The Medal Stand weekly column, March 12

COVID-19 brought the professional sports world to a halt last night, and it is the overwhelming subject of this week’s Medal Stand. Being on Twitter yesterday when the Rudy Gobert news broke and seeing everything come to a pause was a feeling I will not soon forget.

The Medal Stand: Kauf third at Krasnoyarsk World Cup

Jaelin Kauf made another podium at another FIS moguls World Cup over the weekend.

The Teton Valley native and 2018 U.S. Olympian who now resides in Park City was third in women’s dual moguls at the World Cup in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, reaching Saturday’s small final. Teammate Hannah Soar was right behind her in fourth place. Kauf is currently third in the FIS World Cup women’s moguls standings with 470 World Cup points.

With the cancellation of the World Cup stop in Are, Sweden, this upcoming weekend and the World Championships originally scheduled to begin March 16 in Cortina, Italy, due to corona virus threats in Europe, women’s alpine crystal globes were finalized Wednesday. Victor resident and 2018 U.S. Olympian Breezy Johnson ended up 20th in the women’s downhill standings with 136 points.

Coming up locally

The 38th annual Town Downhill takes place Friday to Sunday at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. It is a non-sanctioned community downhill race that goes from the top of the Crags to Moran trail.

Also this weekend is the International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association (IFSA) North American Junior Freeskiing Competition at Grand Targhee Resort. It begins Saturday and ends Sunday.

Team USA Update

Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, who planned to return to competition this weekend in Are after stepping away for all of February and early March while grieving the loss of her father in February, ended the season No. 2 in the women’s overall standings with 1,225 World Cup points, No. 5 in downhill with 256 points, No. 2 in slalom with 440 points, No. 3 in giant slalom with 314 points and No. 7 in super G with 186 points. She shared a photo on her Twitter and Instagram accounts of a customized ski bib her fellow World Cup skiers made for her leading up to this weekend. The bib, which featured a photograph of her father, Jeff, his years of life, the U.S. flag and the phrase ‘be nice, think first’ on it, was signed by other World Cup skiers.

The U.S. women’s national soccer team defeated Japan 3-1 to win the annual SheBelieves Cup on Wednesday. Megan Rapinoe, Christen Press and Lindsey Horan each scored for the U.S.

The USA Track and Field Hershey National Youth Indoor Championships originally scheduled for March 20-22 on Staten Island were canceled Wednesday due to growing concerns over corona virus in New York state. The annual New Balance Nationals Indoor Championships, scheduled for this weekend at The Armory in New York, were canceled late Wednesday night by the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation. . The NCAA Division I indoor track national championships will take place this weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico, will take place without spectators. The World Figure Skating Championships that were originally scheduled to begin Sunday in Montreal, Quebec, were also canceled Wednesday.

The Medal Stand weekly column, March 5

Teton Valley winter athletes and 2018 U.S. Olympic teammates Jaelin Kauf and Breezy Johnson both competed over the weekend.

The Medal Stand: Kauf wins first World Cup of season

Jaelin Kauf bested a 220-meter course to win the women’s FIS dual moguls World Cup on Sunday in Shymbulak, Kazakhstan. It is her first World Cup win of the 2019-20 season and seventh of her career.

Originally from Teton Valley and now residing in Park City, the 2018 U.S. Olympian reached the round of 16 with U.S. teammates Hannah Soar and Tess Johnson. Soar ended up ninth while Johnson placed seventh. Kauf is fourth in the FIS women’s moguls World Cup standings with 410 points, five points back of third place Justine Dufour-Lapointe.

Kauf next competes this week at Krasnoyarsk, Russia, in another dual moguls World Cup.

Another Teton Valley 2018 U.S. Olympian, Breezy Johnson of Victor, competed over Leap Day weekend. Johnson finished 30th in Saturday’s women’s super G at the World Cup stop at La Thuile, Italy. Johnson is 38th in the FIS alpine women’s overall standings with 162 points, 20th in downhill with 136 points and 41st in super G with 14 points.

