Kaitlyn Harrell has been breaking personal records all season. As a freestyle skier for Ski & Snowboard Club Vail’s (SSCV) elite program, Harrell has had quite the season thus far. Harrell just topped off her tremendous season with her first NorAm podium in Val Saint-Côme, placing third last Friday. The fifteen-year-old skier, who commutes from the Front Range to train, has been improving on her results in just about every competition she has competed in this season. In every competition she has put down fast, and clean, runs with high turn scores.

On the more local side of the freestyle world, there was a Rocky Mountain Divisional competition in Steamboat this past weekend where the SSCV freestylers placed well yet again. The team has been stacking up great results all season long and although the team was great last year, they have shown drastic gains this year. This was the last chance for athletes to earn big points for nationals in Park City next week. Riley Campbell, and John Grigsby were the two coaches that headed to Steamboat this past weekend to coach the athletes down the lengthy course, “VooDoo”. With all the new snowfall, the course needed preparation work and a few slips from the athletes. Once the course was ready to go on Saturday, the open moguls kicked off.

Great results came out of the open moguls competition with Hunter Bailey placing third overall and Emerson Smith placing sixth. Bailey won his J2 division and Smith placed third in the division. On the girl’s side, Tess Johnson was at it again with more outstanding results. Johnson placed 10th overall, but first in her young J4 division. It is impressive that an athlete her age can compete with skiers much older. Hannah Miles had a great competition and placed eighth in the open moguls. Following Miles was Lindsey Eckhoff in ninth place.

On day two of the event, the SSCV team had some great top ten finishes in the duals competition. Dual mogul skiing is all about speed and perception of control. Smith had a great weekend overall and placed fifth in the dual mogul competition. In seventh place was Christopher Leseur, who also skies for the Bermudian National Team. Katie Coyne skied well for the SSCV girls and placed sixth. Coyne has been skiing fast all season, which has shown in her dual mogul performance.

Most of these athletes will be headed out to Park City next week to compete in the Junior Nationals as the culmination of this seasons hard work.