Members of the Purgatory Freestyle Ski Team recently claimed championships at the Marriott USSA Freestyle Junior Nationals in Park City, Utah, and moguls titles at the Rocky Mountain Devo Mogul State Championships.
Purgatory’s George McQuinn and Sadie Smith won super combined championships at Park City, where the top 60 U.S. Ski Association freestylers 18 and younger competed March 11-16.
The super combined championship was based on a skier’s top three results from the six disciplines at the Junior Nationals: moguls, dual moguls, slopestyle, halfpipe, big air and aerials.
Smith won the J2 halfpipe, was second in aerials, third in big air and sixth overall in dual moguls to win the super combined title and lead a Purgatory sweep among the women.
Sadie’s sister, Hannah Smith, took second with runner-up finishes in the halfpipe and big air and a 15th overall finish in moguls. Hannah narrowly lost a close decision in dual moguls, 18-17, in the second round, which could have cost her the overall super combined title.
Natalie Youssef completed the super combined podium sweep for Purgatory, taking the gold medal in J1 big air and adding a bronze in aerials and 11th in moguls.
McQuinn won his third consecutive super combined title by defeating the No. 1 dual mogul seed Joel Hedrick. McQuinn blasted out of the gates, beating Hedrick to the top air and causing the men’s mogul champion to fall during the dual. McQuinn added a ninth in aerials and a 15th in J2 moguls.
Arguably the most difficult discipline at Junior Nationals was single-run moguls. Trudy Mickel took home the national title for J4 skiers, capping a successful first year on the Rocky Mountain regional tour that included Rookie of the Year honors. Teammate Amina Youssef narrowly lost her dual mogul contest, 18-17, in her first appearance at Junior Nationals.
At Steamboat Springs on March 21-23, Cole Alexus of Purgatory won the state title for J5 skiers age 9-10 years old at the Rocky Mountain Devo Mogul Championships, where skiers 13 and younger from throughout Colorado competed. Alexus landed a 720-degree jump on the bottom air to secure the victory.
Teammate Charlie Mickel took the silver medal.
Freddie Mickel won the J6 division as the top 7-8-year-old in the state. Hunter Rawles was ninth in duals after defeating brother Freddy in the second round. Freddy Rawles and Cole Alexus tied for 17th in duals.
jeisele@durangoherald.com
