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High Country Junior Race Series Continues Sunday at Beech Mountain Resort; See Feb. 1 Scores Here

By Madison Fisler Lewis

Feb. 3, 2015. The annual High Country Junior Race Series is well underway. On Feb. 1, Beech Mountain Resort hosted the latest High Country Junior Race Series race of the season. The race featured boys and girls competing for the fastest time in their categories.

Photo courtesy of Appalachian Ski Mtn. team.
Photo courtesy of Appalachian Ski Mtn. team.

The High Country Junior Race Series first began three decades ago in 1984. What started  as a friendly competition between junior skiers became a huge race series that brings together junior athletes, ages 4 to 18, to participate in a series of races held at each ski area, including Appalachian Ski Mountain, Beech Mountain Resort and Sugar Mountain Resort.

The top three finishers in each category are awarded a medal at the end of each race. Placement of racers earns them points which are collected over the season during the multiple races to be added together for a final season score for the championships., where trophies are awarded to the athletes with the most combined points for the season.

When the young athletes race, regardless of their placement, points are earned for their respective teams. At the end of the series, all of the points are totaled up to determine overall rankings for each age group.

Though many of the athletes are local, there are many still who come from off the mountain from as far away as Charlotte and Raleigh to practice and compete.

It’s a great series that brings teams together from all over and helps to build skills in individuals that contribute to a lifelong love of skiing, said Kim Jochl of Sugar Mountain Resort in a previous interview.

“The format of the races helps to maintain the camaraderie as a team and helps these kids to learn and love competition. It’s a fun way to compete as an athlete and introduces them to how sports and their lives can work together. This series has been in place longer than I have been here, and from what I have seen kids will stay in this series for ten years. Now we are seeing kids who raced in it coming back to let their kids race themselves. It’s a series that keeps one generation involved and encourages a second or even a third generation to compete later. It’s a great series,” Jochl said.

The race results for the Feb. 1 race at Appalachian Ski Mtn. are as follows:

Girls 6 and Under

  • Elise Carson – Appalachian Ski Mtn
  • Emmie Hollinger – Ski Beech
  • Aubrie Carson – Appalachian Ski Mtn
  • Zoe Nelson – Ski Beech
  • Scarlett DeCurtins – Appalachian Ski Mtn
  • Emerson DeCurtins – Appalachian Ski Mtn
  • Lucy Long – Appalachian Ski Mtn

Boys 6 and Under

  1. Ansel Westerman – Appalachian Ski Mtn
  2. Bruin Webster – Ski Beech
  3. Emil Giguere – Ski Beech
  4. Levi Rogers – Ski Beech

Girls 7 & 8

  1. Eva Young – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  2. Abby Miller – Sugar Mountain Resort
  3. Brooke Moehrke – Ski Beech
  4. Hannah Frye – Ski Beech
  5. Sarah Grosser – Sugar Mountain Resort
  6. Lily Rogers – Ski Beech
  7. Karolina Noserzewski – Ski Beech
  8. Monica McCabe – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  9. Riley Olson – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  10. Brooke Adams – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  11. Madelyn McCabe – Appalachian Ski Mtn.

Boys 7 & 8

  1. Connor Hearn – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  2. Andrew Hill – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  3. Charlie Martyn – Ski Beech
  4. Gavin Provencher – Ski Beech
  5. Brendan O’Conner – Sugar Mountain Resort
  6. Jackson Wolter – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  7. Ayden Johnson – Sugar Mountain Resort
  8. Cavan Bannon – Sugar Mountain Resort
  9. Zackery Kowalczyk – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  10. Aiden Crissler – Appalachian Ski Mtn.

Girls 9 & 10

  1. Ava Jane Schmidinger – Sugar Mountain Resort
  2. Taylor Moehrke – Ski Beech
  3. Sarah Goode – Ski Beech
  4. Ellie Reynolds – Ski Beech
  5. Julianne Reynolds – Ski Beech
  6. Sophie Speckmann – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  7. Emily Gray – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  8. Iris Westerman – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  9. Mercer Long – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  10. Gwendolyn Anderson – Appalachian Ski Mtn.

