Skiing
Skiing Yote Notes - Season Review
03.08.2010
LAST WEEK: at USCSA National Championships (Women 16th in combined)
COMING UP: Season Complete
WOMEN’S ALPINE HAS STRUGGLES: It was a rough go of it for The College of Idaho women’s alpine team in Maine, as injuries and tough runs plagued the team throughout the USCSA National Championships. In Wednesday’s giant slalom run, the Lady Yotes finished 14th, as top-skier Gabrielle Gould (East Burke, Vt. / U. of Vermont) had a nasty spill in the first run and was unavailable for the rest of the weekend. Kelley Fitzpatrick (Keizer, Ore. / McNary HS) had the top finish for the squad, in 30th. Two days later, only two members of the squad were able to complete both slalom runs, as the Coyotes limped to a 17th-place finish. Katie Kernan (Shelburne, N.H. / Gorham HS) had the best C of I finish, in 59th. Overall, the Lady Yotes finished 16th in the alpine combined – their lowest finish at Nationals in the last 20 years. They did, however, finish higher than James Madison, Stanford, and Lehigh.
WOMEN’S FREESTYLE TAKES SECOND: The Lady Yote freestyle team carried the banner for the 2010 USCSA Championships, placing second overall in the Skier-Cross competition. All three competitors were in the Top-20 – Stephanie Dunn (Anchorage, Alaska / Service HS) in 14th, Caitlin Skufca (Wilmington, N.Y. / Lake Placid School) in 15th, and Kare Tonning (Rothesay, N.B. / Carrabassett Valley Acad.) in 17th. The squad, which won the national title in the event in 2009, placed second to UC-Davis.
MEN’S FREESTYLE TAKES TWO THIRDS: The men’s freestyle team also had success, as Cliff Mailloux (Scranton, Pa. / Crestwood HS) earned Second-Team All-America honors in both the Halfpipe and SlopeStyle, helping the Yotes to a third-place team finish in both events. Mailloux finished seventh in the Halfpipe and tenth in the Slopestyle, as The C of I finished behind the University of Colorado and USC, but ahead of Loyola Marymount, Maryland, Yale, and Penn State. Mark Klug (Homedale, Idaho / Homedale HS) also had a good national championships, finishing 12th in the Halfpipe and 15th in the Slopestyle. As a team, the Coyotes also competed in the Skier-Cross, finishing 17th.
BOARDERS HAVE THEIR UPS AND DOWNS: It was an up and down week for the Coyote snowboarders – big highs and big lows. For the Lady Yotes, Sarah Silva (Kirkland, Wash. / Juanita HS) jumpstarted the squad, placing first in the opening run of the Halfpipe on Tuesday, eventually finishing sixth – good enough for Second Team All-America honors, helping the team to a seventh-place finish. She would take 11th in the Boarder-Cross and 26th in the giant slalom to complete her week. On the other end was Joel MacDonald (Kalispell, Mont. / Flathead HS), who helped the Yotes to a 12th-place finish in the Halfpipe by finishing 20th, but took a nasty spill in the SlopeStyle event – which ended his week prematurely.
HISTORY AT NATIONALS: Overall, the Coyotes have won 16 individual and 23 team national championships since 1979 – including at least one title in each of the past five years. Last season, the women’s freestyle team claimed the Skier-X title.
FOUR NAMED SCHOLAR-ATHLETES: Four members of the Lady Yotes were honored by the USCSA as All-America Scholar-Athletes – Kelley Fitzpatrick, Katie Kernan, Caitlin Skufca, and Sarah Silva.
ABOUT THE COACH: Ron Bonneau just completed his 20th season as head coach for The C of I alpine ski programs. During his tenure at The C of I, the native of New Hampshire has seen the Coyote men's team qualify for the USCSA championships on 12 occasions, with the women's team making appearances 16 times. His 2004 women's squad finished second in the nation in the slalom and fourth in the alpine combined. The Coyotes have seen much success in the 21st Century, as both the men's and women's programs, under Bonneau's direction, won six-consecutive Northwest Collegiate Ski Conference championships from 2003-08, with the Lady Yotes taking home Western Regional championships in 1999, 2003 and 2006. His women's teams have advanced to 12-consecutive USCSA championships, finishing in the Top-9 in nine of the 11 appearances. Bonneau, a graduate of Plymouth State College, replaced Tom Olson as the alpine ski coach in 1991 - and worked with Chris Melgaard on the nordic side to claim the women's nordic championships in 1994 and 1995. During his tenure, he has coached seven national champions, 56 All-Americans, and 76 All-America Scholar-Athletes. Prior to his time in the Gem State, Bonneau worked at ski resorts in Wachusett, Mass. and Haystack, Vt. Along with his duties with the ski program, he is the director of C of I's outdoor program. Bonneau and wife Michele live in Caldwell.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on The C of I alpine ski program, head to the official homepage of the Coyotes, http://www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/skiing.asp.
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Skiing at USCSA National Championships
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