Chevrolet J3s: Western Whistler team named

Alaska's Kieffer Christianson wrapped up a dominating effort at the 2007 Western Region J3 Junior Olympics at Mammoth Mountain by capturing the boys slalom Sunday by more than two seconds.

MAMMOTH LAKES, California — Alaska's Kieffer Christianson wrapped up a dominating effort at the 2007 Western Region J3 Junior Olympics at Mammoth Mountain by capturing the boys slalom Sunday by more than two seconds.
    Having already won the J3 giant slalom and finished eighth in the super G, Christianson easily added the combined title to his medal haul. Joining Christianson with three overall medals and a gold medal in combined was PNSA's Vanessa Berther. She finished second in Sunday's J3 women's giant slalom, second in the opening super G, and fourth in the slalom.
    For their efforts, Christianson and Berther were selected to the USA's Whistler Cup team. They were joined by double gold medalist Rose Caston (giant slalom and super G), girls slalom champion Katie Fitzpatrick, boys super G gold medalist Jake Perkins, and men's slalom and super G silver medalist Bryce Bennett on the team that will represent the United States in the Sierra Wireless Whistler Cup, April 2-9 in Whistler-Blackcomb.
    Named to the J4 USA Whistler Cup team were Lena Andrews, Amanda Stelling, Ty Sprock and Max Hall.
    Now in its 15th year and run under the auspices of FIS, the Whistler Cup showcases the best juvenile ski racers from around the world. It is North America's only international juvenile ski race for girls and boys aged 11 to 14, with 12 races scheduled in super G, giant slalom, slalom and combi over the three-day period. Last year's Whistler Cup attracted close to 400 athletes representing 20 countries, including team champion Austria.
    The Western Region J3 Junior Olympics and J4 Festival produced some striking racing, including Sunday's concluding women's giant slalom. Run on hard, fast conditions over Mammoth's Cornice/Terry's course, the GS saw Intermountain's Caston race out to a big first-run lead over the field, then hold off Berther, who chopped off seven tenths of a second from Caston's lead but could not catch the early leader.
    Sunday's results left Far West as the leading J3 division with nine total medals. PNSA was second with six.
    In the accompanying J4 Festival, Andrews and Sprock, both of Far West, won the combined titles. Andrews won a pair of J4 events — super G and GS — and was second in the Slalom. Sprock won the J4 GS, was second in the super G, and finished third in the slalom. Their efforts helped Far West easily capture the Division medal race with 15 total medals, including seven of eight possible golds. Intermountain and Northern were second in the medal race with three total medals each.