Jesse Mast entertains a crowd at the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre for a Mountain Mayhem Big Air comp. (Photo by Thomas Helms)
Skiers and snowboarders ready to shred the slopes in the spring semester
1/4/2024 4:19:00 PM | Ski & Snowboard
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The Flames and Lady Flames will open their USCSA season on Jan. 19-20 at Beech Mountain Ski Resort before hosting a second event at the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre.
With its USCSA season opener at Beech Mountain (N.C.) Ski Resort less than three weeks away on Jan. 20-21, Liberty University ski & snowboard Head Coach Tyler Sherbine is eagerly awaiting the return of his student-athletes from Christmas Break.
"I am excited to see them compete as a team," he said, noting that after the Beech Mountain event the Flames and Lady Flames will host a second USCSA competition at the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre on Jan. 27-28 before traveling to Seven Springs (Pa.) Mountain Resort for a practice trip and to Wintergreen Resort for a third USCSA competition on Feb. 10-11. "We will be hosting practices at Wintergreen every Thursday night as well. What we're really looking forward to all season is the USCSA Nationals, from March 4-9 at Whiteface (N.Y.)"
He said with the six-man and three-woman lineups Liberty has on its four ski and snowboard teams, the Flames and Lady Flames could be contenders for individual and team titles in various freestyle disciplines at nationals.
"We are really going for that team score and really want that team gold this year, and that takes everyone," Sherbine said. "The men's side is extremely hungry for it, both in ski and snowboard. When it comes down to it, it's a matter of executing on competition day what we've practiced all year."
He said having the LMSC as its training base gives Liberty a leg up on its competition, at least in the Southeast Region.
"We're able to practice nine months out of the year, which gives us an edge over a team that would only practice three or four months out of the year," Sherbine said.Â
He has an excellent support staff with assistant coaches Ian Rosario, Isaac Gibson (who he succeeded as head coach), and Isaac Shepherd, complemented by his wife, former Lady Flames snowboarder Samantha (Pesile) Sherbine ('22), who works primarily with the women's teams.
Seniors Jesse Mast and Jayden Horrocks lead the men's snowboard team along with junior Tate Gardener, who was sidelined for most of the fall semester with an injury sustained during the team's first practice.
"I am really excited to see them compete this year," Sherbine said.
On the men's ski side, the Flames feature juniors Colby Liebelt and Charlie Barkow as well as sophomores Justin Maier and Cam Brandenburg, who had a phenomenal fall semester.
"Their progression this year has been insane, and they feed off each other's energy, so I'm excited to see that in the competition level," Sherbine said. "Justin Maier had a great freshman year last year, but the men's skiers were not able to compete at nationals because of the weather. He is looking really promising this year and won a Rail Jam in early October in a public competition down at Beech Mountain, N.C."
The women's snowboarders have experienced tremendous success at nationals in recent seasons with Coleen Leja and Emory Orlando winning individual gold medals and leading the Lady Flames to team golds. Their top three competitors this season are juniors Emmaus Rich and Abigail Foreman, who excelled this past fall, and Kylee Kraemer, a senior from Texas.
Among the Lady Flames' skiers, Bella Tinney and Josie Rich are looking very promising along with fellow senior Gianna Niece, who are all equally strong on jumps and rails. Junior Lauren Harder, a gold medal winner at nationals as a freshman at Whiteface, will not be able to compete on the travel team this season as she has opted to perform on the LU Dance team instead.
By Ted Allen/Staff WriterSenior snowboarder Jayden Horrocks rides into the sunset at the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre. (Photo by Isaac Gibson)
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