Coming up locally

The next Targhee Cup Adult League race is today at Palmer’s Raceway at Grand Targhee Resort. Proceeds benefit the Teton Valley Ski Education Foundation. Also at the resort this Saturday is the fourth annual Terrain Park Takeover at the Sweetwater Terrain Park. This weekend is also Idaho Falls Ski Club weekend at Grand Targhee.

Team USA Update

Two-time Olympic women’s slopestyle snowboard champion Jamie Anderson added another win to an impressive season, winning her eighth Burton U.S. Open title on Friday. Earlier in February, she won her 11th Winter Dew Tour title.

Three-time Olympic men’s halfpipe snowboard champion Shaun White shared with the Associated Press over the weekend that he will not pursue a spot on the inaugural U.S. skateboarding team for this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. Skateboarding is one of four sports making its debut for the Summer Olympics this year. White, the first athlete to win a gold medal at both the Summer and Winter X Games, said he is not ready to walk away from snowboarding, but has yet to fully commit to training for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Galen Rupp, Jacob Riley and Abdi Abdirahman finished first, second and third in the men’s marathon at Saturday’s U.S. Olympic Trials for marathon in Atlanta to qualify for this summer’s Olympic Games while Aliphine Tuliamuk, Molly Seidel and Sally Kipyego claimed the top three spots in the women’s marathon to qualify for Team USA. Rupp, who won the men’s race in 2:09:20, made his second U.S. Olympic team in the marathon and fourth Olympic team of his career, Abdirahman made his fifth Olympic team, Kipyego made her second Olympic team (but first as a U.S. citizen) and Riley, Tuliamuk and Seidel made their first Olympic teams. Tuliamuk won the women’s race in 2:27:23. Saturday was Seidel’s first marathon while Rupp became the first U.S. man to defend his Olympic Trials marathon title since Frank Shorter in 1976 and 43 year-old Abdirahman became the oldest U.S. Olympian in marathon.

The Medal Stand weekly column, Feb. 27

This was probably the most difficult column I’ve written since I wrote about Gabe Grunewald last summer.

I have followed Mikaela Shiffrin’s career since she made her first World Cup podium as a 16 year-old in 2011. Until this month, I had nothing in common with the decorated professional skier and two-time Olympian. I wish we did not share such a tremendous loss in common, and my heart has been hurting for her and her family all month. I haven’t talked about it, much less written about it, until now.

The Medal Stand: Meeting each other in our pain

In between the blur that is district and state tournament coverage that requires most of my time this month, I have been hurting for an athlete and fellow human being I’ve never met.

Upon checking Instagram on Feb. 3, one of the first posts I saw was from U.S. alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin. She informed her followers that her father, Jeff, passed away that weekend at age 65, and to please respect her family’s privacy as they grieve. Reading it shattered me. My first thought was, ‘Mikaela is a little more than a month away from turning 25 and just lost her dad. I was a little more than a month away from turning 25 when I lost my dad.’ Her dad was also almost the same age mine was when he died. My dad, Carl Edward ‘Eddie’ Hereford, died at age 66 in December 2013.

I feel a stab in my heart every time I hear of someone losing their father, and I unfortunately have too many close friends and classmates to name who have suffered the same loss as me. But never before have I been genuinely heartbroken for someone in the public eye like I have been for Mikaela these last three weeks.

The outpouring of condolences to the Shiffrins has also moved me immensely. Mikaela has posted three more times to Instagram since the initial post about Jeff’s death, and numerous professional athletes–not just skiers–have left comments. Beyond that, the love and support from the worldwide ski community has been astounding.

