The Rocky/Central J4 Championships kicked off Thursday, 3/15, with a field of 160 skiers representing 38 programs from USSA’s Rocky and Central Divisions. The racing started with a Super G for the boys and girls, and Ski and Snowboard Club Vail’s Nellie Rose Talbot and Brendan Keane grabbed the golds in the opening race.

The men left the start first with Keane starting second.  Keane put a run down that landed him in first with a 54.92.  SSCV’s Colby Lange put himself in second with a 55.37.  Cornelius Cooper, skiing for Sunlight, took third with a 55.64.

Also placing in the top ten for the SSCV boys were Bridger Gile, fourth, Flinn Lazier, seventh, and Jacob Dilling in tenth.

SSCV’s Nellie Rose Talbot took the gold for the girls laying down a fast run that would have placed her in the top 15 for the men: 58.77.  Buck Hill’s Kaitlyn Vesterstein took second in 59.40.  Talbot’s Teammate, Haley Frischholz skied to a third place for SSCV with a 1:00.43.

Behind Talbot and Frischholz were SSCV’s Paula Cooper in fourth, Sylka Snyder in fifth, and Jessica McMurtry in sixth.

“We started the race early to take advantage of the firm snow in the morning,” said coach Brett Borgard.  “The SSCV team skied very well on the slick, hard snow in the Super G.”

Other SSCV competitors in Thursday’s Super G for the boys: Jake Dippy, 20th, Peer Carnes, 22nd, Matthew Macaluso, 23rd, Max Bervy, 27th, Patrick Ottley, 29th, Burke Fancher, 43rd, Christopher O’Brien, 45th, Halsey Lucas, 50th, Cameron Woodland, 51st, Chadwick Mulligan, 56th, Wyatt Palmer, 57th, Peter Littman, 71st, and Gus LeBlanc did not finish.

SSCV girls: Dylan Fiore, 17th, Lily Dines, 22nd, Jennie Symons, 25th, Michaela Strizencova, 28th, Kendra Hoyt, 31st, Elise Viola, 32nd, Zoe Livran, 35th, Hanna Fallon, 37th, Zoe Braun, 46th, Naomi Harding, 47th, Annali Holm, 50th, Taylor Brandt, 52nd, Anna Scott, 55th, and Gretchen Pavelich did not finish.