WATERVILLE VALLEY, NH (March 23, 2015)—The NorAm Finals wrapped on Monday in both Waterville Valley, NH and Burke Mountain, VT. Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN) took an impressive overall win. Because of their first and second place discipline results, Tim Kelley (Starksboro, VT), Paula Moltzan (Lakeville, MN), Megan McJames (Park City, UT) and Tommy Ford (Bend, OR) all snagged spots in next year’s World Cup circuit.
The NorAm tour is the steppingstone for athletes to the Audi FIS Ski World Cup circuit. The top two athletes in slalom and giant slalom on the NorAm earn a start position in the next season’s World Cup, in addition to the regular quota of top national team athletes.
It was a tough last NorAm in Waterville Valley, with athletes forced to hike the course because the lift closed. Ankeny won the final slalom race, which gave him both the overall and slalom titles. Kelley charged his way to the second World Cup slalom spot, ahead of Canadian Trevor Philp.
At Burke, World Juniors slalom champion Moltzan won both slaloms in the NorAm Finals, which pushed her from fifth place to third in the overall, and secured her World Cup spot behind overall winner Canadian Candance Crawford in the slalom rankings.
Switching to GS, McJames finished second in the standings, giving her another World Cup start in the 2015-16 season. Crawford was first in the standings again, giving her the slalom, GS, combined and overall titles this season. Although Gino Caviezel of Switzerland won the GS crown on the men’s side, Ford qualified first to the World Cup as a North American. Philp qualified second.
The athletes will stay in the east for the U.S. Alpine Championships, beginning on Wednesday with the men and women’s super G races.
QUOTES
Patrick Riml, USSA Alpine Director
Thanks to Sugarloaf, Burke and Waterville Valley for stepping up to hold late-season international races here in America. This is a vital opportunity for our top U.S. athletes to earn spots on the Audi FIS Ski World Cup tour and it brings the excitement of ski racing to one of the most important regions of our country.
NORAM CUP FINALS RESULTS AND PODIUMS
SUPER G
Men
1. Tyler Werry of Canada
2. Wiley Maple (Aspen, CO)
3. Jared Goldberg (Holladay, UT)
GIANT SLALOM
Men
1. Trevor Philp of Canada
2. Kieffer Christianson (Anchorage, AK)
3. Tyler Werry of Canada
Men
1. Trevor Philp of Canada
2. David Donaldson of Canada
3. Hig Roberts (Steamboat Springs, CO)
Women
1. Candance Crawford of Canada
2. Kristine Gjelsten Haugen of Norway
3. Monica Huebner of Germany
Women
1. Valerie Grenier of Canada
2. Candance Crawford of Canada
3. Mikaela Tommy of Canada
SLALOM
Men
1. Trevor Philp of Canada
2. Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN)
3. Joonas Rasanen of Finland
Men
1. Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN)
2. AJ Ginnis (Waitsfield, VT)
3. Trevor Philp of Canada
Women
1. Paula Moltzan (Lakeville, MN)
2. Laurence St-Germain of Canada
3. Kristine Gjelsten Haugen of Norway
Women
1. Paula Moltzan (Lakeville, MN)
2. Laurence St-Germain of Canada
3. Roni Remme of Canada
WORLD CUP STARTS
Slalom
Men
Tim Kelley (Starksboro, VT)
Trevor Philp of Canada
Women
Candance Crawford of Canada
Paula Moltzan (Lakeville, MN)
Giant slalom
Men
Tommy Ford (Bend, OR)
Trevor Philp of Canada
Women
Candance Crawford of Canada
Megan McJames (Park City, UT)
