Flathead Valley ski racers succeed in regional, divisional championship events

Young ski racers representing the Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation and the Northern Division of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association qualified for and competed in regional and divisional championship events over the past several weeks.  

The Western Regional Championships for U14 racers were held at Sugar Bowl, California, March 19-22. Nolan Shaw and Kessa Drendel, of Whitefish, were selected to compete on the Northern Division team. The Western Region includes athletes from Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and parts of Wyoming, North, and South Dakota. Shaw struggled to finish in the technical events (slalom [SL] and giant slalom [GS]) but had a solid finish in the Super-G (SG) with a 20th. Drendel’s strongest result came in her favorite discipline, SL, where she finished 14th.  

U16 racers traveled to Palisades Tahoe, California, March 12-15 for the Western Regional Championships. FVSEF athletes Claire Graham of Whitefish and Finlee Klocke of Kalispell represented the Northern Division and gained valuable experience in their first year competing as U16s. Graham had a pair of solid results in the technical races with 34th place in each, and 35th in a SG. Klocke finished 60th in both a SG and the GS, but unfortunately did not finish in her strongest discipline of SL. 

FVSEF also had many athletes qualifying to represent the Northern Division at the U14/U16 Tri-Divisional Championships in Grand Targhee, Wyoming, March 20-23.  

For the U16s, Kira Paatalo, Ella Elliott, Avery Retz, Sierra Nelson, and Rylan Hoover were chosen to represent the division. For U14s, qualifying athletes included Adelyn Danley, Evelyn Barnett, Mia Lengacher, Lucy Love, Theo Elliott, Jude Petro, Edmund Dickson, George Dickson, and Owen Grace.  

There were several noteworthy performances, with Grace really stepping up for this end of season championships. He finished 20th (10th for U14s) in the SG, 27th (14th for U14s) in GS, and 24th (16th for U14s) in the SL.  

Elliott also had a 23rd (12th for U14s) in the first SG, and Jude Petro was 23rd (15th for U14s) in the SL.  

On the girls’ side, Paatalo had an impressive 16th (10th for U16s) in the second of two SGs, Lengacher was 23rd (11th for U14s) in the first SG, Danley was 24th (13th for U14s) in the GS, and Love was 26th (14th for U14s) in the SL. 

The championship events were the culmination of an intense and challenging winter of training and racing. Congratulations to all our athletes for your hard work and improvement this season. 

    Racers enjoy off time in Grand Targhee, Wyoming. (Photo provided)
  

    FVSEF athletes Claire Graham of Whitefish and Finlee Klocke of Kalispell represented the Northern Division at Western Regional Championships. (Photo provided)
  

    FVSEF competitors at the U14/U16 Tri-Divisional Championships in Grand Targhee, Wyoming. (Photo provided)