KASC Team Performs at CresaPartners Norquay Races!

Alex Lake

The KAST team started the new year with some great performances at their first race of the season which included 2 single run GS races (on the 13 Jan) and 2 two run Slalom races (on the 14 and 15 Jan).

On the Ladies races, Georgia Willinger placed 4^th and 6^th on her GS runs and took home the Gold on both days of Slalom racing – Congratulations Georgia! Sophie Ordman placed 11^th on both her GS runs (top 15 placings – nice!) and placed 29^th and 25^th on her Slalom races.

Sabrina Bergeron and Ashley DeSantis (our first year girls) both had consistent placings as both athlete moved up from their starting positions each day!

On the Men’s races, we had some very strong top 15 placements. Here are their results (out of a field of 112 athletes):

• Jared Topham placed 7^th and 5^th in GS and 4^th on the last SL race

• Brendan (LB) Villeneuve placed 11^th in the PM GS and 7^th and 8^th in SL

• Alex Lake placed 17^th in the PM GS and 9^th in the first SL race

• Skyler Wallinder placed 26^th in the PM GS and 11^th in both SL races

• Moritz Reinders placed 18^th in the AM GS and placed 18^th  in the first SL race

• Aaron Smith placed 26^th and 55^th in GS and 25^th in the first SL race

• Luka Bozinovski placed 18^th in the AM GS and 14^th in the second SL race

• Phillip Aubrecht placed 43^rd and 50^th in GS and 51^st in the second SL race

• Lachlan Moore placed 92^nd in the PM GS and 66^th in the second SL race

 With only a few weeks until the next race, there is no resting for these athletes!

Phillip Aubrecht

KAST ATHLETES SHINE AT THE K2 WESTERNS!

On noon, Wednesday March 23, our 2 brave coaches set off for the 4.5 hour trek to Jasper with a van full of 10 teenagers to compete at the 4 day Kal-Tire K2 Westerns (24-27 March). All our athletes who competed performed very well with some very consistent top 30 placings. Sometimes they pushed a little too hard and ending up with a dnf, but that’s the way it goes in racing!

Here’s a highlight of the K2 Westerns results for each day:

Thursday March 24, the first 2-run Giant Slalom event was held on a cloudy day that has seen  – Georgia Willinger pulled off a Silver medal in the Ladies GS and Drew Cornell just missed the podium with his 4^th place in the Men’s GS. Rounding the top 30 results were Jared Topham (11^th), Marko Bozinovski (20^th) and Alex Lake (24^th).

Friday Morning View of the Race Course Above the CloudsFriday March 25, the second 2-run GS event  saw a much sunnier day – Georgia Willinger went straight to the top of the podium with a Gold medal in the Ladies GS. In the Men’s GS, Drew Cornell took 5^th place, Jared Topham finished 12^th, Brendan (LB) Villeneuve finished 18^th, Marko Bozinovski finished 25^th, Tyler Brosha (the birthday boy of the day) finished 29^th and Skyler Wallinder just missed the top 30 with a 31^st place finish.

Photo – Georgia Willinger (KAST) and Keegan Sharp (PANO) – Overall Kal-Tire K2 Westerns Champs for 2011 (Photo taken from Alberta Alpine Website)

Saturday March 26 saw another sunny day and the first 2-run Slalom event – Georgia Willinger once again took the Gold in the Ladies SL and Sophie Ordman joined her in the awards ceremony with a 9^th place finish! Some crazy course setter from Manitoba took out most of our boys on the first SL run of the day - only Jared Topham and Alex Lake were able to successfully conquer the first course and were sitting in the top 10 going into the second run. Unfortunately, the 2^nd run beat them as well and the course ended up winning with only 35 of 76 male athletes able to complete both runs…

Sunday March 27 was another sunny day and the final 2-run Slalom race – Georgia Willinger took her 3^rd Gold medal in the Ladies SL and was named the overall K2 Westerns Ladies Champion! In the Men’s SL, Jared Topham finished 6^th, Brendan (LB) Villeneuve was 16^th, Marko Bozinovski was 20^th, Aaron Smith finished 24^th, Alex Lake finished 26^th and Tyler Brosha finished 29^th. A happy birthday went out to Skyler Wallinder today.

KAST ATHLETES QUALIFY FOR K2 WESTERNS!

Congratulations goes to our K2 athletes who have qualified to represent Alberta at the Kal Tire K2 Westerns at Marmot, Jasper from March 24-27, 2011:

Georgia Willinger, Sophie Ordman, Marko Bozinovski, Jared Topham, Drew Cornell, Skyler Wallinder, Brendan Villeneuve, Tyler Brosha, Alex Lake, Moritz Reinders and Aaron Smith!

Detailed information on the K2 Westerns can be found on Alberta Alpine’s website at:

http://www.albertaalpine.ca/?q=news/alberta-team-selection-kal-tire-k2-westerns

KAST K2 ATHLETES COMPETE AT JAY CUP

KAST athletes were pushing it at the K2 Jay Cup (Alberta provincial finals for the K2 CresnaPartners Series races) at Nakiska from March 4-6. Up to 57 women and 74 men competed each day throughout the weekend.

On Friday March 4^th, both men and women competed in Super G, with the following top 30 results:

In the Women’s competition Georgia Willinger placed 10^th (only 2.5 seconds off the leader)!

In the Men’s competition Drew Cornell placed 17^th, Marko Bozinovski placed 18^th, Brendan Villeneuve placed 21^st, Jared Topham placed 24^th, and Tyler Brosha placed 28^th. Aaron Smith narrowly missed the top 30 by 2/10^ths of a second (he placed 32^nd) but took home the Most Improved medal for the men!

On Saturday March 5^th, the athletes competed in a 2 run Giant Slalom, with the following top 30 results:

In the Women’s competition Georgia Willinger placed 7^th (less than 4 seconds combined time off the leader)!

In the Men’s competition Tyler Brosha placed 18^th, and Alex Lake placed 22^nd (Both Tyler and Alex had an identical time on their 2^nd run which was less than 4 seconds off the leader’s time). Alex Lake also took home the Most Improved medal for the men on Saturday!

On Sunday March 6^th, the athletes faced off in a 2 run Slalom event, with the following results:

In the Women’s competition Sophie Ordman placed 16^th and Emma Wood placed 32^nd.

In the Men’s competition Jared Topham placed 17^th (averaging 3 seconds off the leader’s time for each run), Moritz Reinders placed 25^th, Tyler Brosha placed 27^th, and Conor Clearsky placed 39^th. Moritz concluded the KAST clean sweep by taking home the Most Improved medal for the men on Sunday!

We have a young K2 team this year (10 out of our 13 athletes are all in their first year of K2), and they all performed very well!  Congratulations to all our K2 athletes and be sure to keep an eye out for those that go on to compete at the K2 Western Championships at the end of the month!

KAST Athlete's Compete in Glenn Grice Classic

Athletes were challenged with a full weekend of races at the Glen Grice Classic in Panorama on January 29 – 31^st. Approximately 86 men and 64 women competed throughout the weekend. In a sport where these athletes complete an entire race course in less time than it will take you to read this posting, all athletes should be proud of their efforts and accomplishments throughout the weekend. However, the following is a listing of KAST’s top 40 placings:

On Saturday, Marko Bozinovski placed 16^th overall in the Men’s Super Combined, 5.27 seconds behind first place in this two race, combined time event. Jared Topham placed 25^th, Brenden Villeneuve placed 32^nd, Aaron Smith placed 36^th, Alexander Lake placed 38^th and Skler Wallinder placed 40^th. Sophie Ordman placed 33^rd in Saturday’s Women’s Super G.

On Sunday, Georgia Willinger made the podium, placing 3^rd in the Women’s Super Combined event, 1.43 seconds behind the leader. Sophie Ordman placed 26^th. Sunday’s Men’s Super G race saw Marko placing 20^th, 2.58 seconds behind the leader. Jared placed 23^rd, Drew Cornell 26^th, Brenden 29^th, Skyler 33^rd, and Tyler Brosha placed 36^th.

Monday saw both men and women competing in two, single run GS races. In the Men’s first run, Drew place 12^th, a mere 1.91 seconds behind first place. Marko placed 21^st , Tyler placed 29^th, Jared 33^rd, Brenden 35^th, and Morritz Reinders narrowly missed the top 40, placing 41^st.

In the afternoon, Marko placed 24^th. Jared, Brenden, and Skyler placed 26^th, 27^th and 28^th respectively, with times of 44.44, 44.54 and 49.62 seconds! Aaron Smith placed 34^th, Tyler placed 37^th, and Moritz Reinders secured 40^th placing.

In the Women’s morning race, Sophie Ordman placed 19^th, 3.48 seconds behind first place. After falling the in the morning race, Georgia Willinger placed 5^th in the second GS race, .7 seconds behind first place. Sophie Ordman placed 21^st.

A complete listing of times can be found on the Alberta Alpine website under “results”.