Ski and snowboard teams top podiums at Mid-Atlantic regionals, prep for USCSA Nationals

Friday, February 23

Palmerton, PA

9:00 AM

Liberty University Club Sports

Blue Mountain Resort

Liberty skiers and snowboarders enjoyed solid USCSA Mid-Atlantic Region showings across the board at Blue Mountain (Pa.) Resort.

Ski and snowboard teams top podiums at Mid-Atlantic regionals, prep for USCSA Nationals

2/28/2024 12:34:00 PM | Ski & Snowboard

Liberty qualified a total of 18 men's and women's skiers to Lake Placid, N.Y. for next Tuesday's through Friday's championships.

Liberty University's men's and women's ski and snowboard teams swept all four team titles out of a total of 15 college and university teams represented in Friday's and Saturday's USCSA Mid-Atlantic Regionals at Blue Mountain (Pa.) Resort, which served as a qualifier for the March 4-9 USCSA National Championships at Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, N.Y.

"It went great," Flames first-year Head Coach Tyler Sherbine said. "The setup (at Blue Mountain) was the biggest course we have seen all year, and the athletes did extremely well as a whole. Our men's and women's ski and snowboarders are just a really well-rounded team at this point."

The podiums for the four divisions featured winners of the combined Rail Jam and Slopestyle points into one total score for each skier and rider.

In the men's snowboard competition, the Flames swept the podium as junior Tate Gardner finished first overall followed by sophomore Curren Cook and senior Jayden Horrocks.

"With each event, Curren has been getting higher and higher in the standings, and he performed really well this weekend," Sherbine said.

In women's snowboard, juniors Emmaus Rich and Abby Foreman placed first and second, respectively.

For skiing, seniors Josie Rich and Bella Tinney finished first and second on the women's side and sophomore Justin Maier and junior Coby Liebelt came in first and second for the men.

The Flames and Lady Flames will hold their final practice and official team meeting at Wintergreen Resort in nearby Nellysford, Va., on Thursday night before traveling to Lake Placid on Saturday. They will practice on Whiteface Mountain on Sunday and Monday before officially start competition with Tuesday's men's Skier-cross and Boardercross and women's ski and snowboard Rail Jams.

Sherbine is confident that although they have not competed in any Skier-cross or Boardercross events throughout this season, his skiers and riders will be able to adjust to the racing events, which count toward the overall Freestyle team scores as much as the Rail Jams and Slopestyle events.

"If you are a well-rounded rider, you can do it," he said. "We don't normally prepare it, but we will have time to practice the course while we are there. If you can go fast and can make fast turns, you'll be fine. Guys like (senior) Carlton Leggett have shown promising speed and (senior) Jesse Mast and Jayden Horrocks are really fast, and they know how to corner well, and to press their legs into bumps to boost their speed."

The women's Boardercross and Skier-cross races will take place on Wednesday, when the men's ski and snowboard Rail Jams are held. Men's and women's skier Slopestyle events will take place on Thursday before the competition concludes with Friday's men's and women's snowboard Slopestyle runs.

"We are familiar with the rail sets and the style with which they'll set up their Slopestyle course, as far as jump sizes and rail sizes, so that will definitely be an advantage," Sherbine said. "That is why the (regional competition) was really beneficial, because the size of features and jumps were so similar to the setup at nationals. We spent some extra time after competing (at Blue Mountain) to prepare for nationals."

He expects the best competitor for the freestyle team trophies will be Westminster (Utah) University, with San Diego State University, Colorado-Boulder, and the University of Vermont also strong contenders. Still, he believes the Flames and Lady Flames have the potential to challenge for individual and team titles.

"This nationals is something where we have the chance to have all the sweat equity pay off," Sherbine said. "It's time we really turn some heads, so we're really excited for it."

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer