Local Racers Place High In New Olympic Sport

SPOKANE - The WOO Crew, an area Snowboard and Ski Cross team, took top honors at the Inland Northwest United States of America Snowboard Association race, led by veteran Sarah Kohler, 22, at Mt. Spokane last Saturday.

Ski Cross and Border Cross debuted at the XXI Olympic Winter games in Vancouver, Canada, last February. Skiers compete against skiers and snowboarders compete against other snowboarders, only. The course (for both groups) is a series of gates, including jumps, banked turns, steps, spines and whatever the course designers can throw at the racers.

Competitors can start with up to six racers at a time, but normally, four racers start at once. The event is not timed, but the racer finishing first is the winner. Points are assigned based on the position at finish, these recorded by the USASA for qualification to Nationals.

First place finishes also went to BreAnna Morgan, 18, of Kennewick in the Skier women's16- 18 year age group and Alex Naylor, 16, of Dayton, in the Skier men's 16-18 age group. Sixty competitors in a variety of age groups challenged local racers to action-packed runs with plenty of jumps, bumps, banked turns and serious competition.

Jaymin Morgan of Kennewick was determined to compete, regardless of a cast on his arm.

"I broke my arm skateboarding just after the last race at Silver Mountain (on Jan. 8). I wasn't going to let it stop me from racing," he said.

Morgan competes in the Youth Men, 14-15 age group for snowboarders. His very competitive race saw him finish a strong third. He deftly avoided a wipe out of several racers in his heat.

Walla Walla native Blake Morasch finished third in the highly competitive Skier men's 13-15 age group.

Newcomer to USASA Hayden White, also of Walla Walla, finished third in his age group, Skier men's 11- 12. Both boys are ski cross athletes.

Emily Koehler, 13 of Kennewick, in the Skier Women 13-15 age group took second place behind a smoking India Sherret of Cranbrook, British Columbia. Halley White, of Walla Walla, won her age group, Skier Girls 10-11. Both girls are new to USASA.

"I like the bumps and jumps," Koehler beamed. "It's a lot of fun."

Sarah Koehler easily placed first in the women's Open Class Women's Skier group. A sophomore at Eastern Washington University, majoring in biology, she has her sights firmly set on a first place finish at the 2011 Nationals at Copper Mountain, Colorado. She's been racing competitively for six years.

Th e WOO Cr ew i s coached by Nick Morgan who also graciously serves as Director for the Inland Northwest series of the USASA. The team trains at Ski Bluewood, south of Dayton and is sponsored by Koehler Construction, Isaacs & Associates and Patrick Lumber Company.

The team is a great place for winter fun and excitement. For more information, please contact USASA, Inland Northwest Series at www.usasa.org or by email nick.inlandnwseries@gmail.com