Boys 9 & 10

  1. Timothy Eustice – Ski Beech
  2. Andrew Geouque – Sugar Mountain Resort
  3. Samuel Campbell – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  4. Ian Provencher – Ski Beech
  5. Colin Burts – Sugar Mountain Resort
  6. Griffin Dillman – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  7. Andrew Jones – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  8. Grayson Matney – Ski Beech
  9. Emmit Coffey – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  10. Will Covington – Sugar Mountain Resort
  11. Henri Paris – Sugar Mountain Resort
  12. Jarrod Rogers – Ski Beech
  13. Kaden Carson – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  14. Sam Brandon – Appalachian Ski Mtn.

Girls 11 & 12

  1. Hallie Rose Donadio – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  2. Emiley Geouque – Sugar Mountain Resort
  3. Sophie Lehmann – Sugar Mountain Resort
  4. Jackie Granger – Ski Beech
  5. Alice Knight – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  6. Julia Handley – Ski Beech
  7. Eva Giguere – Ski Beech
  8. Kate Ambler – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  9. Linnea Mills – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  10. Emma Kate McKeown – Appalachian Ski Mtn.

Boys 11 & 12

  1. Grant McAllister III – Sugar Mountain Resort
  2. Maddox Spires – Sugar Mountain Resort
  3. Joshua Grosser – Sugar Mountain Resort
  4. Ethan Campbell – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  5. Jackson Hudspeth – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  6. George Young – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  7. Berk Yalcinkaya – Sugar Mountain Resort
  8. Dennis Schneider – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  9. Dawson Willis – Ski Beech
  10. Corbin Ross – Sugar Mountain Resort
  11. William Abernethy – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  12. Angus Currie – Ski Beech
  13. Ben Avason – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  14. Preston Fairbanks – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  15. Griffin Hayward – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  16. Will Spillman – Appalachian Ski Mtn.

Girls 13 & 14

  1. Lachlann Currie – Ski Beech
  2. Katie Mac Knight – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  3. Katie Goode – Ski Beech
  4. AnnaMarie Eustice – Ski Beech
  5. Jo Hill – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  6. Emma Hudspeth – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  7. Jeannie Sapp – Ski Beech
  8. Jennifer Fish – Sugar Mountain Resort
  9. Isabelle Trew – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  10. Kylie Drake – Ski Beech
  11. Eve Garry – Sugar Mountain Resort

Boys 13 & 14

  1. Will Ambler – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  2. Lee Byington – Ski Beech
  3. Karson Pilkenton – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  4. Justin N. Simmons – Sugar Mountain Resort
  5. Will Schneider – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  6. Aiden Bannon – Sugar Mountain Resort
  7. Nick Mills – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  8. Mitchell Abernethy – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  9. Thomas Paris – Sugar Mountain Resort
  10. Shannon Collins – Sugar Mountain Resort
  11. Alexander Brown – Appalachian Ski Mtn.

Girls 15 & 16

  1. Morgan Paris – Sugar Mountain Resort
  2. Madison Crissler – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  3. Lauren Matherly – Ski Beech
  4. Caroline Sprenger – Sugar Mountain Resort
  5. Erika Reiger – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  6. Hannah Garry – Sugar Mountain Resort

Boys 15 & 16

  1. Austin Horn – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  2. Alec Granger – Ski Beech
  3. Douglas Coley – Sugar Mountain Resort
  4. Baylor Matney – Ski Beech
  5. Ryan McSwain – Appalachian Ski Mtn.
  6. Martin Smolka – Ski Beech

Girls 17 & 18

  1. Virginia Currie – Ski Beech

Boys 17 & 18

  1. Matthew Anderson – Ski Beech

The next race in the High Country Junior Race Series will take place on Feb. 8 at Appalachian Ski Mtn. For more information about the High Country Junior Race Series, click here.