Anderson and Cook win NorAm downhills in Montana

Anderson and Cook win NorAm downhills in Montana{mosimage}David Anderson won a NorAm downhill at Big Mountain on Tuesday, while Stacey J. Cook led an American sweep of the podium in the women’s race.

Cook, who hails Mammoth Mountain, had very little speed experience coming into this season. Behind her in the race were Bryna McCarty and Lauren Van Ness.

McCarty is close to qualifying for the U.S. Ski Team’s A-Team status, but Van Ness is still trying to meet the criteria for the C-Team.

Anderson laid down the fastest run of the day at one minute, 29.48 seconds to lead the field in the second-last Nor Am downhill of the season.

Anderson is ranked first in the NorAm standings in downhill and super G, and is the runaway leader in the overall, almost 200 points ahead of the next-best guy. Anderson has 589 points to the 397 amassed so far by American Ted Ligety.

In second place was Justin Johnson, a 26-year-old American trying to ski his way back onto the U.S. Ski Team.

Christopher Beckmann, the tall junior who qualified for World Juniors earlier this month after Nick Baker was injured, finished 5th. A football player from Altamont, New York, Beckmann can glide, but is still learning to deal with air, according to coaches.

Though originally scheduled to run Wednesday and Thursday, forecasted poor weather has forced race organizers to bump up the final Nor Am speed events of the season, with the downhills now running Tuesday, Wednesday, and men’s super G races to follow.

WOMEN’S TOP TEN

1. Stacey J. Cook, USA, 1:33.98

2. Bryna McCarty, USA, 1:34.43

3. Lauren Van Ness, USA, 1:34.55

4. Anna Goodman, CAN, 1:34.20

5. Kristen A Bybee, USA, 1:35.17

6. Sherry Lawrence CAN, 1:35.69

7. Chelsea Marshall, USA, 1:36.13

8. Caitlin Ciccone, USA, 1:36.16

9. Megan Hughes, USA, 1:36.24

10. Rachel Roosevelt, USA, 1;36.54

MEN’S TOP TEN:

1. David Anderson, CAN, 1:29.48;

2. Justin J. Johnson, USA, 1:30.27;

3. Manuel Osborne-Paradis, CAN, 1:30.33

4. John Kucera, CAN, 1:30.35;

5. Christopher Beckman, USA, 1:30.53

6. Kevin Francis, USA, 1:30.77

7. Paul Stutz, CAN., 1:30.91;

8. Adam Cole, USA, 1:31.34;

9. Sean Cochrane, CAN, 1:31.36

10. Jeremy Transue, USA, 1:31.49.