Breezy Johnson is in the top 25 in the FIS women’s downhill standings thanks to a 17th place finish on Saturday in Germany.
The Medal Stand: Victor’s Johnson leads U.S. skiers in Germany
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Victor’s Breezy Johnson led U.S. skiers in Saturday’s women’s downhill at the World Cup stop in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, with a 17th place finish. The 2018 U.S. Olympian followed that up with 18th in Sunday’s super-G. The top-20 finishes follow two top-10 finishes in January. She is 23rd in the FIS women’s downhill standings with 91 points, 41st in the FIS women’s super G standings with 13 points and tied for 49th in the FIS women’s alpine overall standings with 104 points.
Another Teton Valley native and 2018 U.S. Olympian had a good weekend. Jaelin Kauf had two top-five finishes last Thursday and Saturday at the Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort. She placed fifth in moguls and made the podium two days later with third in dual moguls, right behind teammate Hannah Soar. These were Kauf’s first top-five World Cup finishes since December in Thaiwoo, China. The 23 year-old is fifth in the FIS women’s moguls World Cup standings with 295 points.
Coming up locally
The first of four Thursday Targhee Cup adult race league giant slalom and slalom races take place this afternoon at Palmer’s Raceway at Grand Targhee Resort. Proceeds benefit Teton Valley Ski Education Foundation.
Sun Valley Ski Resort is having night skiing Saturday evening on Dollar Mountain as part of President’s Day weekend events. A mini torchlight parade will begin at 8 p.m.
Team USA Update
The U.S. women’s basketball team overcame a seven-point deficit entering the fourth quarter to defeat Nigeria 76-71 on Sunday at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Serbia. The U.S. concluded the tournament 3-0. Nneka Ogwumike was named tournament MVP and teammate A’ja Wilson was also named to the five-member all-tournament team.
USA Basketball released the preliminary 44-man roster for the 2020 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team on Monday. The roster includes 16 players who have previously played on Olympic teams. The final roster for Tokyo will be reduced to 12 players.
Jamie Anderson won women’s slopestyle snowboard Sunday at Winter Dew Tour at Copper Mountain, Colo., in snowy conditions to bring her career total Dew Tour wins to 11. She was also recently named Snowboard Magazine’s Women’s Rider of the Year. Reigning men’s slopestyle snowboard Olympic champion Red Gerard won the event at Dew Tour.
Broken records abounded Saturday at the 113th NYRR Millrose Games at The New Balance Armory Track and Field Center. Foot Locker nationals runner-up Marlee Starliper, a high school senior from northern Pennsylvania, won the Girls New Balance Mile title in a meet record 4:37.76. Competing against collegiate and professional runners, Nike Cross Nationals individual champion Nico Young placed 11th in the men’s 3,000 meters in a national record time of 7:56.97. He is one of three high school boys to ever run sub-8 in the event. Ajee’ Wilson and Donavan Brazier won the women’s and men’s 800 titles in national record times of 1:58.29 and 1:44.22, respectively, and Elinor Purrier won the Women’s Wanamaker Mile in an American record time of 4:16.85. The top four finishers in that race all broke national records, and Purrier is now the second fastest women’s indoor miler in history, regardless of nationality. Former Boise State athlete Allie Ostrander, now running with Brooks, won the Mike Frankfurt women’s 3,000 meters in 8:48.94 for her first professional win.
The U.S. women’s ice hockey team defeated Canada 4-3 in overtime Saturday in Anaheim, Calif., to win the Rivalry Series. It drew 13,320 people to the Honda Center, the largest crowd to ever watch a women’s national team ice hockey game on U.S. soil.
The U.S. women’s national soccer team followed up a 4-0, Olympic-qualifying win over Mexico on Friday with a 3-0 win over Canada on Sunday to claim the CONCACAF championship.