The 2008 USSA Rocky/Central J4 Junior Olympics held at Winter Park Resort March 18-22 featured the highest level of racing in the United States for the J4 age class (racers born in 1995 and 1996, ages 11-13) including the fastest racers from eighteen states covering the Central and Southern Rockies and the Midwest.
Live Feed Saturday – Second Slalom Race
Over 1,000 viewers logged on for our live video feed from the afternoon Junior Olympic slalom races. Update on 4/18:
J4 Race Day Video
Boys Race
Girls Race
Mueller-Ristine and Cardamone Crowned Overall Champions
After a week of close and exciting racing, Aspen's Julia Mueller-Ristine and Devon Cardamone earned the combined victory for strong performances in super G, giant slalom, and slalom. Thea Zerbe's slalom win jumped her into second in the overall and Super G gold medalist Elizabeth Rolfs placed third overall. Cardamone rode victories in super G and giant slalom to earn his overall title, with Welch Village's Nicholas Mitchell was second, and Vail's Alex Leever was third in the overall.
Steamboat's Megan Rosa and Team Gilboa's Dane Alexander were named the Junior Olympic best sportsmanship athletes. Buck Hill's Marlee Gartner and Steamboat's Alex Barounos were the overall bibbo queen and king.
Girls overall standings (corrected from results book)
Boys overall standings
Girls overall bibbo standings
Boys overall bibbo standings
Zerbe Wins Both Slaloms, Bender and Leever Claim Gold For Boys
Buck Hill's Thea Zerbe kept alive a tradition of dominance for Buck Hill girls at the J4 Junior Olympic slalom with two convincing victories in the sunny weather on the Lower Hughes race trail. In the first race, Zerbe's winning run time of 40.30 seconds was well ahead of a tightly packed girls field. Megan Danelski of Team Duluth set the pace from the first start position, and out of 68 racers was bested by only Zerbe. Her time of 41.79 was just enough to take silver ahead of the Crested Butte Academy's Hannah Watt-Sax (41.81). In the afternoon race, Zerbe started early and held on for the win with a time of 39.70 seconds. Ski Club Vail's Kendall Vanhee was next out of the gate and made a good charge to hold on to second place in 40.53. Megan Danelski was third in 40.80.
In the boys races it was again anyone's race. Team Winter Park's Jake Bender started first, and nobody could beat his time of 38.88 seconds. The next six racers all finished within 2/3 of second of Bender's time, but carried the speed across the middle flats like Jake. Zak Kjos of Mt. LaCrosse came closest, taking silver in 38.99. Ski Club Vail's Alex Leever held off a tight pack of skiers for bronze in 39.12. In the afternoon race, Leever found his groove and rose to the top of the pack, earning his first Junior Olympic gold with a time of 38.64 seconds. Buck Hill's Jack Post skied a great run to second place in 39.07. Zak Kjos earned his second podium finish, taking bronze in 39.10.
Girls AM slalom race results
Girls PM slalom race results
Boys AM slalom race results
Boys PM slalom race results
Mueller-Ristine Sweeps Girls GS Races, Veth and Cardamone Split Tight Boys Victories
Julia Mueller-Ristine from the Aspen Valley Ski Club took a narrow win over Super G champion Elizabeth Rolfs of Holy Hill in the morning race, then rolled to victory in the second race on the tricky Meadows/Hughes giant slalom race course. Nicolas Veth (pictured - click on photo to see video of his run) emerged on top of a very tight leader board to take gold for the boys in the morning race. Devon Cardamone of Aspen came back in the afternoon race for his second Junior Olympic gold medal.
Mueller-Ristine's first race victory came in a time of 1 minute, 0.41 seconds, just ahead of Rolfs who had set the pace just before her in 1:00.65. Steamboat racer Samantha Stamp took the bronze with a time of 1:01.82. In the afternoon race, Mueller-Ristine (pictures, click on photo for video of her run) widened the gap between second place with at time of 1:00.82. Kendall Vanhee, from Ski Club Vail, came back from a crash in the first run to earn the silver in 1:01.55. Rolfs earned her third medal of the Junior Olympics, taking third in 1:02.52.
In the boys' races, Veth was clean and smooth en route to his winning time of 59.88 seconds in the morning race. Ski Club Vail's Alex Leever was just behind with a time of 59.95. Taylor Lindy of Sports Hut finished in third place with a 59.98. The top eight racers were all within one second of victory. The afternoon race was turny and technical, and with both races coming down the Norwegian pitch strong skiing all the way to the bottom was a must to be in the front of the field. Devon Cardamone, of the Aspen Valley Ski Club, found his groove and earned his second gold medal of the Junior Olympics with a time of 1:02.74. Nicholas Mitchell, from Welch Village, was a close second in 1:02.93. The Aspen Valley Ski Club's Colby Lane took third in 1:03.31, making a repeat of the Super G podium in the afternoon giant slalom.
Girls AM GS race results
Girls PM GS race results
Boys AM GS race results
Boys PM GS race results
Rolfs and Cardamone Claim First Junior Olympic Titles in Super G
Elizabeth Rolfs from Holy Hill in Wisconsin, and Devon Cardamone of the Aspen Valley Ski Club were the first to capture Junior Olympic gold in the 2008 USSA Rocky/Central J4 Junior Olympics Super G. Racers reached speeds in excess of 50mph down the course that tested each racers technical ability to the fullest.
Rolfs skied strongly and cleanly to take the win (click on her photo to see video of her run). Her time of 1 minute, 0.05 seconds was followed closely by Julia Mueller-Ristine of the Aspen Valley Ski Club in second place (1:00.68). Caroline Byrne of Ski Club Vail skied strongly into third place (1:01.45).
Cardamone was the only skier of the day to break one minute down the course, earning gold with a time of 59.88 seconds. To watch the lower part of Devon's run, click on his photo. Welch Village racer Nicholas Mitchell was a close second in 1:00.06, and Aspen racer Colby Lane took bronze in 1:00.16. Check back soon for the full story. Racing continues on Friday with giant slalom.
Official girls Super G results
Official boys Super G results
Event Highlights Video
Subpope Productions was on site to shoot and produce the event highlights DVD that you do not want to miss. Order before the last race day, and you are guaranteed footage in the ultimate event memento. Click here for a registration form. Send the form in to Subpope Productions. Videos will ship two weeks following the event. Check back soon for the video trailer!
Race Day Photography
Winter Park's SharpShooters were on course all week shooting great photos in multiple positions from all the race events. You can view photos on the SharpShooters website.
Thank You To Our 2008 Junior Olympic Sponsors!
TITLE SPONSOR:
Local Sponsors: 
PRESENTING SPONSOR: 
Gold Sponsors:
Smartwool
Silver Sponsors:
Smith Sport Optics
Saucer Wax
Skins
Boeri
Shaklee
Hestra
Kiss My Face
Bronze Sponsors:
NASTAR
Paragon Sports, Evergreen, CO
Marker USA
Beaver Village Condos
Hernando's Pizza
Deno's Mountain Bistro
Subway of Winter Park
