Spring speed series in Aspen foretells future stars

By Published On: April 14th, 2016Comments Off on Spring speed series in Aspen foretells future stars

The annual spring series of races that take place across the country after U.S. Alpine Championships typically draw deep fields filled with many current and hopeful national teamers in search of a final FIS point result or two before the race season draws to a close.

This was particularly true at the speed series held in Aspen, Colo., March 31-April 3. Big name World Cup skiers such as Tommy Biesemeyer, Jeffrey Frisch, Wiley Maple, Drew Duffy, and Anna Marno were all on hand for two downhill and two super G races.

Downhill day one saw American independent racer Keith Moffat continue a late-season surge and take the two-run sprint win with a total time of 2:26.10 seconds, scoring a career-best 13.62 FIS point result in the process. Following Moffat in second was the U.S. Ski Team’s Kipling Weisel, 0.21 seconds back as NorAm downhill title winner Frisch of Canada nabbed third, 0.67 seconds off the pace.

In the women’s race, young American Cecily Decker of the Eastern Regional Training Group took the win with a time of 2:38.16 seconds, a sizable 1.64 seconds ahead of Abigail Murer of Team Summit in second. Veteran racer Sarah Schleper, currently representing Mexico, managed a third-place finish, 3.23 seconds back.

On day two for the men, Biesemeyer took the victory with a time of 2:23.53 seconds, besting Great Britain’s Jack Gower in second by 0.69 seconds. Aspen local Wiley Maple rounded out the podium in third, 1.11 seconds behind.

Murer bested her runner-up finish the day before for the win in the second women’s race with a time of 2:38.48 seconds, 1.08 seconds ahead of Japanese racer Kayo Denda. Mary Kate Hackworthy of Steamboat Springs was a distant third, 4.00 seconds behind Murer.

On the first day of men’s super G, 2015 national champion Duffy skied to the win with a time of 1:16.98 seconds, a slim 0.15 seconds ahead of Frisch in second. Reigning U.S. giant slalom champion Kieffer Christianson rounded out the podium in third, 0.46 seconds back.

Fresh off a victory in super G at the 2016 U.S. Alpine Championships, Anna Marno handily took the women’s race with a time of 1:22.00 seconds, 0.75 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Rachael Desrochers of Team Summit with U.S. Ski Team development athlete Galena Wardle, the 2016 U.S. alpine combined champion, rounding out the podium in third, 0.81 seconds back.

The final men’s race saw Frisch take the super G win in 1:14.12 seconds, besting Biesemeyer by 0.27 seconds in second place. Dean Travers, skiing for the Cayman Islands, came third, 0.74 seconds off of Frisch’s winning pace.

Marno took her second victory in as many days after going back-to-back in super G, taking the win with a time of 1:22.66 seconds, besting Canadian and University of Utah skier Roni Remme by 0.74 seconds. Decker claimed her second podium of the series in third, 0.82 seconds behind.

View complete results from the Aspen spring speed series here.

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About the Author: Sean Higgins

A Lake Tahoe native and University of Vermont graduate, Higgins was a member of the Catamounts' 2012 NCAA title winning squad and earned first team All-American honors in 2013. Prior to coming to Ski Racing Media, he coached U14s for the Squaw Valley Ski Team.