ALPINE NATIONALS: Johnson, Clark grab FIS downhill victories

ALPINE NATIONALS: Johnson, Clark grab FIS downhill victories{mosimage}SUGARLOAF, Maine – Local favorite Kirsten Clark, who grew up racing at Sugarloaf USA, edged Olympic teammate Stacey Cook by six-hundredths of a second Friday in a FIS downhill on the opening day of the TD Banknorth U.S. Alpine Championships. J.J. Johnson won the men’s DH.

Clark, a Carrabassett Valley Academy graduate before moving on to the U.S. Ski Team and racing on the World Cup tour, had a time of 1:19.86. Cook was timed in 1:19.92 for the silver medal, while Julia Littman completed the podium with a time of 1:20.07.

“It’s always good to race here,” said Clark. “The first day of training I was smiling all the way down. I’ve skied this course a lot of times … racing, training with CVA, chasing my brother down it … It’s a fun course.”

Earlier, Johnson was clocked in 1:15.75 with Scott Macartney taking the silver medal in 1:15.98. Erik Fisher, bronze medalist in DH at the 2005 Junior World Championships, was third in the field of 71 men with a time of 1:16.17.

The 30-degree weather on the Narrow Gauge race course yielded snow conditions that, according to Clark, were “really good. It gets a little more bumpy each day, but that happens when you’ve got men and women training and racing the same course.”

“This was a little redemption,” said Johnson, who said he is aiming for the downhill title to help further soothe the frustrations of a season in which he missed qualifying for the Olympics. “I was on a roll for a couple of years,” he said, referring to his return to the U.S. ski Team after six years away, “and I thought I was ready for this season, but it didn’t work out that way, so now I want to finish on an up note and start getting ready for next season.”

He said the 1.9-kilometer course was in good shape, although it got a little dicey over the last few gates. ‘The track was fine, really fast’ Johnson said.

The TD Banknorth national title races begin Saturday with the men’s and women’s downhills.

Saturday – men’s and women’s downhill
Sunday – men’s and women’s super G
Monday – men’s and women’s slalom
Tuesday – men’s giant slalom
Wednesday – women’s giant slalom

Men’s downhill
Sugarloaf, Maine
March 24, 2006
1. JJ Johnson 1:15.75
2. Scott Macartney 1:15.98
3. Erik Fisher 1:16.17
4. Christopher Beckmann 1:16.48
5. Marco Sullivan 1:16.58
5. Andrew Weibrecht 1:16.58
7. Kevin Francis 1:16.62
8. Daron Rahlves 1:16.71
9. Warner Nickerson 1:16.81
10. Nick Baker 1:16.83

Women’s downhill
Sugarloaf, Maine
March 24, 2006
1. Kirsten Clark 1:19.86
2. Stacey Cook 1:19.92
3. Julia Littman 1:20.06
4. Julia Mancuso 1:20.19
5. Kaylin Richardson 1:20.52
6. Lindsey Kildow 1:20.56
7. Tereza Charova 1:20.65
8. Resi Stiegler 1:20.82
9. Megan McJames 1:20.99
10. Libby Ludlow 1;21.03
-USSA