984  USA   1:02.58  11.14
 4  6 SMITH Leanne  1987  USA   1:02.96  17.53
 5  10 MCJAMES Megan  1987  USA   1:03.42  25.26
 6  8 GHENT Abby  1992  USA   1:03.45  25.76
 7  11 HARTMAN Katie  1988  USA   1:04.02  35.34
 8  15 MOLTZAN Paula  1994  USA   1:04.30  40.04
 9  13 KOBAL Ana  1991  SLO   1:04.39  41.55
 10  14 SAMUELS Lauren  1992  USA   1:04.50  43.40
 11  12 IRWIN Katharine  1994  USA   1:04.57  44.58
 12  16 PETERSON Foreste  1993  USA   1:05.28  56.50
 13  2 HEMPHILL Mary Beth  1994  CAN   1:05.29  56.67
 14  19 LAPANJA Lila  1994  USA   1:05.44  59.19
 15  26 MOUNSEY Anna  1995  USA   1:05.82  65.58
 16  24 HUSSON Emily  1994  USA   1:05.84  65.91
 17  20 BARTLETT Caroline  1995  CAN   1:06.18  71.62
 18  30 JOHNSON Breezy  1996  USA   1:06.20  71.96
 19  18 LATHROP Brittany  1995  USA   1:06.23  72.46
 20  25 FARROW Katie  1993  CAN   1:06.83  82.54
 21  29 GIBSON Libby  1994  USA   1:07.41  92.29
 22  32 ZELIFF Caite  1994  USA   1:07.69  96.99
 23  35 MILLER Kyla  1996  USA   1:08.56  111.61
 24  46 REINHART Jessica  1996  USA   1:08.88  116.98
 25  31 BAYSINGER Linnea  1995  USA   1:09.14  121.35
 26  39 CHENOWETH Kelsey  1995  USA   1:09.15  121.52
 27  38 MCVICKER Victoria  1992  USA   1:09.19  122.19
 28  41 WHISTLER Paige  1993  USA   1:09.48  127.06
 29  42 HARTMAN Ellie  1994  USA   1:10.25  140.00
 30  34 BJORKMAN Julia  1995  USA   1:10.42  142.86
 31  47 LARSEN Dayna  1994  USA   1:11.72  164.70
 32  36 GIBSON Kaitlyn  1993  CAN   1:11.98  169.06
 33  40 HUNSAKER Hannah  1995  USA   1:13.27  190.74
Did not start 1st run
   22 REMME Roni  1996  CAN     
Did not finish 1st run
   45 SHEELY Miranda  1994  USA     
   44 LUPEAR Vreni  1995  USA     
   43 MURPHY Morganne  1994  USA     
   37 FRANKENBURG Sophia  1994  USA     
   33 HUME Audrey  1994  USA     
   28 SCHWEITZER Jordan  1994  USA     
   27 REILLY Amanda  1994  USA     
   23 CALCAGNI Lexi  1995  USA     
   21 CARAVELLI Nicolette  1993  USA     
   17 MARSHALL Chelsea  1986  USA     
   9 WILES Jacqueline  1992  USA     
   3 CASTON Rose  1992  USA     
   1 HOSTETLER Katie  1994  USA     

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About the Author: Geoff Mintz

Geoff Mintz is a former alpine ski racer who cut his teeth at Ragged Mountain and Waterville Valley, N.H. After graduating from Holderness and UVM, he relocated to Colorado, where he worked on the hill prior to pursuing a career in journalism. Mintz served as associate editor for Ski Racing Media from 2011 to 2015. He later reconnected with his local roots to manage all marketing and communications for Ski & Snowboard Club Vail before resuming work at SRM as editor-in-chief.