U.S. Selections: Aerials stars steal the show

PARK CITY, Utah — The U.S. Freestyle Selections picked up some added spice with a handful of World Cup aerialists competing with the aspiring World Cup skiers, showing them what level they would need to reach to succeed on their sport's toughest circuit.

PARK CITY, Utah — The U.S. Freestyle Selections picked up some added spice with a handful of World Cup aerialists competing with the aspiring World Cup skiers, showing them what level they would need to reach to succeed on their sport's toughest circuit.
    Start slots during North American World Cup contests — Jan. 6-7 at Mont Gabriel, Quebec; Jan. 11-13 at the Sprint Freestyle International at Deer Valley, Utah, and Jan. 18-20 during the Nature Valley Freestyle Challenge in Lake Placid, New York — were to be based on Selections results.
    Aerialist Ryan St. Onge, who won the season-opening World Cup meet in China earlier this month, 2005 World Cup champion Jeret "Speedy" Peterson and former world champion Jacqui Cooper of Australia dominated the aerials events at Utah Olympic Park.
    Peterson and Cooper captured the first aerials meet Dec. 21 at Utah Olympic Park. Peterson had 215.08 points to 186.29 for Zac Amidan, and Dylan Ferguson in third place (174.83). Cooper, nailing both landings, had 169.41 points to 121.13 for Lacy Schnoor with Jana Lindsey third.
    St. Onge and Cooper won the second meet on Dec. 23. St. Onge, getting perfect 3.0s on his second landing, had 216.83 to 199.1 for Peterson. Scott Bahrke took third. Cooper, again nailing both landings, had 207.53 with Jaime Myers runner-up and Schnoor third.
    After Holt Haga and Emiko Torito won the opening moguls contest Dec. 17 at Park City, the second men's event Dec. 21 went to David Digravio with 26.48 points to 26.07 for Jay Bowman-Kirigin, who is the 2006 NorAm dual moguls champ and moguls runner-up. Bryon Wilson finished third. Canadian Chloe Dufour-Lapointe narrowly defeated Heather McPhie 24.42 points to 24.33. Another one-hundredth back was Eliza Outtrim.
    In dual moguls Dec. 22, Cooper Golding ousted Jimmy Discoe, with Wilson finishing third in duals, too. In the women's test, NorAm duals champion Kayla Snyderman held off Whitney Henceroth for the victory.

2006 U.S. FREESTYLE SELECTIONS
Utah Olympic Park (aerials); Park City Mountain Resort (moguls, duals)
AERIALS
Aerials-1 – Dec. 20, 2006
Men
1. Jeret Peterson, Boise, Idaho, 215.08 points
2. Zac Amidan, Salt Lake City, Utah 186.29
3. Dylan Ferguson, Amesbury, Mass., 174.83
4. Scott Bahrke, Tahoe City, Calif., 171.49
5. Olivier Rochon, Canada, 159.98
Women
1. Jacqui Cooper, Australia, 169.41
2. Lacy Schnoor, Draper, Utah, 121.13
3. Jana Lindsey, Black Hawk, S.D., 112.99
4. Jaime Myers, Boise, Idaho, 112.15
5. Allison Lee, Manchester, Conn., 111.35

Aerials-2 – Dec. 22
Men
1. Ryan St. Onge, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 216.83
2. Jeret Peterson, Boise, Idaho, 199.1
3. Scott Bahrke, Tahoe City, Calif., 191.02
4. Zac Amidan, Ogden, Utah, 169.89
5. Olivier Rochon, Canada, 162.73
Women
1. Jacqui Cooper, Australia, 207.53
2. Jaime Myers, Boise, Idaho, 128.69
3. Lacy Schnoor, Draper, Utah, 128.35
4. Sabrina Guerin, Canada, 117.11
5. Allison Treleaven, Fort Wayne, Ind., 116.95

MOGULS
Moguls-2 – Dec. 20
Men
1. David Digravio, Farmington, Maine, 26.48
2. Jay Bowman-Kirigin, Salt Lake City, Utah 26.07
3. Bryon Wilson, South Taylorsville, Utah, 25.93
4. Sho Kashima, Zephyr Cove, Calif., 25.92
5. Patrick Deneen, Elum, Wash., 25.73
Women
1. Chloe Dufour-Lapointe, Canada, 24.42
2. Heather McPhie, Bozeman, Mont., 24.33
3. Eliza Outtrim, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 24.32
4. Kayla Snyderman, Winchester, Mass., 24.13
5. Ani Haas, Park City, Utah, 24.09

Dual Moguls – Dec. 21
Men
1. Cooper Golding, Reno, Nev.
2. Jimmy Discoe, Ridgway, Colo.
3. Bryon Wilson, South Taylorsville, Utah
4. Garrett Simm, Canada
5. Nick Hanscom, Ketchum, Idaho
Women
1. Kayla Snyderman, Winchester, Mass.
2. Whitney Henceroth, Dillon, Colo.
3. Nathalie Bazin, Canada
4. Tara Quinn, Hillsborough, N.J.
5. Ani Haas, Park City, Utah

Click here for complete Selection Event results.