She has not competed since Jan. 26. On Feb. 16 at the World Cup slalom in Slovakia, Slovakian skier Petra Vlhova’s fans held up a large homemade sign adorned with the U.S. and Slovakian flags and the words We Miss You Mikaela. This past weekend after Italy’s Federica Brignone won alpine combined and super G in Crans Montana, Switzerland, a journalist asked how she felt about being the new favorite for the women’s alpine overall crystal globe due to leading Mikaela by 73 World Cup points in the overall standings. U.S. Ski and Snowboard shared Brignone’s response: “I want Mikaela Shiffrin back. I really do hope she will return soon for herself so she can do again what she loves most.” That is the epitome of class, and I am not surprised at all. Mikaela has carried herself so well since making her first World Cup podium at 16 years old, always congratulating the skiers who made the podium regardless of how she did and always giving credit where credit is due. It is only fitting that her fellow skiers are treating her with as much class, respect and kindness as she has given them in her career.

The Medal Stand weekly column, Feb. 13

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

Visit usskiandsnowboard.org and scroll down and you will see a familiar face listed under ‘Featured Athlete.’

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.

The Medal Stand weekly column, Feb. 6

Another update on Jaelin Kauf and Breezy Johnson this week.

The Medal Stand: Kauf fifth in World Cup moguls standings

Jaelin Kauf will be competing closer to home this week.

A 2018 U.S. Olympian originally from Teton Valley now residing in Park City, Kauf placed 14th in women’s moguls Saturday at the World Cup in Calgary, Alberta, but still remains in the top five of the FIS leaderboard.

As of the Calgary World Cup, Kauf is now fifth in FIS women’s moguls World Cup standings with 190 points and is the top American in the standings. The next World Cup stop is this week at Utah’s Deer Valley Resort. Moguls will take place tonight and Saturday night while aerials will take place Friday night.

Victor resident and 2018 U.S. Olympian Breezy Johnson did not finish women’s super G at the FIS World Cup Sunday at Rosa Khutor in Russia. Competition was marred by snow and rain for three consecutive days, prompting the cancellation of all three downhill training runs. The course was deemed too unsafe to race Saturday as temperatures were warm. With 77 World Cup points, Johnson is 60th in FIS women’s alpine overall standings and 22nd in downhill standings.

Coming up locally

Rigby’s Jessika Jenson, a 2014 and 2018 U.S. Olympic slopestyle snowboarder, is one of 24 skiers and snowboarders invited to third annual Kings and Queens of Corbet’s at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The competition will take place one day during a weather window, beginning Monday and continuing through Feb. 15, in which the resort will close Corbet’s.

The International Freeskiers and Snowboarders Association (IFSA) North American Junior Freeskiing Competition begins today and continues through Sunday at Grand Targhee Resort. Qualifications begin at 10 a.m. today for 10 to 14 year-olds and 10 a.m. Friday for 15 to 18 year-olds. Finals are scheduled for 10:15 a.m. Saturday.

The Medal Stand weekly column, Jan. 30

Breezy Johnson’s return to competition has resulted in two top-10 finishes so far in World Cup races.

Concern about COVID-19 (coronavirus) has already postponed a major sporting event, as the World Athletics Indoor Championships originally scheduled for March in Nanjing, China, have been postponed by a year.

The Medal Stand: Two top-10 finishes for Victor’s Johnson

Victor’s Breezy Johnson is having quite the comeback thus far.

Johnson, who turned 24 on Jan. 19, had two top-10 finishes last week in her second and third alpine races back from injury. She placed 10th on Jan. 24 and fifth on Jan. 25 in downhill at the FIS World Cup at Bansko, Bulgaria, joining Mikaela Shiffrin with top 10 results those days. Shiffrin won on Jan. 24 and was fourth on Jan. 25.

A 2018 U.S. Olympian who calls Jackson Hole Mountain Resort home, Johnson cut her 2017-18 season short due to a shoulder injury and missed the 2018-19 season due to tearing her ACL in September 2018 while training in Chile and tearing her PCL and MCL in her other leg in June 2019 while training at Mammoth Mountain, Calif. She rejoined her U.S. teammates in Europe shortly after the New Year.

