PARK CITY, Utah - U.S. Ski & Snowboard's Patrick Riml is leaving his post as alpine director after seven years. Riml, who served two terms with the U.S. Ski Team, played a key role in leading teams that produced some of the strongest elite results in history.

"Patrick's leadership was a key part the success of our alpine program over the past dozen years," said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Sport Luke Bodensteiner. “He led some of the most successful teams in our history, which included athletes like Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin, Bode Miller, Julia Mancuso, Andrew Weibrecht and Ted Ligety, as well as being part of the team that has helped to re-shape our alpine development efforts."

Riml first joined the U.S. Ski Team as a coach in 2001, rising to head women's coach in 2003. He oversaw the program during the rise of Olympic champions Mancuso and Vonn before leaving in 2008 to become alpine director in Canada. He returned to the USA in 2011 take on the role of alpine director.

"I'm proud of the contribution I have made to the U.S. Ski Team," said Riml. "But I also recognized the need for continued evolution of the sport in America to ensure that same success for the future." Riml did not have any immediate plans.

Bodensteiner said a search would be conducted immediately for a new alpine director. "Patrick has led an incredibly successful and sustained effort at the elite team level," said Bodensteiner. "We now have an opportunity to build on that as we look to establish a program that can re-establish and sustain that level of success over time.”

The Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships wrapped up on Monday with women’s giant slalom with A.J. Hurt (Carnelian Bay, Calif.) grabbing her second national title of the series.

Hurt, who skis for the National Training Group (NTG), won the alpine combined – her first career national title – last Wednesday. Hurt, who grew up skiing at Squaw Valley, made quite the impression this season with two NorAm victories and three FIS Ski World Cup starts.

“It’s always difficult [winning a national title],” reflected Hurt. “I knew I was capable if I skied my best, and that second run was definitely some of my best skiing all year, so that felt really good – not only for the result but just to finish the season off like that.”

Hurt was able to make up a significant amount of time from the mid-section to the finish line of both courses and won by a margin of 1.51 seconds over the University of Denver’s Andrea Komsic and Dartmouth College’s Foreste Peterson – who tied for second.

At a mere 17 years old, Hurt was also the fastest junior on the day, followed by an impressive showing from Ski & Snowboard Club Vail’s Allie Resnick, who finished fourth overall and second among juniors.

The Tom Garner Regions Cup was awarded to the Western Region, who amassed 2,171 points over the Eastern Region’s 1,789 points, followed by Rocky Central with 1,347 points.

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

After a somewhat disappointing fifth-place finish in super-G earlier in the Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships, Tommy Ford (Bend, Ore.) walked away with his ninth career national title on Sunday in giant slalom.

Ford continues his end of season giant slalom dominance by earning what will be Ford’s third career title in the discipline. With three top-10 FIS Ski World Cup finishes under his belt on the season, including an eighth place at World Cup Finals in Are, Sweden, Ford finished off the season strong and with a smile.

In his first run, Ford took a commanding 0.71-second lead over the field, and it looked unlikely that anyone could catch him unless something went awry second run. Thankfully, it didn’t go awry, and though Ford lost some time in the middle of the course, he was able to find the gas pedal and, as a result, two tenths at the bottom split to come out with a 0.36-second margin of victory.

“I approached today’s race as I would a World Cup, and I gave it my all,” Ford said. “First run was really solid top to bottom, and a blast. The second run was slightly chattery at the top of the turn – saw some people looking like I felt in slalom – going straight and hard. That made it challenging to muster the energy to do a consistently fast run from top to bottom, and I knew I had to go hard because guys like Brian are coming up.”

Rounding out the podium was former N-UNI Team member and Dartmouth skier Brian McLaughlin in second and German-born CU Boulder athlete David Ketterer in third. George Steffey (Lyme, N.H.) was the top junior, finishing fifth overall in the giant slalom.

The U.S. Alpine Championships action wraps up on Monday with women’s giant slalom.

RESULTS
Men’s giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH
Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships
March 26
11:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream
2:30 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 2, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream
 

Colorado natives Nina O’Brien (Edwards, Colo.) and Hig Roberts (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) snagged slalom national titles Saturday, while Sun Valley, Idaho lived up to its name featuring blue skies and sunshine to boot at the Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships.

