STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club nordic combined skiers Fritz Carpenter and Michael Ward soared to top-five finishes at the Larry Johnson Memorial Junior Olympic Qualifier at Steamboat Feb. 2-3.

Carpenter, a J3 skier, jumped 28.5 and 23.5 meters on the 38K (meter) hill in his two jumps for a score of 118.6. He entered the cross-county leg of the competition in fourth place, and despite starting almost two minutes behind the first skier, won the skate race to finish third overall.

Ward, a J2, flew to a personal-best jump of 62.5 meters in practice on the 68-kilometer hill before jumps of 60 and 57.5 meters at reduced speed in competition.

The two jumps moved him up to eighth place in the standings before the start of the

cross-country leg. In the afternoon, Ward skied the third-fastest time of the day over the 5K course (15 minutes, 44 seconds) to jump to fourth overall in the combined standings.

"I was nervous in the jumping rounds, because I knew to do well in the combined event you first have to do very well in the jumping rounds," an exhausted Ward said after his race. "After I passed four guys ... I knew I would get fourth place."

Ward's result puts him in contention for the final spot on the Rocky Mountain Division roster for the J2 National Championships in early March.

Two other AVSC skiers, Steve Anderson and Terry Leitch, also scored personal-bests at the event. Anderson moved up to 17th place overall with his two jumps of 30 and 30.5 meters off the 38K hill. Leitch, 14, jumped 47 and 48 meters.

The entire AVSC squad will travel to Park City, Utah, in two weeks for the third and final JO qualifier. If Ward does earn a trip to nationals, he would be the first nordic combined skier from Aspen to do so in more than 30 years.