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Sierra Nevada College ski and snowboard teams proved they are still tops in the nation at the USCSA National Competition last week in Winter Park, Colo.
The women's ski team continued their dominance for the fourth year in a row, capturing titles in slalom, giant slalom (GS), and overall combined.
The women skiers were led by a stellar performance from senior Lea Lozar from Slovenia.
Lozar won the slalom and giant slalom and was awarded the overall combined title.
Her blazing second run beat the field by two seconds, and her combined time anchored the rest of the team.
Coach Branko Zagar said."Lozar has been part of four national championship teams at SNC and will be sorely missed next year."
Other SNC women skiers finished the season with notable showings. Jessica Bouleau, a sophomore from Sweden, finished fifth in slalom and in the top 10 for the overall combined, helping the team with her performance in the GS.
The women's ski team continued their dominance for the fourth year in a row, capturing titles in slalom, giant slalom (GS), and overall combined.
The women skiers were led by a stellar performance from senior Lea Lozar from Slovenia.
Lozar won the slalom and giant slalom and was awarded the overall combined title.
Her blazing second run beat the field by two seconds, and her combined time anchored the rest of the team.
Coach Branko Zagar said."Lozar has been part of four national championship teams at SNC and will be sorely missed next year."
Other SNC women skiers finished the season with notable showings. Jessica Bouleau, a sophomore from Sweden, finished fifth in slalom and in the top 10 for the overall combined, helping the team with her performance in the GS.
Caroline Bergstroem, another sophomore from Sweden, placed fifth in the GS. Martina Hulten, last year's GS champ, also put in a good performance, finishing tenth in the GS, as well as keeping the team in the hunt with a top-twenty finish in the slalom.
SNC Athletic Director Tony Carlstrom said, "This women's team had a great season. I am really proud of how they came together."
The highlight of the men's team, which finished third overall, was newcomer Mickey Ross, a former Olympian from New Zealand who won the individual overall combined and the slalom. "Mickey's presence has really paid off for our team. It was great to see him lead the team in his first year," said Carlstrom.
The men skiers had a rough first day of competition despite two great performances from Ross, who took second in the GS, and senior Martin Stocker from Austria, who came in sixth.
They were followed by junior Geoff Goodman from Canada, who was disqualified despite a protest after falling and striking a gate key that was still in place during his run.
This put the SNC men in fourth place, but the team was boosted to third on the second day by Ross' stellar finish in the slalom.
Zagar summed up his team's season: "The ski team had a great season.
The Diamond Peak crew worked hard all year to help this team train and get ready for these types of events. We can't thank them enough."
SNC Athletic Director Tony Carlstrom said, "This women's team had a great season. I am really proud of how they came together."
The highlight of the men's team, which finished third overall, was newcomer Mickey Ross, a former Olympian from New Zealand who won the individual overall combined and the slalom. "Mickey's presence has really paid off for our team. It was great to see him lead the team in his first year," said Carlstrom.
The men skiers had a rough first day of competition despite two great performances from Ross, who took second in the GS, and senior Martin Stocker from Austria, who came in sixth.
They were followed by junior Geoff Goodman from Canada, who was disqualified despite a protest after falling and striking a gate key that was still in place during his run.
This put the SNC men in fourth place, but the team was boosted to third on the second day by Ross' stellar finish in the slalom.
Zagar summed up his team's season: "The ski team had a great season.
The Diamond Peak crew worked hard all year to help this team train and get ready for these types of events. We can't thank them enough."
SNC snowboarders defended their 2006 national championship win by sweeping the podium in giant slalom and remaining competitive in slopestyle and halfpipe to capture the overall combined title.
The team dominated a wider field of competition this year, which included the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the University of Idaho.
In the Gs, Keith Davis, Spencer Cordovano, and Seth Gunsauls had a combined performance that was 15 seconds in front of the next fastest team, UCLA. "People were blown away by our performance in the gates," Carlstrom said.
The snowboard team was led by superb individual performances from Spencer Cordovano, a freshman from Haley, Idaho, who won the individual overall combined by taking first in the halfpipe and sliding into second in GS.
The highlight of the competition was his picture-perfect run down the halfpipe featuring three giant hits and a 540 that received a huge round of cheers from the crowd.
"I knew Spencer was a perfect fit for this competition," Carlstrom said. "He worked hard all season on his freestyle events and relied on his expertise in racing to dominate the field. Spencer has had a great year for the team and on his own at other FIS races."
Sophomore Seth Gunsauls of Red Bluff, Calif. was second in the overall combined, finishing in the top ten in all three events.
The team dominated a wider field of competition this year, which included the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the University of Idaho.
In the Gs, Keith Davis, Spencer Cordovano, and Seth Gunsauls had a combined performance that was 15 seconds in front of the next fastest team, UCLA. "People were blown away by our performance in the gates," Carlstrom said.
The snowboard team was led by superb individual performances from Spencer Cordovano, a freshman from Haley, Idaho, who won the individual overall combined by taking first in the halfpipe and sliding into second in GS.
The highlight of the competition was his picture-perfect run down the halfpipe featuring three giant hits and a 540 that received a huge round of cheers from the crowd.
"I knew Spencer was a perfect fit for this competition," Carlstrom said. "He worked hard all season on his freestyle events and relied on his expertise in racing to dominate the field. Spencer has had a great year for the team and on his own at other FIS races."
Sophomore Seth Gunsauls of Red Bluff, Calif. was second in the overall combined, finishing in the top ten in all three events.
His combined score was twenty points lower than that of the next competitor, a significant margin. Carlstrom said of Gunsauls, "Seth is a great racer and he has worked hard all season to improve his freestyle skills.
He proved that he can hang with the best in the country."
Lance Lynch, a freshman from Placerville, Calif. finished fourth, just off the podium.
Lynch came to SNC as a racer but applied his skills to freestyle events as well. "Lance is a great rider who has no fear and amazing enthusiasm.
"Next year's nationals will be great for Lance when we return to a format more focused on racing," stated Carlstrom.
Other standouts were senior Keith Davis of Windham, N.Y., who won the GS for a second year but was not able to compete in other events because of a nagging injury, and Rob McNamara of Ashland, Ore., who also boosted the team with his seventh-place finish in the GS and a top-twenty finish in the halfpipe.
"Snowboard competitions have increased tremendously in the last three years.
"We're building a top-notch snowboard program at SNC that can compete with the bigger schools as these competitions continue to increase at the collegiate level," Carlstrom said.
He proved that he can hang with the best in the country."
Lance Lynch, a freshman from Placerville, Calif. finished fourth, just off the podium.
Lynch came to SNC as a racer but applied his skills to freestyle events as well. "Lance is a great rider who has no fear and amazing enthusiasm.
"Next year's nationals will be great for Lance when we return to a format more focused on racing," stated Carlstrom.
Other standouts were senior Keith Davis of Windham, N.Y., who won the GS for a second year but was not able to compete in other events because of a nagging injury, and Rob McNamara of Ashland, Ore., who also boosted the team with his seventh-place finish in the GS and a top-twenty finish in the halfpipe.
"Snowboard competitions have increased tremendously in the last three years.
"We're building a top-notch snowboard program at SNC that can compete with the bigger schools as these competitions continue to increase at the collegiate level," Carlstrom said.
