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Churning up ski medalists

Local team piles athletes on podiums

The top skiers from the Purgatory Freestyle Team ventured to Telluride and Winter Park this past weekend.

The Purgatory Freestyle park and snowboard teams were in Telluride for the United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association, or USASA, slopestyle competitions. The USASA is the sanctioning body for the Southwest Series, which gives athletes an opportunity to earn points toward Junior Nationals at Copper Mountain in April.

The park and snowboard teams brought home 21 medals collectively over the two-day event. The team was led by Garrett Coleman (two medals), Dragon Cruz-Yen, Madeline Lochte-Bono (two), Emily Williams (two), Chance Conaty, Parker Norvell and Quinn Haughey who earned a combined 10 gold medals. Conaty, Norvell and Haughey added silver medals along with Anthony Turco (two), Caleb Gates and Ian Osby. Bronze medalists included Osby, Jack Tescher, Eli Cagan and Josh Dearian.

Emmett Stottlemyer, Rory Stahl and Dearian added fourth-place finishes with Max Wilson posting two fifth-place finishes. Reed Cooskey placed sixth and seventh while Ari Liberman posted two 13th-place finishes.

Trudy Mickel led the Purgatory competitors at the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Winter Park mogul competition, earning a bronze medal for U15 girls in a field featuring three World Cup athletes. Sadie Smith posted her highest-scoring run of the year in placing sixth for U17 girls. Natalie Youssef finished in 10th for U19 singles and added a ninth in duals.

George McQuinn took third place for U17 skiers in singles and seventh in duals, with Colman Bader in 15th and Jimmy Pope in 16th for singles. Carter McQuinn ended in 14th for U15.

Chapman Hill meet canceled

Warm weather has prompted Purgatory Freestyle Team director Kirk Rawles to make the heartwrenching decision to cancel the home meet set for Feb. 13-16 at Chapman Hill.

The Durango Orthopedics & Spine Colorado USSA Moguls competition was to be held under the lights at Chapman Hill with five regional teams and 50 competitors.

Rawles said that with a string of upcoming days with forecast highs in the high 50s in Durango, he couldn’t take the chance the snow would hold.

“It’s tough to beat Mother Nature sometimes,” Rawles said Thursday afternoon. “If the snow was short, this event wouldn’t count for junior nationals points. I just didn’t want to take that chance.”

Rawles said that Telluride has agreed to host a meet that weekend that will provide competitors with a chance to pick up needed points to qualify for the Junior National competition.

heraldsports@durangoherald.com



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