AVSC this week: Awards celebrate integrity, achievement, teamwork
The Aspen Times
Aspen, CO, Colorado
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ASPEN – As the snow piles up, the ski and snowboard season, sadly, is winding down.
The season’s high points for all five competitive disciplines were celebrated last week during Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club’s annual awards banquet at Belly Up.
Here are this year’s honorees.
Bob Beattie Award: Given to a ski pro, who has demonstrated outstanding dedication to the Base Camp program. Out of a field of 250 pros, Craig Rogers was recognized.
Gale Spence Excellence in Coaching: Ben Dodge (nordic), Jake Moe (freestyle/ freeride), Torey Greenwood (alpine) and Tim Ward (snowboard).
Ruth Whyte Outstanding Volunteerism: Brian Olson (nordic), Suzanne Sheer Brown (freestyle/freeride), Mark and Laura Patterson (alpine), Dave DeMeulenaere (snowboard).
Stirling Cooper Memorial Award (honoring an athlete who demonstrates love and dedication to outdoor sports): Nina Beidleman (nordic), Logan Brown (freestyle/
freeride), Sonja Gagen (alpine), Chase DeMeulenaere (snowboard).
Community Partner Award: The Aspen Times.
Willoughby Award (Excellence in Academics): Sophie Stuber.
Pursuit of Excellence: Keegan Swirbul (nordic), Joey Lang (freestyle/freeride), Ben Throm (alpine), Gwyneth Teftt (snowboard).
Andy Mill Award (outstanding national results): Ben Throm.
Nordic
Tage Pederson Commitment: Young athlete-Adair Pattillo. Older athlete- Hudson McNamee.
Robert Oden Teamwork: Young-Chelsea Moore. Old-Alex Wells.
Integrity Award: Young-Jack Sweeney. Old-Seamus Crowley.
Freestyle/freeride
Tage Pederson Commitment: Young-Tristan Feinberg. Old-Gage Carr.
Robert Oden Teamwork: Young-Sierra Reeves. Old-Campbell Mishel.
Integrity Award: Young-Jackson Ferraro, Ethan Burkley.
Alpine
Tage Pederson Commitment: Young-Anna Patterson. Old-Nick Mitchell.
Robert Oden Teamwork: Young-Stian Davenport. Old-Hayden Fake.
Integrity Award: Young-Juliette Woodrow. Old- Alex Pavon.
Snowboard
Tage Pederson Commitment: Young- Jonathan Weiss. Old-Shane Serrano.
Robert Oden Teamwork: Young-Richard Argueta. Old-Hunter Hill.
Integrity Award: Young- Isabella Borenstein. Old-Robert Pettit.
More winners
The USASA Nationals at Copper Mountain, which concluded last week, was a great event for many AVSC members.
Skier Harper Rafelson finished third overall in his division.
Tessa Weiss placed third overall among women 9 and under, and Cassidy Jarrell was silver medalist in the rail jam.
The 11-day event attracted more than 1,600 athletes from across the country. It’s believed to be the largest snowboarding event in the world and is growing in popularity among competitive freeskiers as well.
Loveland Derby
The final alpine series of the season is the annual Loveland Derby, which this year celebrated its 52nd anniversary.
Costumes are customary at this fun event, which attracts grade-schoolers to collegians.
This year, there were about 400 entrants, 13 of whom hail from the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club.
U10 athletes Tyler Thomas and Samuel McDermott finished second and fourth, respectively, in the first slalom.
Myles Pember was a silver medalist in the U14 (non-scored) race, and Dexter Edelman was second among scored U14s.
Stian Davenport was fourth among U12 men; Luke Prosence, U16, was 11th, and Alphonse Fischer finished sixth in U18 competition.
Three AVSC girls finished sixth in their age classes: Galena Wardle, Madison Osberger-Low and Sarah Gregory (alum).
Levyn Thomas was 10th.
On day 2, Gregory took second among U21s, Osberger-Low was sixth among U14 women, Wardle was eighth and Pascale Augspurger 29th in U16s. Thomas, a U12, was 13th.
The men’s side featured another podium by Edelman, who was third, a fifth by Fischer and Davenport in their divisions and McDermott and Thomas taking sixth and ninth in their age classes.
