Top American junior racers meet and compete at inaugural U16 Assessment Camp

Last week (April 1-6), 60 of the country’s most promising junior racers gathered in Park City, Utah to take part in the inaugural U16 National Assessment Project.

The racers, selected to attend the special camp based on their results at this season’s junior championships events, got the opportunity to participate in physical testing at the USSA’s Center of Excellence gym, ask U.S. Ski Team head coaches Sasha Rearick and Alex Hoedlmoser questions, free ski at Snowbird and compete in slalom, GS and dual races.

Goals of the camp included: assessment of the current athletic condition of American ski racing in this age group in ski racing competitions, technical skiing skills, and physical conditioning; acquaint the national team and development staff of USSA and USST with these athletes and vice versa; to present information on athletic and sport science components of the American Alpine Training System.

Overall awards were given based on the results of the three races as well as skills demonstrated in a series of drills and freeskiing exercises.

Aspen’s Sky Kelsey led the boys with wins in both the GS and dual race and a second-place finish in the slalom. A pair of eastern skiers finished 2,3 with Gould Academy racer Zach Bouchard in second and Burke Mountain Academy’s Paul Shiels in third.

Isabella Wright of the Jackson Hole Ski Team led the girls with a win in the dual race and a third-place finish in the GS. Mission Ridge Ski Education Foundation skier Delilah Cupp took second overall with top-five results in all three races. The Park City Ski Team’s Molly Leavens took third after winning the GS and finishing second in the slalom.

Look for a full-length feature on the camp in the next digital issue of Ski Racing due out early next week.

Click the files below to see the full results from the GS and slalom races.