Megan McJames sweeps NorAm super Gs in Apex

By Published On: February 7th, 2006Comments Off on Megan McJames sweeps NorAm super Gs in Apex

Megan McJames sweeps NorAm super Gs in ApexRising star Megan McJames collected back-to-back super G victories Feb. 5 and 6, as the CIBC Coupe NorAm series resumed in Apex, British Columbia.

Embracing North America’s terra firma for the first time in nearly a month, McJames and U.S. NorAm/Europa Cup teammates Keely Kelleher and Caitlin Ciccone erased memories from a mostly humbling tour of Europe by finishing first, third and fourth in the first race. World Cup speedster Bryna McCarty made it an all-American top-four with a second-place finish.

The Apex race organizers were forced to manage a track that had been bombarded with new snow throughout the days leading up to the race, though by all accounts they handled the task with aplomb, and the course held up fairly well. A snow-seed was sent shortly after noon, making McJames, who was wearing bib No. 7, the 13th racer down the the first super G race on Sunday.

‘The snow was perfect when I went’ said McJames, ‘and [technicians Stu Soars and Ryan Cornish] did an awesome job with my skis.’

After her win in Monday’s race, McJames has not finished worse than second in a NorAm super G this season, and will be among the favorites at next month’s World Junior Championships in Quebec City, Canada.

‘She’s young’ said Europa Cup coach Eric Harlow, ‘but she’s starting to understand that she’s got a chance to win every time she shows up at the start. … She’s beginning to execute more frequently, and when she executes, she’s tough to beat.’

‘Since the summer, I’ve been working on maintaining a strong, balanced stance so that I can hit the new ski sooner and snap-off tighter arcs,” McJames said of her skiing. “Guess I’m doing that now.’

After her second win, on Feb. 6, McJames took a commanding lead in the overall NorAm super G standings. She’s followed closely by Ciccone, whose current North American tour will be just long enough to race the season’s final NorAm super G’s before returning to Italy on Feb. 10 for Europa Cup tech starts. This week, Ciccone’s lone mission is to protect her second-place position in the NorAm super G standings, and with only two races to go, she’s sitting in the catbird seat.

World Cupper McCarty, who finished second in the Feb. 5 super G, raced to a solid third place finish on Feb. 6.

The men take over at Apex for back-to-back super G’s on Feb. 7 and 8. Both men and women will then move to Big Mountain, Montana, for the conclusion of the 2005-06 NorAm speed series, where the season’s top two men and women in the SG and DH standings will be awarded places on next year’s World Cup circuit.

For complete results from the Feb. 5 race, click here, and for for the Feb. 6 race, click here.

CICB Coupe NorAm women’s super G
Feb. 5, 2006

Top 10
Penalty: 23.56
1. MCJAMES Megan USA 1:29.30
2. MCCARTY Bryna USA 1:29.77
3. KELLEHER Keely Blair USA 1:30.00
4. CICCONE Caitlin USA 1:30.23
5. ARCHAMBAULT-LEGER Veronique CAN 1:30.33
6. YURKIW Larisa CAN 1:31.15
7. MARSHALL Chelsea USA 1:31.24
8. PREFONTAINE Marie-Pier CAN 1:31.56
9. WOODS Elizabeth USA 1:32.13
10. STAPLES Kiley USA 1:32.27

Women’s CIBC Coupe NorAm super G
Feb. 6, 2006

Top 10
Penalty: 25.69
1. McJames, Megan (USA) 1:32.17
2. Ciccone, Caitlin (USA) 1:32.35
3. McCarty, Bryna (USA) 1:32.40
4. Archambault-Leger, Veronique (CAN) 1:32:66
5. Woods, Elizabeth (USA) 1:32.87
5. Marshall, Chelsea (USA) 1:32.87
7. Kelleher, Keely Blair (USA) 1:33.35
8. Prefontaine, Marie-Pier (CAN) 1:33.36
9. Littman, Julia (USA) 1:33.39
10. Lattimer, Amy (CAN) 1:33.70

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About the Author: Pete Rugh