Tommy Ford takes U.S. National slalom title, Cochran to retire

By Published On: March 29th, 2012Comments Off on Tommy Ford takes U.S. National slalom title, Cochran to retire

Tommy Ford earned the seventh U.S. national title of his career today (March 29) by the narrowest of margins at Winter Park, Colo. in the men’s slalom.

Ford stood third after the first run in sunny Winter Park, 0.61 seconds behind first run leader Jimmy Cochran. The lead changed hands four times in a row as consecutive racers crossed the line before it settled in Ford’s lap as he took just a one-hundredth of a second advantage over Norwegian Leif Haugen in second place. U.S. Ski Team C-Team member Michael Ankeny was another two-tenths of a second back in third place.

“I’ve been training some slalom up in Quebec when we had some spring break time and it’s been getting better and better,” said Ford, who pulled in his second National slalom title. “I added some old-school turns the second run but skied well on the bottom. It’s always fun to win, I skied well and it was fun to ski well and good slalom.”

Ankeny was happy to have finally reached the podium after just missing it in fourth place in last season’s national slalom race.

“It’s really exciting, the guys that beat me I am good friends with, I was just surprised it was so close because the conditions were so variable,” said Ankeny, who enjoyed the atmosphere of the national championships in warm, spring conditions. “It’s kind of cool. You can put what’s happened behind you, you come here ski well and its just really fun when the whole ski team can come together and race at one place.”

Jimmy Cochran, who announced this week that he will retire after nine years on the U.S. Ski Team, held the lead after the first run but hooked a gate at the top of the second-run course.

“I’d like to do that one again but that’s ski racing,” said Cochran. “As for my career I had a great time, really fortunate, I feel like I have been living a charmed life the past eight years I’ve been doing this. I met a lot of great people, traveled to a lot of great places, this isn’t a bad place to end it here, nice day, nice people nice hill, I think  I did my first race as a ski team member on that hill right over there so It’s a good place to do the last one too, full circle.”

Robert Cone (Killington, VT) lead all junior racers in ninth place overall. Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT/Cochran’s/Mt. Mansfield Ski and Snowboard Club), who earned two gold medals (downhill and combined) earlier this month at the Junior World Championships, finished second amongst the juniors and tenth overall. Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, CA/Squaw Valley Ski Team) took the junior bronze in 12th overall.

“It feels great, I was excited after the first run, great bib draw, pretty solid run up top and kept it going fast down bottom and that put me in a good position for second run where it was still relatively smooth,” said Cone. “I just had to put my foot in [the rut] and try to make some good turns all the way to the bottom. I got a little behind it before the finish but it was a good run and it put me in there.”

Ski Club Vail J-2 racer Alex Leever was another junior standout with the fastest second run of the day in the No. 75 bib. He finished 21st.

The 2012 U.S. Alpine National Championships will continue Friday with the men’s and women’s super G races.