Burke Mountain Academy alumna O’Brien continued her dominance in slalom with her second victory in as many days, having emerged victorious in Friday’s super-G. This victory brings her national title count to three, as she was crowned 2015 giant slalom national champion as well.

“It feels really good”, reflected O’Brien on her first career slalom title. “I’ve been working on my slalom a lot this season so it’s nice to see a payoff. I was a little nervous coming into the second run but I’m glad I sent it and it worked out for me.”

Lila Lapanja from Team CLIF Bar Ski Racing was in the lead first run by just 0.03-seconds, so O’Brien knew she’d have to push it to get results. “I think chasing Lila was a good position to be in,” O’Brien said, “at the same time I knew Amelia (Smart) was super close behind me, so I knew I was going to have to push it to if I wanted to be on the podium or get the win.”

When asked if she could make it three in a row, O’Brien answered with a laugh, “I don’t know, I’m not going to jinx myself!” Canada’s Amelia Smart finished second, while Lapanja grabbed third. Nina O’Brien was the top junior again Saturday. 

On the men’s side, 2017 giant slalom national champion and Middlebury College graduate Roberts, who skied a full FIS Ski World Cup season – which can be quite the grind – noted that finishing off the season with a victory like this boosts the confidence.

“Today feels so good because I really wasn’t expecting this,” he said. “I’ve been focusing on GS more this year and slalom has been such a project for me, but I think that’s what makes it so rewarding for me.” 

Roberts, whose brother Murphy passed away in August of 2016, added “I’m always sending it for Murph. It’s a huge part of my story and my fight. Forever motivated by him…he’s in every turn.”

Rounding out the podium were Mark Engel (Truckee, Calif.) and AJ Ginnis (Vouliagmeni, Greece). River Radamus (Edwards, Colo.) was the top junior for the second day in a row, finishing fifth overall in the slalom.

The U.S. Alpine Championships action continues Sunday with men’s giant slalom, followed by women’s giant slalom on Monday.

RESULTS
Men’s slalom
Women’s slalom

HOW TO WATCH
Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships

March 25
11:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 1, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream
2:30 p.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 2, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream
12:00 p.m. - women’s slalom, Sun Valley - NBCSN

March 26
11:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream
2:30 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 2, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream
 

Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.) snagged his second-straight national super-G title Friday at the Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships in Sun Valley, Idaho. Nina O’Brien (Edwards, Colo.) won her first career super-G title in the women’s race Friday afternoon.

“I was just trying to ski my best, and I think I was able to perform pretty well today,” said Cochran-Siegle, who defended his super-G title he won last year at Sugarloaf, Maine.

Not that he wasn’t brimming with confidence after returning from injury this season and posting numerous top American results at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, including 14th in the super-G. But the 25-year-old Vermonter, who celebrates his 26th birthday March 27, did snag the alpine combined title (super-g/slalom) Wednesday, so he had a pretty good idea how to nail the line running bullet Friday.

“I had a lot of confidence from the other day. But I also knew that guys were going to try and figure out where they were losing time, so I knew I’d still have to bring it,” he said.  “But I was fortunate to win it!”

With two titles in his pocket this week, Cochran-Siegle now turns his attention to Sunday’s giant slalom and a showdown with teammate Tommy Ford (Bend, Ore.), a two-time national GS champion (2010, 2011).

“I love Tommy. He is such a great teammate and probably my best friend on the (World Cup) tour, so I hope we both can ski our best,” said Ford. “In training, we’re always kind of dueling back-and-forth, and on this hill too, it will be a really good battle.”

River Radamus (Edwards, Colo.) finished third and was the top junior finisher. O'Brien was also the top junior finisher.

