Vail – Summit High School took a giant step toward the 2007 Colorado High School Activities Association state ski championship with a sweep of the boys giant slalom, the final event on the first day of the two-day, four-discipline competition.
Led by senior Fletcher McDonald’s winning two-run combined time of 2 minutes, 5.25 seconds, Summit claimed the top three podium positions and six of the top nine for the top score of 177 points in the boys division of Thursday’s lone alpine competition. Junior teammate Zach Fretz finished second in 2:05.76 and Brannan Sheely, another junior, was third in 2:06.75.
The results could not have come at a more opportune time for the Summit squad, combining with a strong 167-point performance on the girls alpine side to recover from a third-place team performance in the cross country classic event earlier in the day. Trailing the teams from Aspen – which swept the boys cross country race – and Vail Mountain School, the Summit trio that has been “racing together forever” dismissed any would-be pressure and stepped up to the challenge of maintaining the school’s reputation among Colorado’s elite alpine race programs.
“It’s always been around at our school to win the state championships and now we’re at the top of the school responsible for holding that up,” Fretz, 17, said. “But a lot of ski racing is not worrying about that pressure. It’s going out there and taking what you do in training and using it on the course. You have to be mentally strong.”
“At this stage everyone can ski technically well,” added McDonald, 17. “It starts to get mental from here on up.”
Middle Park’s Khyla Burrows, 16, exemplified that mental toughness in the girls giant slalom race, winning her first state title as a sophomore despite dropping her ski pole and glove at the start of her second run. After posting the top time in the first run, she managed to finish fourth in the second run and hold on for the title with a combined time of 2:12.92. Aspen’s Jenny Hearn placed second in 2:13.47, followed by Alex Guras of Summit in 2:13.81.
“Somehow my pole got stuck in the start and I had to ski the whole course without my glove and my pole,” Burrows said. “I hoped I would be in the top five, but I didn’t think I would win.”
Solid results from Leah Canfield (fifth) and Erin Breslin (eighth) helped Summit into the lead in the women’s alpine standings, followed by Middle Park (only one point behind with 166) and Aspen (163). Battle Mountain scored second highest in the boys giant slalom event with 157 points, and Middle Park was third with 154.
Aspen dominated the early cross country portion of competition with Noah Hoffman, Scott Lacy and Ryan Waldron sweeping the boys event and Laura Hatanaka placing third behind champion Briana Perkins of Summit and Karlie Moore of Vail Mountain School in the girls race.
The state title will be handed out today after slalom and cross country skate races.
Scott Willoughby can be reached at 303-954-1993 or swilloughby@denverpost.com.
SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS
BOYS
Team scores – Summit 177, Battle Mountain 157, Middle Park 154, Steamboat Springs 151, Aspen 146, Evergreen 138, Nederland 121, Vail Mountain 82, Eagle Valley 67, Platte Canyon 66, Vail Christian 66, Clear Creek 38, Lake County 32, Colorado Rocky Mountain 29.
Giant slalom
Name, School 1st 2nd Comb.
Fletcher McDonald, Summit 1:02.5 1:02.8 2:05.3
Zach Fretz, Summit 1:03.2 1:02.5 2:05.8
