Elyse Burandt                     Michael Estrella                   Connor Peck

April 13- Mt. Bachelor, Oregon- Elyse Burandt took bronze in the ladies slalom at the Mt. Bachelor Northwest Cup Finals on Saturday. Burandt was the top U16 in the race with a time of 1:28.95. U18's Anna Mounsey (TAS) and Karina Schwartznau (CMAC) led with gold and silver performances of 1:24.76 and 1:28.29, respectively. Rianne Ellingwood took 8th for 1st year U16's (14th U16 and 28th overall) in 1:42.79. Berkeley Guenzel (1:46.12) was 11th for 1998's (17th U16/32nd overall) while Briley Thompson (1:51.40) was 12th for 1st year U16's (19th U16/35th overall). Michael Estrella took second for the U16 men with a 10th place overall finish in 2:03.50 with the podium filled by Austin Dean (MRST) in 1:59.10, Cai Yamamoto (MRST) with a 1:59.95, and Keith McNabb (CMAC) in 2:01.33. Connor Peck turned coaches heads with a 3rd for 1998's (15th for U16's/37th overall) stopping time at 2:14.18. Just behind was SSRA's Adrian Markewych in 39th (4th for 1st year U16's/16th for U16's) in 2:14.89, Will Gottsch in 41st (6th for 1998's/18th for u16's) and Kyle Luiten in 53rd (12th for 1st year U16's and 28th for U16's) in 2:33.30. "It is pretty amazing to hear coaches talking about this U16 team. Elyse and Michael have been dominant all season long, along with Nic Dixon whois out with an injury. But the first year U16's are really making an impact as well. Connor Peck crushed his first run today and had all of the coaches asking about him. It seems like it is a different first year U16 turning heads each race. This group will realize some incredible success of their own over the next few years,"-Chuck Holcomb, SSRA Head Coach.

April 12- Mt. Bachelor, Oregon- Michael Estrella led the SSRA men at the Northwest Cup Finals Super G at Mt. Bachelor on Friday. Estrella took silver for the U16 men (10th overall) in 1:07.80 in a race won by Austin Dean of MRST (1:04.97). Second overall was MRST's Cai Yamamoto finishing in 1:06.05 followed by Sugar Bowl's Luke Winters registering a 1:06.44. Will Gottsch led the first year SSRA U16's with a 41st place finish (20th for U16's and 9th in his year of birth-1998) in 1:14.15. Adrian Markewych was close behind in 43rd (21st for U16's/10th for 1998's) with a 1:14.37 chased by Connor Peck who was 44th (22nd for U16's/11th for 1998's) and Kyle Luiten placing 50th (27th for U16's and 12th for 1998's). Elyse Burandt topped the SSRA womens ranks with a bronze in the U16's (11th overall) breaking the finish beam at 1:13.80. Showing their future promise, the first year SSRA women finished 6th, 9th and 12th in their year of birth and 12th, 15th and 18th for the U16's. Rianne Ellingwood led the charge with her 19th overall finish in 1:17.63 narrowly besting teammate Berkeley Guenzel with her 22nd place finish in 1:18.09 and Briley Thompson in 25th in 1:18.81. The overall women's race was won by Sun Valley's Kyla Miller in 1:08.72 with Anna Mounsey (TAS) next with a 1:08.82, and Lindsay Ahmann (MRST) in 1:09.65.