The U16 Alpine Team wrapped up its final Rocky/Central U16 Championship qualifiers Feb. 12-15 in Vail, Colorado, competing in two slalom and two giant slalom races per gender. With challenging conditions and demanding course sets, the weekend delivered exactly what championship prep should: tough competition, valuable lessons, and measurable growth.
The women set the tone early. Chloe Kafka powered to a 5th-place finish in the opening slalom, while Miya Lippuner finished the second slalom race with a strong 8th place, closely followed by Brielle Walsh in 10th. In giant slalom, the women showed impressive depth, combining for five top-15 finishes across the two races.
The men matched that momentum. Owen Applequist led the charge in giant slalom with a 4th-place finish, and Reed Pope delivered a standout 3rd-place result in the second slalom race that weekend. Across all four races, the men tallied an impressive twelve top-15 finishes, demonstrating both consistency and competitive fire.
At the conclusion of the series, 11 SSWSC athletes earned their spot at the Rocky/Central U16 Championships in Steamboat Springs (March 4–8, 2026):
Rylee Thomsen
Brielle Walsh
Miya Lippuner
Chloe Kafka
Ella Orton
Reed Pope
Soren Shepherd
Owen Applequist
Jonathan Nichols
Felix Hadley
Ryder Roth
Congratulations to all of our athletes for their grit and determination this weekend. We’re excited to see this group carry their momentum into Steamboat!
Results:
Women:
SL Race 1: 5th Chloe Kafka, 16th Brielle Walsh, 25th Rylee Thomsen
SL Race 2: 8th Miya Lippuner, 10th Brielle Walsh, 19th Ella Orton, 21st Rylee Thomsen
GS Race 1: 8th Chloe Kafka, 9th Rylee Thomsen, 13th Ella Orton
GS Race 2: 12th Chloe Kafka, 15th Rylee Thomsen, 17th Ella Orton, 19th Miya Lippuner, 20th Brielle Walsh
Men:
SL Race 1: 7th Reed Pope, 9th Ryder Roth, 10th Soren Shepherd, 17th Jonathan Nichols, 25th Bretton Fleming, 27th Thacher Starrett, 30th William Volk
SL Race 2: 3rd Reed Pope, 18th William Volk
GS Race 1: 9th Soren Shepherd, 10th Ryder Roth, 13th Owen Applequist, 14th Jonathan Nichols, 15th Felix Hadley, 17th Reed Pope, 27th Thacher Starrett, 28th Bretton Fleming, 30th William Volk,
GS Race 2: 4th Owen Applequist, 6th Jonathan Nichols, 10th Felix Hadley, 18th Thacher Starrett, 19th Bretton Fleming, 21st William Volk
Photo – Ann West:
- U16 Rocky/Central Championships SSWSC Team – Reed Pope, Ryder Roth, Owen Applequist, Felix Hadley, Brielle Walsh, Miya Lippuner, Ella Orton, Chloe Kafka, and Rylee Thomsen. (missing Soren
- Shepherd and Jonathan Nichols)
- Women’s 1st GS race Europa Cup Tier Podium: 1st Lejla Bambur (SSCV), 2nd Rylee Thomsen (SSWSC), 3rd Ella Orton (SSWSC)
- Men’s 2nd GS race NorAm Cup Tier Podium: 1st Liam Burns (AFT), 2nd Matteo Pacini (SUM), 3rd William Volk (SSWSC)
- Men’s 2nd GS race Europa Cup Tier Podium: 1st Marc Drai (SSCV), 2nd Owen Applequist (SSWSC), 3rd Jonathan Nichols (SSWSC)
- Women’s 2nd SL race Europa Cup Tier Podium: 1st Miya Lippuner (SSWSC), 2nd Brielle Walsh (SSWSC), 3rd Kaia Riter (SUM)