Rank  Bib   Name Team Club Class Result 1 Result 2 Combined
15  
FORD, Tommy 
USA
89
SR
46.53   (3)
45.67   (7)
1:32.20 
7  
HAUGEN, Leif Kristian 
NOR
87
SR
46.14   (2)
46.07 (19)
1:32.21 
1  
ANKENY, Michael 
USA
91
SR
46.63   (4)
45.81 (11)
1:32.44 
5  
BRANDENBURG, Will 
USA
87
SR
46.86   (5)
45.91 (15)
1:32.77 
19  
KELLEY, Robby 
USA
90
SR
47.06   (6)
45.95 (17)
1:33.01 
18  
ADDE, Andreas 
NOR
88
SR
47.82 (10)
46.00 (18)
1:33.82 
20  
ACOSTA, Christopher 
USA
90
SR
48.04 (11)
45.87 (13)
1:33.91 
12  
LYSDAHL, Espen 
NOR
90
SR
47.57   (8)
46.57 (23)
1:34.14 
9  
CONE, Robert 
USA
92
J-1
47.52   (7)
46.63 (24)
1:34.15 
10  21  
COCHRAN-SIEGLE, Ryan 
USA
92
J-1
49.14 (16)
45.08   (2)
1:34.22 
11  28  
ZIKA, Adam 
CZE
89
SR
48.67 (14)
45.69   (9)
1:34.36 
12  36  
BENNETT, Bryce 
USA
92
J-1
49.21 (17)
45.54   (5)
1:34.75 
13  29  
MARSHALL, Tucker 
USA
90
SR
49.43 (18)
45.47   (4)
1:34.90 
14  22  
GOLDBERG, Jared 
USA
91
SR
48.82 (15)
46.30 (21)
1:35.12 
15  37  
CHRISTIANSON, Kieffer 
USA
92
J-1
49.63 (20)
45.67   (7)
1:35.30 
16  31  
REYNOLDS, Charlie 
USA
89
SR
48.53 (13)
46.84 (25)
1:35.37 
17  33  
SHIFFRIN, Taylor 
USA
92
J-1
48.35 (12)
47.18 (26)
1:35.53 
18  60  
BIESEMEYER, Thomas 
USA
89
SR
50.31 (23)
45.86 (12)
1:36.17 
19  45  
SNOW, Scott 
USA
93
J-1
51.01 (25)
45.20   (3)
1:36.21 
20  67  
O BRIEN, Cannon 
USA
92
J-1
50.20 (22)
46.28 (20)
1:36.48 
21  75  
LEEVER, Alex 
USA
95
J-2
51.59 (28)
44.90   (1)
1:36.49 
22  51  
SPROCK, Ty 
USA
95
J-2
51.10 (26)
45.61   (6)
1:36.71 
23  58  
SMITH, Cameron 
USA
92
J-1
50.84 (24)
45.90 (14)
1:36.74 
24  54  
WRIGHT, Cole 
USA
91
SR
51.35 (27)
45.94 (16)
1:37.29 
25  42  
HORNER, Sean 
USA
91
SR
51.60 (29)
45.75 (10)
1:37.35 
26  43  
KRAUSE, Nicholas 
USA
93
J-1
51.63 (30)
46.41 (22)
1:38.04 
27  49  
MCDONALD, Conor 
USA
93
J-1
52.07 (36)
47.74 (27)
1:39.81 
28  47  
BARWOOD, Adam 
NZL
92
J-1
51.87 (32)
48.00 (29)
1:39.87 
29  48  
FARROW, Tanner 
USA
93
J-1
51.95 (35)
48.06 (30)
1:40.01 
30  66  
NIEDERHAUSER, Christoph 
USA
93
J-1
52.29 (39)
47.77 (28)
1:40.06 
31  77  
ARVIDSSON, Erik 
USA
96
J-2
51.91 (34)
48.45 (33)
1:40.36 
32  44  
MILLER, Mark 
USA

< /td>

90
SR
52.27 (38)
48.34 (31)
1:40.61 
33  71  
HALL, Max 
USA
95
J-2
52.51 (40)
48.66 (34)
1:41.17 
34  79  
MCCORMICK, Sean 
USA
93
J-1
51.89 (33)
49.95 (40)
1:41.84 
35  69  
THEIS, Tyler 
USA
94
J-1
52.15 (37)
50.57 (45)
1:42.72 
36  65  
SHINOHARA, Yuuma 
JPN
92
J-1
53.58 (43)
49.39 (37)
1:42.97 
37  82  
BOARDMAN, Michael 
USA
94
J-1
53.03 (42)
50.14 (41)
1:43.17 
38  41  
FLOWERS, Kitt 
USA
91
SR
54.96 (50)
48.42 (32)
1:43.38 
39  55  
COLLINS, Harlan 
USA
93
J-1
54.27 (46)
49.33 (36)
1:43.60 
40  63  
STENICKA, Nicholas 
USA
91
SR
54.55 (48)
49.48 (38)
1:44.03 
41  61  
LUND, Max 
USA
90
SR
54.60 (49)
49.93 (39)
1:44.53 
42  91  
JONES, Alec 
USA
94
J-1
53.79 (44)
50.84 (46)
1:44.63 
43  85  
HARTMANN, Kevin 
USA
93
J-1
54.43 (47)
50.30 (44)
1:44.73 
44  78  
COOPER, Scott 
USA
93
J-1
55.45 (52)
50.27 (43)
1:45.72 
45  70  
DUPRATT, Samuel 
USA
93
J-1
51.70 (31)
54.53 (50)
1:46.23 
46  76  
WATANABE, Takehiro 
JPN
93
J-1
56.40 (54)
50.15 (42)
1:46.55 
47  52  
BROOKS, Dylan 
USA
92
J-1
57.53 (59)
49.03 (35)
1:46.56 
48  86  
MOONEY, Ryan 
USA
96
J-2
55.86 (53)
51.02 (48)
1:46.88 
49  88  
ALBERTSON, Peter 
USA
92
J-1
57.06 (58)
53.34 (49)
1:50.40 
50  92  
BRAUN, Nick 
USA
94
J-1
1:00.76 (60)
50.88 (47)
1:51.64 
51  53  
STANG, Nick 
USA
90
SR
52.69 (41)
1:05.35 (52)
1:58.04 
52  90  
UNICUME, Cody 
USA
91
SR
1:02.09 (61)
1:03.19 (51)
2:05.28 
  3  
COCHRAN, Jimmy 
USA
81
SR
45.92   (1)
DNF      
 
