Flathead Valley Ski Racers finish qualifying season with strong results

It has been a fast and furious race season for the Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation’s U14 and U16 Competition Teams. Last weekend was the final of five qualifying race series in the Northern Division for athletes to be selected for the U16 Western Regional Championships at Alpine Meadows, California, March 12-15; the U14 Western Regional Championships at Sugar Bowl, California, March 19-22; and the Tri-Divisional Championships at Snowbasin, Utah, March 20-23.  

Twenty FVSEF athletes traveled to Red Lodge for three Giant Slalom (GS) races down Lower Limited February 27-March 1. Despite a challenging winter with limited training options, FVSEF racers came away from the series with several podiums and top five results. 

For the U14 girls, Kessa Drendel had a third-place finish and a fifth-place finish in the first two GSs. In U14 boys, Nolan Shaw had a fantastic series with third, fourth, and second-place finishes. Theo Elliott also had a great series with a fourth- and two fifth-place finishes. In U16 girls, Claire Graham had solid performances with fourth- and fifth-place finishes while teammate Finlee Klocke also recorded a fourth-place finish. Selections for the Western Regional and Tri-Divisional Championships will be announced later this week. 

Also, this week, Parker Retz will be competing in the U18 Nationals in Mittersill, New Hampshire, and U18s Greta Lund and Sydney McPhie will be competing in the Western Regional Junior Championships for U18/U21 athletes in Grand Targhee, Wyoming. 

Red Lodge Results for GS1, GS2, GS3 

U14 Girls 

Kessa Drendel 3rd, 5th, 8th; Adelyn Danley -, 7th, 6th; Mia Lengacher 8th, 9th, 9th; Evelyn Barnett 12th, -, 14th; Lucy Love 13th, 13th, 17th; Ellie Patzer 14th, 17th, 19th 

U14 Boys 

Nolan Shaw 3rd, 4th, 2nd; Theo Elliott 4th, 5th, 5th; Jude Petro 7th, 8th, 9th; Barrett Heslop 10th; Owen Grace 11th, -, 7th; Edmund Dickson - , 13th, 17th; George Dickson 16th 

U16 Girls 

Claire Graham 4th, 5th; Finlee Klocke 7th, 7th, 4th; Ella Elliott 11th, - , 9th; Maggie Fullerton 12th, 10th; Kira Paatalo 13th, 9th, 11th; Sierra Nelson -, 17th, 12th 

U16 Boys 

Rylan Hoover 9th, 11th, 10th 

U18 Girls 

Dynalea Tomblin - , 6th, 6th 

    FVSEF racer Nolan Shaw collects his third place medal. (Photo provided)
  

    FVSEF racer Kessa Drendel earned third place in Red Lodge last week. (Photo provided)
  

    The FVSEF comp team in Red Lodge, Montana. (Phopo provided)