The Durango Winter Sports Club alpine team hosted the Southern Series Finale at Purgatory Resort on March 23-26 and kept the biggest prize of the weekend in Durango.
The DWSC team won the Southern Series Trophy, a testament to each and every athlete’s performance throughout the season.
“We’re really proud of this team for all their growth this year,” said Nate Pierantoni, DWSC Board President and parent. “It truly is a wonderful group of kids and parents having a great time skiing and supporting each other. The trophy is just icing on the cake.”
The Southern Series is comprised of three events: the Purgatory Classic in January, the Flagstaff Slalom in February and the Southern Series Finale in March at Purgatory. The series champions are determined by tallying points from all three races. The team with the most points gets to engrave their name on the traveling Southern Series Trophy and keep it with their club until the next finale.
The finale of the Southern Series had out-of-state teams from Flagstaff, Arizona; Taos, Sante Fe and Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Buck Hill, Minnesota. Telluride, Summit and Aspen were in-state teams that competed.
Almost 200 athletes ranging in age from 6 to 18 competed throughout the weekend, including 40 from DWSC. The finale included super G, giant slalom and slalom races.
Some fresh snow also showed up for the races.
“As they say, ‘If you want it to snow, host a ski race,’” DWSC alpine director Tyler Hoyt said. “With all the new snow, our coaches and parent volunteers worked hard to create a smooth, fun and safe event for the athletes. We couldn’t do it without our volunteers or the support of our sponsors, including title sponsor the Bronson Family – McDonald’s.”
DWSC U10 coach Blake Lobato handed out fake mustaches to the team, stoking the fun and distracting them from the cooler temps. Sporting their new facial hair, athletes were propelled out of the gate by cheering teammates that lined the starting area, which was a fortress of snow.
Many DWSC athletes finished on podiums in the U8, U10, U12, U14 and U16 age groups while a few also came away with personal bests for the season.
DWSC athletes who won gold at the finale include Isabel Pierantoni (U16, super-G), Amelia Pierantoni (U14, super-G and GS), Ema Munoz (U14, slalom) Donovan Frazer (U10, slalom and GS) and Audrey Matlock (U10, GS).
Other DWSC podium finishers included Wiley Robinson (U12, second GS), Brody Bruce (U10, second GS) Ulli Bauer (U8, second slalom) and Blayne Feeney (U8, third GS).
Individual skiers who won overall series titles in each age group were also recognized with a plaque and a jacket.
Series Champions:
U8 – Paige Spellman (Flagstaff); Lee Matlock (DWSC)
U10 – Brynley Feistner (DWSC) and Evelyn Kneller (DWSC) tie; Carson Spellman (Flagstaff)
U12 – Tessa Sanders (DWSC) and Jocelyn Mehaffie (DWSC) tie; Dylan Harman (Flagstaff)
U14 – Kassandre Kuss (independent); Nathan Mehaffie (DWSC)
U16 – Linnae Kuehl (Flagstaff); Isaac Olson (Taos)
U18+ – Pearl Solana (Taos); George Middendorf VI (Flagstaff) and Jackson Shultz (Flagstaff) tie.
DWSC is a nonprofit organization based in Durango that supports competitive youth winter sports programs. With over 250 athletes on five teams, DWSC is a community hub for competitive youth winter sports. The club is hosting an awards banquet, open to all with a suggested donation, April 14, at the Powerhouse Science Center to celebrate the season.
More information on the club at www.durangowintersportsclub.org.