Saturday in Canada, Jaelin Kauf was ninth at the women’s moguls FIS World Cup in Tremblant. Originally from Teton Valley and now residing in Utah, Kauf had the second highest U.S. finish in the event. She is now fourth in FIS World Cup women’s moguls standings with 172 World Cup points.

Rigby’s Jessika Jenson, a 2014 and 2018 U.S. Olympic slopestyle snowboarder, is one of 24 skiers and snowboarders invited to third annual Kings and Queens of Corbet’s at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The competition will take place one day during a February 10-15 weather window in which the resort will close Corbet’s.

Coming up locally

The annual Sun Valley Nordic Festival started Wednesday and continues through the weekend. Events include NordicTown USA Sprints on Wednesday and the 47th annual Boulder Mountain Tour on Saturday.

Kelly Canyon Resort’s Snowcross is Saturday. Registration is due by 11 a.m., the participant meeting is at noon and competition begins at 1 p.m.

This weekend is Idaho Falls Ski Club weekend at Grand Targhee Resort.

The Medal Stand weekly column, Jan. 23

Shelley graduate Karlie Callahan competed among the nation’s best in the junior women’s race Saturday at the USA Track and Field Cross-Country Championships. Utah State teammate and Snake River graduate James Withers also competed in the senior men’s 10k.

The Medal Stand: Shelley grad competes at USATF XC championships

Shelley graduate Karlie Callahan came away with a medal and a top-10 finish Saturday at the USA Track and Field Cross-Country Championships in San Diego.

Currently a freshman at Utah State, Callahan covered the 6k course in 24:04 to finish eighth in the junior women’s race. She was one of four Utah State runners in the junior women’s race and the second to finish. The junior women’s national title went to Brooke Rauber, a 17 year-old New Yorker who participated in the 2019 Nike Elite Camp and finished seventh at Nike Cross Nationals in December. Rauber won Saturday’s race in 22:11. Another local competed in the senior men’s 10k race Saturday, Snake River graduate and current Utah State runner James Withers, who finished 21st in 32:59.5.

This weekend will be the next competition for Teton Valley native Jaelin Kauf. The 2018 U.S. Olympian who is currently second in the FIS women’s moguls leaderboard with 143 World Cup points will be competing in Tremblant, Canada, on Saturday.

On Tuesday, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort released the list of competitors for the third annual Kings and Queen’s of Corbet’s, and a name familiar to eastern Idaho is among them. Rigby’s Jessika Jenson, a 2014 and 2018 U.S. Olympic slopestyle snowboarder, is one of 24 skiers and snowboarders invited to the competition that will take place one day during a February 10-15 weather window in which the resort will close Corbet’s.

Coming up locally

Saturday is Kelly Canyon Resort’s slopestyle event sponsored by Sled Shed. Registration is at 11 a.m. and the competition begins at 1 p.m.

The annual Sun Valley Nordic Festival starts Wednesday, Jan. 29 and continues through the weekend. Events include NordicTown USA Sprints on Wednesday and the 47th annual Boulder Mountain Tour on Feb. 1.

The Medal Stand weekly column, Jan. 16

After two injuries in two consecutive FIS seasons, Breezy Johnson has resumed competition.

The Medal Stand: Victor’s Johnson returns to competition

For the first time since March 2018, Victor alpine skier Breezy Johnson competed in a FIS race. 

Johnson, who turns 24 on Sunday, placed 25th in women’s downhill with a combined time of 1:21.14 last Saturday at the World Cup in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria. She was the top U.S. finisher in women’s downhill and was one of three U.S. skiers in the top 30.

The 2018 U.S. Olympian who calls Jackson Hole Mountain Resort home cut her 2017-18 season short due to a shoulder injury and missed the 2018-19 season due to tearing her ACL in September 2018 while training in Chile and tearing her PCL and MCL in her other leg in June 2019 while training at Mammoth Mountain, Calif. She returned to skis the week of Thanksgiving and rejoined her U.S. teammates in Europe right after New Year’s Day.

