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Purgatory ski freestylers go big

Moguls crew visits Aspen, while park and pipe team hits Vail
Parker Norvell went big with a third-place overall finish in big air in Vail.

The Purgatory Freestyle Team’s top competitors ventured to Aspen and Vail over Martin Luther King weekend for two Rocky Mountain Division U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association-sanctioned events.

The mogul skiers went to Aspen while the park and pipe athletes ventured to Vail for the Rocky Freeride Championships.

Trudy Mickel led the Purgatory mogul competitors in Aspen, placing second overall on both singles days. She won the U15 girls crown each day. Mickel finished the three-day weekend by earning a bronze medal in dual moguls.

“Trudy has hit another level with this finish,” said Kirk Rawles, Purgatory Freestyle program director. “This puts her in great position to return to Junior Nationals in March.”

Mickel’s second-place overall finishes sandwiched her between two Australian team members.

Natalie Youssef finished first and second for U19 singles and placed eighth in dual moguls. Elle Duke posted career bests, placing seventh and sixth for U17 girls.

For the boys, George McQuinn won the duals event after earning second- and first-place honors in singles for U17 skiers. Carter McQuinn posted seventh- and fifth-place singles finishes for U15. The McQuinn brothers train part-time with the Purgatory Freestyle team during the week at Chapman Hill. They are traveling, training and competing on weekends with Telluride. Charlie Mickel took home top honors for U11 skiers.

Park and pipe results

In Vail, Parker Norvell led the Purgatory team with a third-place overall finish in big air, and a fourth-place finish for U19 in slopestyle. Garrett Coleman earned a sixth place for U19 in big air and 10th overall in halfpipe. For the U17 skiers, Jimmy Pope and Coleman Bader posted third- and fourth-place finishes, respectively, in big air.

Devos at A-Basin

Purgatory’s “Devos” competed at Arapahoe Basin for the Rocky Mountain Qualifier Series this past weekend. The series brings together 90 athletes age 15 and under from across the state.

Charlie Mickel continued his winning ways, taking U11 age group, with brother Freddie taking second in the U9 category. Nina Quayle earned a bronze medal for U11.

Cole Alexus finished in fifth place overall out of 54 athletes and fourth for U13. Freddy Rawles just missed the top 10 for U13 with an 11th place, followed by Aiden Quayle in 17th and Hunter Rawles in 18th. Quayle added a fourth-place finish on Devo day.

The Purgatory Freestyle Team will compete in Winter Park for moguls this weekend and Telluride for the USASA Southern Colorado Series for Slopestyle. Then, it will look to defend home turf at Chapman Hill at the Durango Orthopedics & Spine Colorado USSA Moguls on Feb. 13-16.

“We are excited to host the USSA mogul events at Chapman again this year,” Rawles said. “We are planning to run under the lights this year so it should be pretty exciting.”

The city continues to push snow and keep Chapman Hill in shape for training despite the warm weather, Rawles said.



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