2017-18 Season Reflections

This past season has been great.  My technique improved a lot, I qualified for several invitational camps, and I enjoyed good results both at home and at outside races.  My season started with a bang (and a brrr!) with a trip to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada for training.  Although the temperatures were bitterly cold there, the snow and training were great.  After that, I got to continue my progress at Copper Mountain for a National Performance Series Camp where I got to train on a World Cup speed venue!  I made leaps and bounds with my technique this year.  I was able to really dial in my slalom turn, create speed, and finish more consistently than I ever have before.  My giant slalom has come a long way too; I've really tightened my line and am able to build speed throughout the course.  All this hard work is starting to pay off!  I won the Alaska State Giant Slalom Championship, won my first out-of-state races at the Northwest Cup Giant Slalom at Mount Spokane, and I placed first, second and third in the three Lone Peak super g races at Big Sky, Montana.  The high point of my season, though, was Western Regional Championships, which we hosted at Alyeska.  I placed fifth in slalom after starting forty-fifth, and I won both giant slalom runs, finishing 1.3 seconds ahead of my closest competitor.  I won the super g training run too, but crashed in the race.  My Regionals results qualified me for the U16 National Championships at Mission Ridge, Washington.  Securing my spot for National's was an accomplishment in and of itself, and I am very proud of that.  Unfortunately, I didn't accomplish quite what I would've like while there.  I allowed myself to get intimidated by my competition and lost my confidence, which was very detrimental to my performance.  Although Nationals wasn't all I'd hoped it would be, it ended on a high note; I got my confidence back and my team placed third in the team dual panel slalom.  My biggest lesson this season?  Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.  I have to get out of my own way!


U16 Western Regional Championships, 1st in Giant Slalom, Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, Alaska