Teton Valley’s Jaelin Kauf also recently competed. The 23-year-old 2018 U.S. Olympian now living and training in Salt Lake City placed second at the U.S. Selections singles moguls finals at Steamboat Resort on Jan. 9 and second in the second final of women’s moguls last Saturday at Steamboat Springs, Colo. 

Coming up locally

The annual Kelly Canyon Race Series at Kelly Canyon Resort begins Saturday with slalom. It is the first of three race events that will take place on consecutive Saturdays.

The seventh annual Baldy Banked Slalom is this weekend at Sun Valley Resort’s Bald Mountain. Racing starts at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The Medal Stand weekly column, Dec. 5

The Medal Stand resumes after a hiatus to for fall season tournament coverage, winter sports previews and fall sports all-area selections.

Winter sports are the highlight for this week’s column.

The Medal Stand: Kauf ready to begin World Cup season

Moguls skier Jaelin Kauf begins the 2019-20 World Cup season Saturday in Ruka, Finland. Kauf, a 2018 U.S. Olympian originally from Alta, Wyo., who grew up skiing at Grand Targhee Resort before relocating to Steamboat Springs, Colo., took second in women’s dual moguls at last season’s world championships at Deer Valley Resort, Utah, and ended last season in second place in the FIS World Cup women’s moguls standings behind eventual repeat crystal globe winner Perrine Laffont of France. She was atop the FIS leaderboard for women’s moguls in late December last year, going on to win both dual moguls and moguls at the U.S. national championships in March at Waterville Valley Resort, New Hampshire.

Per the Jackson Hole News & Guide, the 23 year-old spent the first three weeks of November training with her U.S. teammates before heading to Finland last week. She spent the summer training in Chile, Switzerland and Mt. Hood, Ore. After Finland this weekend, the next World Cup stop will be in Thaiwoo, China, from Dec. 14-15. This is Kauf’s fourth season competing on the World Cup tour.

Coming up locally

Kelly Canyon Resort is scheduled to open Dec. 12 for the winter season. Grand Targhee Resort opened Nov. 27 and Dreamcather Lift began operations Dec. 3. Blackfoot lift will begin operations Friday.

Sun Valley Resort opened for the winter season Nov. 28.

The annual Christmas Gift 5k/1-mile run is Saturday at Snake River Landing at Idaho Falls. Donated items will be accepted for the Ronald McDonald house.

The Medal Stand weekly column, April 4

The Medal Stand returns with an update on 2018 U.S. Olympian Breezy Johnson, who recently marked an important milestone in her return to the slopes. There are also two Idaho Falls track athletes who will be competing under the lights at the Arcadia Invitational this weekend.

The Medal Stand: Strong comeback for Victor’s Johnson

Victor’s Breezy Johnson is officially training for the 2019-20 season.

The 2018 U.S. Olympic alpine skier, who missed the 2018-19 World Cup season, posted to her Instagram account last week that she pushed out of a start and skied gates for the first time in six months. She briefly returned to snow in late January and skied in the Coombs Fest fundraiser at Snow King Mountain Resort in mid-March. Johnson tore her ACL in September during a training session in Chile.

Locals competing at Arcadia

Two local track athletes are registered to compete in the 52nd Annual Arcadia Invitational this weekend in California. Idaho Falls senior and BYU signee Zach Erikson is entered in the boys rated 3,200-meter finals on Friday night. Erikson’s sophomore teammate Mitchell Athay will also compete in the boys rated 3,200 finals as well as the boys rising stars mile on Saturday morning. Erikson competed at last year’s boys rated 3,200 at Arcadia, placing 31st overall through three sectioned finals in 9:21.97, which is his personal best.

Coming up locally

Grand Targhee Resort’s 19th annual Cardboard Box Derby takes place Saturday. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and judging starts at 10 a.m. The event course is back on Big Horn and awards will be on the Main Plaza.

Also at Grand Targhee is the Sick Trick Comp on Sunday beginning at 3 p.m. Registration is free and helmets are required.