Mikaela Shiffrin made her first big mark on alpine skiing’s world stage Thursday.
The 15-year-old skier from Vail won a bronze medal in the slalom at the junior world championships at Crans-Montana, Switzerland, despite the lingering effects of a virus. She trailed two 19-year-olds in the 108-racer lineup — gold medalist Jessica Depauli of Austria and silver medalist Anna Swenn-Larsson of Sweden.
Shiffrin, skiing at her first junior worlds, completed the two runs in 1 minute, 41.27 seconds — 0.95 seconds behind the winner.
“I’m happy with today,” Shiffrin said. “It wasn’t my cleanest run, but it was pretty good, so I can’t complain at all.”
A student at Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont, Shiffrin has been touted as the best American prospect since Olympic champions Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso broke through a decade ago. She established a reputation with victories in her debut season on the second-tier North American Cup circuit.
“Everything so far in my career has gone pretty well,” she said.
• Carolina Nordh of the University of Colorado ski team finished fifth in the giant slalom at the World University Games in Turkey. CU’s Erika Ghent, who won silver in the super combined Wednesday, finished ninth in the GS, and Kirsten Cooper was 10th.
Rams softball picked to finish fourth.
The Colorado State softball team is picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West Conference, according to the preseason coaches’ poll.
The Rams return seven letter-winners and two all- conference players, senior shortstop Caitlan Stem and junior pitcher Kelli Eubanks, for the inaugural season of coach Jen Fisher, a Fort Collins native and a CSU graduate.
Defending champion BYU was the choice to win the MWC regular-season title, with 24 points and four first-place votes. The Rams received 13 points.
Mammoth juggles roster.
The Colorado Mammoth called up rookie forward Connor Martin from the practice squad and released forward Josh Wasson.
Martin, 22, is the first Chapman University lacrosse alumnus to play the sport professionally. He was signed as a free agent. He had a goal and an assist in the Mammoth’s preseason game against Toronto on Dec. 4.
Locals join CU women’s soccer.
Carly Bolyard of Monarch High School, Darcy Jerman of Cheyenne Mountain and Smoky Hill’s Bianca Jones signed scholarship offers to play soccer for Colorado, Buffs coach Bill Hempen announced.
Jerman is a three-time all-state selection. Bolyard was a Front Range Conference first-team selection her sophomore year. Jones helped Smoky Hill to the 5A quarterfinals and made first-team all-conference. Her father, Elton, played football for CU, and her mother, Girdy, skied for New Mexico.
The Buffs also signed midfielder/forward Rebecca Boggs of Eagle River, Alaska.
