The Rocky/Central J4 Championships concluded on Saturday, 3/17, with slalom (SL) racing for the 160 boys and girls at Steamboat, and the morning SL for the girls had Ski & Snowboard Club Vail sweep the podium.

“With the warm weather, the conditions held up well,” said coach Brett Borgard. “They salted the run in the afternoon which firmed up the snow.”

All three of the SSCV girls sweeping the morning SL podium saw success at these J4 Championships.

Paula Cooper, second in both of Friday’s GS races, took first in the Saturday morning’s SL.  Jennie Symons, the winner of two GS races on Friday, took second in the morning SL.  Nellie Rose Talbot, first in Thursday’s Super G, and third in the afternoon GS on Friday, took third in Saturday’s morning SL.


The first race for the boys had SSCV’s Colby Lange charge to the win.  Lange won both GS races on Friday, and raced to a second in the Super G on Thursday.  Brad Seaborg, from Great Lakes Ski Academy and Cornelius Cooper, from Sunlight, raced to second and third, respectively.  Brendan Keane took fourth in the morning SL.

The afternoon race for the SSCV girls had Gretchen Pavelich and Jessica McMurtry in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Brendan Keane, the winner of Thursday’s Super G, and second in the morning GS on Friday, took second in the afternoon SL. Sunlight’s Cornelius Cooper placed first with Buck Hill’s Andrew Shideman in third. SSCV’s Jacob Dilling placed fifth in the P.M. SL.

“Many of the SSCV skiers had their best results of the season racing in some of the toughest conditions at these J4 Championships,” said Borgard.  “This is a testament to the hours of training they have put in on Golden Peak.”

After the racing was over and the points were tallied, SSCV’s Paula Cooper placed first in the combined overall for the girls while Colby Lange took the overall win for the boys.

Other SSCV notables in the overall for the girls: Jennie Symons placed second, Nellie Talbot, third, Jessica McMurtry, ninth, and Haley Frischholz, tenth.

Overall for the SSCV boys: Brendan Keane, third, Bridger Gile, fourth, Flinn Lazier, sixth, Jacob Dilling, ninth.

SSCV boys AM/PM placings: Bridger Gile, sixth/DNF, Flinn Lazier, seventh/14th, Peer Carnes, 15th/18th, Gus LeBlanc, 20th/DNF, Patrick Ottley, 24th/13th, Jake Dippy, 25th/29th, Colby Lange, 1st/27th, Christopher O’Brien, 28th/34th, Keelan Woodard, 31st/63rd, Jacob Dilling, 32nd, Chadwick Mulligan, 34th/51st, Max Bervy, 35th/36th, Burke Fancher, 44th/53rd, Halsey Lucas, 46th/50th, Wyatt Palmer, 53rd/60th, Matthew Macaluso, DNF/67th, Cameron Woodland, DNF/58th, Peter Littman DQ/55th.

SSCV girls AM/PM placings: Paula Cooper, first/DNF, Jennie Symons, second/71st, Nellie Rose Talbot, third/69th, Jessica McMurtry, eighth, Dylan Fiore, 14th/16th, Elise Viola, 17th/19th, Gretchen Pavelich, 17th, Haley Frischholz, 20th/DNF, Taylor Brandt, 23rd/29th, Anneli Holm, 27th/24th, Lily Dines, 31st/41st, Michaela Strizencova, 37th/40th, Zoe Livran, 45th/43rd, Zoe Braun, 50th/60th, Naomi Harding, 55th/64th, Anna Scott, 59th/73rd, Sylka Snyder, 67th/23rd, Hannah Fallon, DNF/14th, Kendra Hoyt, DNF/44th.