Masters: NY closes its regular season

By Published On: February 26th, 2009Comments Off on Masters: NY closes its regular season

The New York Masters closed out their regular season with two super G races at Bristol Mountain and a GS/SL at Swain, NY.

Bristol Mountain, Naples, NY, hosted two fairly sedate super G’s with Greg Sarkis claiming the win over another local speedster, his senior, Mark Sertl. A rookie local returning to USSA competition, Mike Copeland claimed third. In the second race, Copeland, on GS skis belted out the fastest run, with his buddy, Andrew Lincoln, in third, leaving Sarkis sandwiched between the two rookies in second. Both Lincoln and Copeland were New York racing standouts in their junior racing days, and teammates at UNH.The New York Masters closed out their regular season with two super G races at Bristol Mountain and a GS/SL at Swain, NY.

Bristol Mountain, Naples, NY, hosted two fairly sedate super G’s with Greg Sarkis claiming the win over another local speedster, his senior, Mark Sertl. A rookie local returning to USSA competition, Mike Copeland claimed third. In the second race, Copeland, on GS skis belted out the fastest run, with his buddy, Andrew Lincoln, in third, leaving Sarkis sandwiched between the two rookies in second. Both Lincoln and Copeland were New York racing standouts in their junior racing days, and teammates at UNH.
 
Barbara Ball and Angela Schnuerch, both from Bristol, took first and second with Barb Brumbaugh in third in the first race and Marie-Eve (“Blue“) Noel in third in the second race. Noel showing improvement throughout the season jumped on her first podium of the season.
 
Just as racers thought the weather couldn’t get any better, a bluebird day in the high thirties “happened” at Swain for the final day of competition. Joel Solly claimed the morning GS win over Tyler Sprockhoff and Mark Sertl on a painfully slow and tight course for anyone on regulation FIS equipment. Using the entire width of the headwall for the set, racers found themselves creeping slowly across the flat only to find the bottom just as snug. Tyler’s mom Lori Sprockhoff made it a family affair as she jumped in for a third place podium finish behind Angela Schnuerch and home hill racer Kate Schwartz.
 
Slalom competition closed out the season, on once again, an “unconventional” course set. Sprockhoff jumped in for his win of the day, leaving Jim Thoman and Mark Couneya trailing. Tight competition throughout the season in the men’s events made Greg Sarkis wait until one of the last racers down the hill in Saturdays slalom at Swain had finished. By displacing Jim Thoman into second place, Tyler Sprockhoff gave the overall win and the NY State Overall title to Sarkis – his nineteenth title, and a comeback win after yet another ACL reconstruction last season. Jim Thoman trailed in second by only one point with Joel Solly only five points back in third.
 
In the women’s slalom, Pennsylvania racers Barb Brumbaugh and Kristin Buchholz took second and third behind Angela Schnuerch. Schnuerch made a late season push past Brumbaugh in the overall women’s standings to grab second. But it was absentee Megan Thayer who claimed her second overall season title with wins early in the season and no one could catch her. Both Schnuerch and Brumbaugh have won the series in the past.
 
With the regular season over, racers head to Whiteface Mountain for Eastern Regionals March 5-8 for Super G, Super Combined, GS and Slalom events joining racers from New England for coveted Eastern titles. After another short hiatus, the Masters season concludes at Sunday River, Maine for the Skiers Edge US Masters National Championships in late March.
 
Complete results are posted at www.nymasters.org <https://www.nymasters.org/>

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About the Author: Pete Rugh