Competition program growing at the ASF
During the winter of 2010-11, ASF started to offer a midweek race program for Paralympic-eligible skiers hoping to train all season in the East. That season, we offered race training utilizing our midweek volunteer instructors, our staff, and guest coaches. The racers trained primarily on the NASTAR course when it was open. This season, we expanded the midweek program to include more athletes and a full-time coach. We welcomed Pat Garrison as our full-time race coach. Pat worked closely with Windham Mountain to arrange gate training on our slopes almost every day that our athletes were training. We welcomed back John Eckbold, a mono-skier who has been training with ASF for a few years now other multi-week midweek competitors joined us, including Tyler Carter, Betsy Hurley, and beginning-racer Stephen Valyou. John, Tyler and Betsy competed at national race events, some in the East, and some out West.
Of course, our weekend race team program continued to grow with the addition of new skiers and snowboarders. The weekend program included both Paralympic-eligible athletes and athletes that compete primarily in Diana Golden / Mills Cup regional races and Special Olympic events. Together with Pat Garrison, coach Mary Bozzone continued to work closely with our dedicated group of weekend coaches to provide a variety of weekend gate training.
US Paralympic National Team members Staci Mannella and her guide, Kim Seevers, competed in a number of national-level events, medaling at every stop. The women competed in the US Paralympics National Championships, winning bronze in gs, sliver in slalom and claiming the national championship in super G.
The end of our season included many fun race training events and competitions. We welcomed back former US Paralympics National Team Coach Erik Lierfallom to our second annual Eric D. Dettenrieder Race Camp in February. This season, we combined the event with a race camp for wounded veterans in conjunction with our Wounded Warrior Project series of health and wellness workshops called Warriors in Motion. At the end of the camp, we conducted a Diana Golden / Mills Cup Level 1 race here at Windham. On successive weekends afterwards, our racers competed in the annual Michael Gray Race and the Hartman Race. The weather was warm, but we got through all of the races with flying colors!
Now it’s time to start training for next season. Keep in touch. We hope to offer a couple summer training opportunities for race team members.
Here’s a list of some of our 2011-12 winter season race team results:
Special Olympics Regional Games at West Mountain, NY:
Patrick Carroll – 2 gold; Amelia Smollens – 2 silver; Terence Burke – 2 gold; Thomas Moran – 1 silver; 1 gold; Troy Desmond – 2 gold; Eddie Frangos – 1 silver, 1 gold; Douglas Rogers – 2 silver; Jason Stickle – 2 gold; Heather Huber – 2 gold; Bruce Williams – 2 gold; Jennifer Romano – 2 gold; Zach Elder – 2 gold; Charlie Kleiman – 2 gold; Megan Hopkins – 2 gold; Alexis Gomez – 2 gold.
Special Olympics State Games at Rochester, NY:
Zach Elder – 2 gold; Charlie Kleiman- 2 silver; Bruce Williams – 2 silver; Thomas Moran – 2 gold.
Boardercross at Windham, NY (Catskills Mountain Series):
Zach Elder – 1 gold; Charlie Kleiman – 1 gold.
Dianna Golden Race at Camelback, PA:
Robyn Davis – 1 gold; John Eckbold- 1 gold.
Diana Golden/Mills Cup at Windham, NY:
SIT Women: Betsy Hurley – gold; Mills Women: Amelia Smollens – gold; SB Women: Alexis Gomez – gold, Megan Hopkins – silver; SB Men: Zach Elder – gold, Charlie Kleiman – silver; SB Warrior Men: Alex – gold, Michael Patrick Ryan – silver; SIT Men: Wonik Son – bronze; STAND Men DG Jr: Michael O’Hearb – gold, Sam Skinner – silver; STAND Men Mills Cup Jr: Brian Fitzpatrick- gold; Troy Desmond – silver; STAND Men Mills Cup Sr: Patrick Carroll- gold.
Click here to see more photos from the 2011-12 season.