  13  
LAIDLAW, Luke 
AUS
92
J-1

47.71   (9)
DNF      
 
  17  
WILSON, Ryan 
USA
87
SR
49.55 (19)
DNF      
 
  25  
SPENST, Taggart 
USA
88
SR
49.91 (21)
DNF      
 
  38  
BANSMER, Michael 
USA
89
SR
54.21 (45)
DNF      
 
  16  
JITLOFF, Tim 
USA
85
SR
55.05 (51)
DNS      
 
  62  
FARRELL, Brad 
USA
92
J-1
56.59 (55)
DNF      
 
  97  
MACKIE, Logan Rip 
USA
94
J-1
56.72 (56)
DNF      
 
  39  
KOLLENBORG, Christopher 
NOR
88
SR
57.05 (57)
DNS      
 
  94  
KAMPHUIS, Colin 
USA
93
J-1
1:07.20 (62)
DQg55      
1:07.20 
  96  
BERLACK, Ronald 
USA
94
J-1
DNF      
DNS      
 
  95  
MCLAUGHLIN, Brian 
USA
93
J-1
DNF      
DNS      
 
  93  
FRANCIS, Brian 
USA
95
J-2
DNF      
DNS      
 
  89  
KIRCHER, Andrew 
USA
93
J-1
DNF      
DNS      
 
  87  
NOGES, Carl 
USA
91
SR
DNF      
DNS      
 
  84  
VETH, Nicolas 
USA
95
J-2
DNF      
DNS      
 
  83  
MARTENS, Peter 
USA
95
J-2
DNF      
DNS      
 
  81  
OGLE, Jay 
USA
91
SR
DNF      
DNS      
 
  80  
HAUGEN, Per Torstein 
NOR
94
J-1
DNF      
DNS      
 
  74  
MCKENNA, Christopher 
USA
93
J-1
DNF      
DNS      
 
  73  
WILSON, Kenny 
USA
94
J-1
DNF      
DNS      
 
  72  
ROBLES, Thomas 
USA
94
J-1
DNF      < /div>
DNS      
 
  68  
WRIGHT, Bronson 
USA
93
J-1
DNF      
DNS      
 
  64  
NEESON, Finlay 
NZL
93
J-1
DNF      
DNS      
 
  59  
HARRIS, Reilly 
USA
90
SR
DNF      
DNS      
 
  56  
RYAN, Chase 
USA
92
J-1
DNF      
DNS      
 
  50  
MOTTAU, Tanner 
USA
93
J-1
DNF      
DNS      
 
  46  
STRAND, Derek 
USA
91
SR
DNF      
DNS      
 
  40  
MIYAMA, Fumiaki 
JPN
88
SR
DNF      
DNS      
 
  35  
HARMANEN, Niko 
FIN
88
SR
DNF      
DNS      
 
  34  
MARNO, Max 
USA
91
SR
DNF      
DNS      
 
  32  
RUBIE, Brennan 
USA
91
SR
DNF      
DNS      
 
  30  
HRIBAR, Timotej 
SLO
90
SR
DNF      
DNS      
 
  27  
TARBERRY, Ace 
USA
88
SR
DNF      
DNS      
 
  26  
MORSE, Ben 
USA
92
J-1
DNF      
DNS      
 
  23  
COHEE, Nick 
USA
88
SR
DNF      
DNS      
 
  14  
STRAND, Matthew 
USA
93
J-1
DNF      
DNS      
 
  11  
HAUG, Andreas Willumsen 
NOR
89
SR
DNF      
DNS      
 
  10  
STIEGLER, Seppi 
USA
88
SR
DNF      
DNS      
 
  6  
BRENNA, Petter 
NOR
86
SR
DNF      
DNS      
 
  2  
LIGETY, Ted 
USA
84
SR
DNF      
DNS      
 
  98  
LEBEL, James&
nbsp;
USA
96
J-2
DNS      
DNS      
 
  57  
FINK-DEBRAY, Miles 
USA
88
SR
DNS      
DNS      
 
  24  
ROBERTS, Hig 
USA
91
SR
DQg48      
DNS      
 
  8  
LAMB, Max 
USA
90
SR
DQg7      
DNS      
 
  4  
GRANSTROM, Colby 
USA
90
SR
DQg52      
DNS      
 

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