The Inside Edge - SARS Dominates at U14 Championships
—Courtesy photo Pictured from left to right are Independence Race Team members Wesley Simko, Myriah Stenvers, coach Shep Snow and Baden Brenner, atop Mount Bachelor’s crater.
n U14 Championships — More than 180 of the top U14 alpine racers from 20 teams in the Northwest converged on Mount Bachelor, Oregon for three days of competition. The events contested were Super G, Giant Slalom and Slalom. With sunny skies and excellent snow conditions, the outcome rested solely in the hands of the athletes.
The Schweitzer Alpine Racing School put on the most dominant performance the Edge has ever seen at this level, winning four of the six possible Gold medals, the Men’s Division and the Overall Team title. They also showed the depth of their program, placing numerous athletes in the top 10. Other teams in our league also put up some strong numbers, establishing the EEYSL as a player with the more populace zones near the coast.
Only three local athletes, all from the Independence Racing Team, participated. Baden Brenner finished 15th in Super G, and 22nd in Giant Slalom, but disqualified in Slalom. He finished 32nd overall in the Men’s field. Wesley Simko finished 34th in Super G, 42nd in Giant Slalom, 37th in Slalom and 34th overall. Myriah Stenvers finished 24th in Super G and Giant Slalom and 27th in Slalom, putting her at 18th overall. Brenner and Stenvers move up to U16 next season, while Simko gets another shot at Buddy Werner.
n Season Finale at Schweitzer — Don’t miss all the fun at Schweitzer this weekend. Events will include the Dummy Downhill, Pond Skimming, Duck Hunt and live music. Can you believe it’s already over?
n Potpourri — This is the final edition of the Edge for the season. We’re pulling the stakes and heading South for several weeks of golf and mountain biking. See you in October!
The Inside Edge runs every Thursday during ski season in the Daily Bee.
Editor’s note: The Bee sports editor would like to thank Shep Snow for another great year of ski and snowboard coverage. Shep compiles youth ski racing results, sheds light on regional events and lends keen insight into the sport. Great passion and knowledge, combined with strong writing, makes for some of the best newspaper ski coverage anywhere in the region.