"This was my last super-G of the year so I just wanted to have fun and go for it!" O'Brien said.​

​​​​​​RESULTS
Men’s super-G
Women’s super-G

HOW TO WATCH
Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships

March 24
11:00 a.m. - Women's slalom run 1, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream
12:00 p.m. - women’s slalom, Sun Valley - NBC
12:30 p.m. - Men slalom run 1, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream
2:00 p.m. - Women's slalom run 2, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream
3:30 p.m. - Men slalom run 2, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream

March 25
11:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 1, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream
2:30 p.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 2, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream
12:00 p.m. - women’s slalom, Sun Valley - NBCSN

March 26
11:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream
2:30 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 2, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream

Olympian Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.) opened his Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships week off with an alpine combined national title, laying down an impressive super-G run and a fast slalom run on the tough Baldy slope in Sun Valley, Idaho. On the women’s side, the young, talented A.J. Hurt (Carnelian Bay, Calif.) – who started in her first FIS Ski World Cup this season at Killington at just 16 years old – won her first national title.

Cochran-Siegle – who started finding his groove and confidence prior to the 2018 Olympics, then skied with consistency in downhill (23rd), super-G (14th) and giant slalom (11th) in PyeongChang – noted that he has been able to build confidence little by little to get him where he is now.

“Starting with a few good results in combined right around the New Year, I was able to stop focusing on the pressures of Olympic qualifications, and really began to get a feel for my skiing across all disciplines,” reflected Cochran-Siegle. “Skiing well personally at the Olympics also provided me with that extra confidence needed to move up. Since then, I’ve felt that I have nothing to lose, and can put a lot on the line mentally come race day. This gave me a great result in the Kranjska Gora GS World Cup, and a little bit of trouble later in the Kvitfjell World Cups…but I know my competitive skiing is there. I feel that I’m skiing the best I have ever skied, in all events, and am just trying to ride this wave as long as it lasts.”

This is Cochran-Siegle’s second national title in as many years. Last year at Sugarloaf, Maine, he emerged victorious in the super-G, and will be looking to defend his title in Friday’s super-G here at Sun Valley. After a commanding lead in the super-G portion of the alpine combined on Wednesday, the future is looking bright.

Hurt, who skis for the National Training Group (NTG), hails from Squaw Valley. She’s cruisy-cool, inspects faster than Bode Miller, and skis with no fear. She put together both a solid super-G and slalom run to take her first national title home. At a mere 17 years old, this is Hurt’s second U.S. Alpine Championships, after competing in her first last year at Sugarloaf and finishing ninth in slalom and seventh in super-G.

After winning a NorAm race in Copper Mountain in November 2017, she made her World Cup debut in Killington and followed that up by another NorAm win at Panorama in December. She had two more World Cup starts this season, at Lienz, Austria and Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.

Up next for the athletes will be a super-G for both the men and the women on Friday, followed by men’s and women’s slalom on Saturday, men’s giant slalom on Sunday and women’s giant slalom on Monday.

Sun Valley will also host heaps of off-snow events, so make sure to check it out!

RESULTS
Men’s alpine combined
Women’s alpine combined

HOW TO WATCH
Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships
March 23
10:50 a.m. – Men and women’s super-G, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream

March 24
TBA - Men and women’s slalom, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream

March 25
TBA – Men’s giant slalom, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream

March 26
TBA – Women’s giant slalom, Sun Valley – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Live Stream
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard will offer live streaming of the 2018 Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships from Sun Valley, Idaho will be offered March 21-26, 2018.

Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships Schedule

March 21, 2018
Men's Alpine Combined
Women's Alpine Combined

March 22, 2018
Men's FIS super-G
Women's FIS super-G

March 23, 2018
Men's Super-G, 11:00 a.m. MDT
Women's Super-G, 2:30 p.m. MDT

March 24, 2018
Women's Slalom
Run 1, 9:00 a.m. MDT
Run 2, 12:00 p.m. MDT

Men's Slalom 
Run 1, 10:30 a.m. MDT
Run 2, 1:30 p.m. MDT

March 25, 2018
Men's Giant Slalom
Run 1, 9:30 a.m. MDT
Run 2, 12:30 p.m. MDT

March 26, 2018
Women's Giant Slalom
Run 1, 9:30 a.m. MDT
Run 2, 12:30 p.m. MDT