Sun Peaks Racers shone on home ground at the recent Jan. 14, Teck Okanagan Zone Giant Slalom races with nine qualifying for the BC Winter Games to be held at Silverstar Mountain in Vernon from Feb. 23-26, 2012.
Local Barriere athlete Sara Smith won a gold medal with a time of 106.38, and two silvers during the races and is now a member of the Okanangan team selected to compete at the BC Winter Games in February. Winning athlete Kate Cartwright has family in Little Fort; both the Cartwrights and the Jims.
The other Sun Peaks Racers who qualified for the BC Winter Games are Zanna Farrell, Kate Cartwright, Mackenzie Duff, Myka Jardine-Arnold, Nicola Costerton, Shaylyn Kovacs, Evan Monroe, Brian Buffel and Brennan Sorge who trains and races for Sun Peaks Alpine Club but lives in Langley.
The K1 girls dominated all three races in the Zones taking top spots in all races:
K1 Girls First Race:
1 - Kate Cartwright
2 - Sara Smith
5 - Mackenzie Duff
6 - Nicola Costerton
7 - Emily Whitecross
8 - Shaylyn Kovacs
9 - Zanna Farrell
10 - Myka Jardine-Arnold
K1 Girls second race
1 - Sara Smith
2 - Zanna Farrell
3 - Kate Cartwright
4 - Mackenzie Duff
5 - Shaylyn Kovacs
8 - Myka Jardine-Arnold
10 - Emily Whitecross
K1 Girls Third Race
1 - Zanna Farrell
2 - Sara Smith
6 - Nicola Kosterton
7 - Emily Whitecross
8 - Mackenzie Duff
10 - Kate Cartwright
In the K1 boys first year competing Joshua Jacoby surprised the field taking 2nd twice and 3rd on the final event. Evan Monroe had some strong results with a 3rd and 4th. Other top 10 finishers were Sage Pavlovich with 7th place and Brian Buffel 9th.
In the K2 girls Claire Madill reached the podium in the second race finishing with the bronze and recorded a 9th place in the first race. Anna Bruce put in some solid races for a first year K2 placing 6,10 and 11th in her three races.
In the K2 boys, Chase Duff was a solid finisher in the first two races finishing 7th and 8th.
Promo Thapa won the silver medal in his category.
Overall the athletes had a great weekend with some strong results in their first GS races of the season. There were over 140 racers from the Okanagan Zone as well as athletes from the North Zone representing Prince George. Next up the K1’ s head to Silverstar for a speed camp while the K2 head to Apex for a slalom time trial.
Head coach Johnny Chrichton said it best “The coaches Bill Rublee, James Clarkson, Matthias Schmid, Michael Lee and Jim Knowles all deserve a huge pat on the back for not only training the kids well on the hill, but for giving them the confidence and belief in themselves that they can do anything they set their minds on.”
The Sun Peaks Alpine Club provides on and off-snow programs for young ski racers all the way from Nancy Greene Ski League to top level Provincial competitors.
The K1 Program, for ages 10, 11, and 12, is the first category of “carded”( tracked and ranked in Canada) alpine ski racing, nationwide. The primary focus of the K1 Program is to increase technical skill while learning the basics of how to train as a ski racer - in a fun atmosphere of friends and light competition.
By Karen Cowburn, Barriere Star Journal