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Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club cross-country skiers show depth in strong finishes in Aspen

University of Denver skier Jimmy Colfer leads a pack of skiers, including Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club athlete Kieran Hahn, wearing bib number 105. (Submitted Photo)

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club cross-country ski team traveled to a Junior National Qualifier in Aspen this weekend.

On Saturday, the SSWSC athletes kicked things off with an interval start classic 5-kilometer race, held in conjunction with the Colorado High School Ski League.

SSWSC athlete Sidney Barbier was the top finisher, taking seventh overall. Ellory Kearns followed in 11th, and Ellery Hodges crossed the line in 13th. Grace Zanni capped off the top-20 finishers, taking 15th overall. Anna Terranova came in 36th, and Heidi Andre finished in 40th.

On the boys side, Wally Magill cruised to a second-place overall finish, just 1.8 seconds from the overall win. Kieran Hahn and Sumner Cotton also took home top-10 placings, finishing in fifth and 10th respectively. Chase High took 11th overall, and Cooper Jones placed 15th. Griff Rillos finished in 24th place as a 15-year-old.

The SSWSC cross-country ski team displayed its depth Saturday, adding top finishes in the U14 3K classic race. Grey Barbier grabbed first place, and his teammate Thomas Cooper secured his first podium finish in second place. Henry Magill added a 13th-place finish.

Charley Lodwick claimed fifth place in the girls race with Jade Henderson following close behind in eighth. Wren Capra, Grace Olexa and Suzy Magill rounded out the finishers taking 15th, 16th and 18th place, respectively.

The SSSWSC also had two top-10 finishers in the girls’ U12 2K race. Nikita Andre crossed the line in second place. Shea Rossi capped off the race in 10th place. On the boys side, Tristan Thrasher finished in fifth place.

SSWSC’s Rae Olexa took home the gold in the 1.5K U10 girls’ race, commanding the second-place finish by 34 seconds.

Sunday contests

The SSWSC competitors added a collection of top finishes in Sunday’s mass start freestyle race.

Wally Magill returned to win the U16 boys’ 5K race by a 40-second margin. Rillos raced to a season’s best fifth place, and Cotton finished in ninth to cap off the top 10 finishers.

Hodges led the girls race with a sixth-place finish, trailing the first-place finisher by 24 seconds in a tight competition. Zanni finished eighth, followed by Sidney Barbier in ninth and Andre in 21st.

The U18/20 boys raced in a mass start 10K race. High finished in sixth place with Hahn just behind him in seventh and Jones in 11th.

Kearns led the girls U18/20 race in eighth place, followed by Anna Terranova in 12th place.

Sunday also showed the SSWSC strength in its younger competitors.

Grey Barbier took second overall in the U14 3K race with Thomas Cooper finishing in fourth. Henry Magill placed 13th.

Lodwick took home the win in the girls race. Olexa came in 14th and Suzy Magill in 15th. Capra finished in 18th, and Henderson followed in 19th. Andre once again took home the silver in the girls’ U12 2K race, while Thrasher skied to a strong fourth place on the boys side.

The team will travel to Durango on Feb. 16 and 17 for its final junior national qualifying races.

To reach Leah Vann, call 970-871-4253, email lvann@SteamboatPilot.com or follow her on Twitter @LVann_Sports.


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