Brannan Sheely, Summit 1:03.7 1:03.0 2:06.7
Cooper Cartmill, Battle Mtn. 1:03.3 1:04.5 2:07.8
Ian Lande, Steamboat Spgs. 1:04.8 1:03.8 2:08.5
Drew Beling, Summit 1:04.9 1:04.1 2:09.0
Nick Stenicka, Middle Park 1:05.1 1:04.3 2:09.4
Mark Miller, Summit 1:05.5 1:04.3 2:09.8
Hunter Black, Summit 1:04.7 1:05.6 2:10.4
Stephen Buzbee, Aspen 1:05.7 1:06.3 2:12.0
Wilder Heuga, Battle Mtn. 1:05.7 1:06.3 2:12.0
Wiley Thayer, Steam. Spgs. 1:05.9 1:06.3 2:12.1
Boyd Baker, Aspen 1:06.2 1:06.4 2:12.6
Ryan Fosha, Middle Park 1:06.0 1:06.8 2:12.8
Evan Johnston, Middle Park 1:05.7 1:07.3 2:13.0
David Graebel, Evergreen 1:06.8 1:06.8 2:13.5
Mitch Hendrix, Battle Mtn. 1:06.7 1:07.7 2:14.4
Andrew Cryer, Evergreen 1:07.6 1:07.8 2:15.4
Kevin Coleman, Summit 1:07.7 1:07.9 2:15.6
Petey Moore, Battle Mtn. 1:07.7 1:07.9 2:15.6
Mick Seemann, Vail Mtn. 1:08.3 1:08.2 2:16.5
Brian Joyce, Summit 1:08.4 1:08.2 2:16.6
Peter Hodel, Evergreen 1:08.0 1:08.8 2:16.8
Ben Paley, Steamboat Spgs. 1:09.1 1:08.4 1:17.5
Kris Allen, Steamboat Spgs. 1:09.3 1:08.5 2:17.8
Cross country classic
Noah Hoffman, Aspen 13:32.9
Scott Lacy, Aspen 14:23.0
Ryan Waldron, Aspen 14:53.9
Anthony Ryerson, Vail Mountain 15:19.6
Chris Woods, Vail Mountain 15:28.6
Tyler Reinking, Summit 15:29.4
Nate Marrs, Aspen 15:34.5
Chris Lange, Lake County 15:48.0
Zach French, Lake County 15:55.4
Whit Parker, Aspen 15:55.8
Barton Tofany, Aspen 16:07.3
Wes Batis, Vail Mountain 16:14.7
Sean Woods, Vail Mountain 16:16.1
Tom Sawyer, Summit 16:16.7
Ben Armstrong, Aspen 16:21.0
GIRLS
Team scores – Summit 167, Middle Park 166, Aspen 163, Evergreen 144, Battle Mountain 142, Steamboat Springs 139, Vail Mountain 124, Eagle Valley 106, Nederland 101, Clear Creek 69, Lake County 66, Platte Canyon 56, Colorado Rocky Mountain 54, Vail Christian 33.
Giant slalom
Name, School 1st 2nd Comb.
Khyla Burrows, Middle Park 1:05.7 1:07.3 2:12.9
Jenny Hearn, Aspen 1:06.5 1:06.9 2:13.5
Alex Guras, Summit 1:06.8 1:07.1 2:13.8
Joanna Coffey, Aspen 1:07.8 1:06.8 2:14.6
Leah Canfield, Summit 1:08.1 1:07.3 2:15.4
Jamie Roberts, Battle Mtn. 1:07.8 1:07.8 2:15.6
Tracie Kroneberger, Mid.Pk. 1:08.2 1:07.9 2:16.1
Erin Breslin, Summit 1:08.5 1:06.4. 2:16.9
Laurel Broten, Summit 1:08.9 1:08.6 2:17.5
Sarah Williams, Middle Park 1:08.9 1:09.1 2:18.1
Kylie Kroneberger, Mid. Pk. 1:08.6 1:09.9 2:18.5
Taylor Verdun, Evergreen 1:09.0 1:09.6 2:18.6
Lorin Paley, Steam. Spgs. 1:10.5 1:08.5 2:19.3
Chelsea Fretz, Summit 1:10.7 1:09.7 2:20.5
Kelly Van Hee, Battle Mtn. 1:09.8 1:11.4 2:21.2
Keeli Zigich, Evergreen 1:09.8 1:11.6 2:21.4
Alex Maple, Aspen 1:10.7 1:11.7 2:22.4
Hanna Berglund, Steam. Sp. 1:10.2 1:12.4 2:22.6
Suzanne Larson, Evergreen 1:11.2 1:11.9 2:23.1
Lucy Sackbauer, Vail Mtn. 1:11.3 1:12.5 2:23.8
Riley Gage, Summit 1:12.1 1:11.9 2:24.1
Jamie Gay, Steam. Springs 1:11.6 1:12.5 2:24.2
Andi Moran, Clear Creek 1:11.7 1:12.9 2:24.6
Meigan Canfield, Summit 1:11.5 1:13.1 2:24.6
Anna Anderson, Steam. Sp. 1:11.8 1:12.9 2:24.7
Cross country classic
Briana Perkins, Summit 16:45.7
Karlie Moore, Vail Mountain 17:06.6
Laura Hatanaka, Aspen 17:26.6
Molly McGee, Vail Christian 17:37.9
Kaitlin Zdechlik, Vail Mountain 18:07.7
Melissa Krause, Steamboat Springs 18:13.6
Britany Marrs, Aspen 18:20.7
Leilani Bruntz, Vail Mountain 18:27.9
Jessica Linder, Vail Christian 18:36.3
Lindsey Wilkinson, Aspen 18:43.6
Katie Stege, Lake County 18:46.3
Christiana White, Vail Mountain 19:10.0
Sara Papathakis, Middle Park 19:10.8
Cornelia Carpenter, Aspen 19:21.2
Natalie Obermeyer, Aspen 19:23.2
