Alpine nationals: Cook wins FIS DH at Alyeska

Racing in brilliant sun and midwinter conditions, Stacey Cook easily took the opening FIS downhill on Thursday, besting teammate Kaylin Richardson on a rolling, gliders course known as the Bowl/Gelende track. Development team member Chelsea Marshall took the bronze medal.

ALYESKA RESORT, Alaska — Racing in brilliant sun and midwinter conditions, Stacey Cook easily took the opening FIS downhill on Thursday, besting teammate Kaylin Richardson on a rolling, gliders course known as the Bowl/Gelende track. Development team member Chelsea Marshall took the bronze medal.
    The best junior in the race was Leanne Smith from Conway, New Hampshire, who finished in fifth place.
    Looking relaxed on course and at ease in the finish area, Cook said she was enjoying just being "here" gesturing at the soaring Chugatch mountains which surround the finish area.
    "I really like this downhill," Cook said. "This was where I first raced downhill and I crashed," she laughed.
    Cook, who lives in Truckee, California, and races out of Mammoth Mountain, California, is a fan of powder skiing, something which is legendary here.
    Plainly enjoying the surroundings, Cook smiled and said that her coaches had told her, "Not to look around while on the course."
    Cook spent her first year on the World Cup this season and allowed that she had an "up and down" year.
    "What I need is consistency," Cook emphasized.
    With the national championship downhill coming Friday, Cook may just have this track dialed in giving her what she is looking for, consistency.