WINTER PARK — So good on the slopes at such a young age, Mikaela Shiffrin, 16, naturally draws comparisons to Lindsey Vonn.
Rather than run from such speculation, the Vail native finds the association quite flattering, really.
“It is a big compliment to me,” Shiffrin said. “(Vonn) has been one of my idols since I’ve been growing up.”
Although Shiffrin has a long way to go to catch up to her idol, she’s on the right track, winning her first title at the U.S. championships with a smooth performance in sloppy conditions Sunday in the slalom.
Shiffrin flew down the mushy course in a combined time of 1 minute, 42.14 seconds. She held off Sarah Schleper, who was 0.52 behind. Resi Stiegler finished third.
“I was sure hoping for this,” said Shiffrin, who attends Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont. “A lot came through today.”
To celebrate, Shiffrin was off to hit the books. She has a lot of Algebra II homework to catch up on, not to mention a little history. These days, she’s making quite a bit of history.
Right before her 16th birthday in March, Shiffrin took part in two World Cup races in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, becoming one of the youngest Americans to step into a big-league starting gate. She won a bronze medal in the slalom at the junior world championships, even with a bad virus.
“This is the best end to a season ever,” said Shiffrin, a former Ski Club Vail racer.
She wasn’t the only youngster coming up big Sunday.
Colby Granstrom, 20, broke up Tommy Ford’s monopoly at nationals, taking the men’s title. Granstrom, of Lake Stevens, Wash., had a two-run time of 1:42.67, beating Ford by 1.33 seconds. University of Denver standout Seppi Stiegler, who recently won an NCAA giant slalom crown, wound up third, just like his older sister.
Granstrom was in fourth after the first run, but turned in a fast final trip in snowy conditions to take the title.
“I wanted to throw down the best run I could,” Granstrom said. “This was always a dream of mine.”
Moments after coming up short in the slalom, Ford, of Bend, Ore., found out that he had captured the crown in the combined, which meshed the times from the super-G that Ford won Saturday with those of the slalom.
He’s now won six national titles in the last two years.
Julia Mancuso couldn’t add to her career mark of 13 U.S. titles, skiing off course in a whiteout. Mancuso won the super-G and giant slalom titles last week.
Schleper, of Vail, had a solid weekend. She finished runner-up in the giant slalom along with the slalom. Later, the 32-year-old found out she had wrapped up the combined title, edging Laurenne Ross.
For as bummed as Schleper was about losing Sunday, she was excited for Shiffrin.
“That was a fight. I’m stoked for Mikaela,” Schleper said. “She has a good, solid head on her shoulders to come down and take the win.”
By making it safely through the course, Resi Stiegler accomplished something she hasn’t in quite a while — staying healthy through an entire season.
“I made it, the whole year, my first season,” she said, laughing. “I’m really happy about that.”
