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K1, K2 athletes top provincial, national championships

Brynne Benbow leads Whistler effort in Quebec

The Whistler Mountain Ski Club had an active week, to say the least. Not only did the club help host the Pontiac GMC National Championships, the K1 team was at the provincial championships at Silver Star while the K2s were in Quebec at the Mars Canadian Juvenile Alpine Championships.

Whistler skiers rose to the occasion at all three events, from Britt Janyk capturing national titles in downhill and super G, to the K1s all but sweeping provincial podiums.

For the K2s, the races at Mont Tremblant got underway on Monday, March 20 with men’s and women’s super G.

Madison Irwin of Ontario won the women’s gold medal, followed by Abigail Fucigna and Janna Kantor of the U.S.

Madison McLeish was the top Whistler skier, finishing sixth out of 74 starters. Brynne Benbow also finished in the top-15 in 14 th place. Nancy Bayly was 26 th and Chanelle Segal 38 th .

In the men’s super G, Richard Long of Ontario took gold, followed by Erik Read of Alberta and Mac-Olivier Vermette of Quebec.

The WMSC’s Alexander Binks led the way for the B.C. skiers in eighth place. Ian Morrison was 10 th and Isaac Penn 58 th out of 80 starters.

Day two was also a super G. Shannon Campbell of Ontario took the gold, followed by Quebec skiers Karel Bouchard and Camille Gilbert.

The WMSC’s Brynne Benbow pushed her way up to fifth, Madison McLeish was sixth, Nancy Bayly 17 th and Chanelle Segal 57 th .

Richard Long of Ontario took his second gold medal, followed by Michael Welton and Erik Read, who earned his second podium of the week. Read is the son of Ken Read, former Crazy Canuck and currently president of Alpine Canada Alpin.

Alexander Binks and Ian Morrison were once again the top Whistler athletes, finishing eighth and 11 th , and Isaac Penn was 57 th .

Things changed for the better in the giant slalom, with Madison McLeish winning the B.C. team’s first medal of the Juvenile Championships. She earned a silver behind Madison Irwin and Emily Goad of Ontario.

Brynne Benbow did not finish her first run, but Chanelle Segal moved up to 32 nd place.

Richard Long claimed his third gold for the men, followed by Andy Trow of Alberta and, picking up his third medal, Erik Read.

Ian Morrison was seventh, Alexander Binks 12 th , and Isaac Penn 46 th .

The skiers moved on to the slalom on Thursday. McLeish picked up a silver medal, her second of the weekend, while Benbow claimed the bronze. Ontario’s Shannon Campbell won gold.

Chanelle Segal and Nancy Bayly did not finish, two of 18 women and 24 men to go off course in either the first or second runs that day.

Long went four for four in the men’s race by another large margin. Matthew Bunston of Ontario was second, while Read picked up his fourth podium.

Alexander Binks was ninth, Isaac Penn 28 th , and Ian Morrison a DNF.

The last event was the skills competition, where Brynne Benbow picked up a silver medal between Karel Bouchard of Quebec and Aimee Bell Past of Ontario. Madison McLeish, Nancy Bayly and Chanelle Segal did not finish the course.

For the men, the WMSC’s Alexander Binks picked up his first and only medal of the weekend behind Erik Read and Andy Trow. Isaac Penn was 35 th and Ian Morrison 57 th .

K1 Provincials

It’s hard to pick a star on the WMSC’s K1 team from the CIBC-Wood Gundy K1 Provincial Championships at Silver Star this past weekend. There were a total of 12 races, six for men and six for women, and Whistler skiers managed to win all but five medals.

But if you had to pick a few stars, go with MacKenzie Patterson, who won five gold medals and one silver to claim the Overall Gold award, and Ford Swette, who earned three gold medals, a silver and a bronze battling his teammates.

K1 head coach Willy Raine credited the WMSC’s performance to the support of Whistler-Blackcomb, which provided the club with training facilities all season.

"They have provided us with excellent and expanded training space which allows for the coaching staff to do our best with the athletes," said Raine. "The right training environment is so important. This year the results are evident.

The first K1 race was the morning giant slalom on Saturday, March 25. MacKenzie Patterson took gold for the women, followed by teammates Elyse Timoshenko and Kailee Darlington. Eva Potoczny was 10 th , Olivia Perry 11 th , Taryn Mark 14 th and Eve Zessel 24 th .

That afternoon Patterson took gold again, followed by teammates Jocelyn Ramsden and Kailee Darlington. Elyse Timoshenko was fourth, Eva Potczny fifth, Olivia Perry 13 th and Eve Zessel 20 th .

The following morning the athletes participated in a skills contest. Patterson was first once again, while Darlington picked up a silver to go three for three in medals. Potoczny was seventh, Timoshenko eighth, Lauren Cameron 12 th , Ransden 19 th , Perry 21 st , and Nelly Nardelli 25 th .

The afternoon skills competition went to Patterson, Darlington was third, Potoczny fifth, Cameron eighth, Ramsden ninth, Perry 16 th , Desiree Smith 22 nd and Laura Gardiner 23 rd .

In the slalom on Sunday Patterson earned gold number five, while Timoshenko picked up her first medal of the week with a second place finish. Darlington was fifth, Cameron sixth, Potoczny eighth, Ramsden 10 th , Nardelli 15 th and Perry 16 th .

In the final slalom Darlington was first by close to two seconds. Patterson was second, Ramsden third, Potoczny fifth, Perry 11 th and Gardiner 18 th .

The men’s schedule was similar to the women’s.

In the first GS on March 24, Ford Swette took gold, Joshua Robertson second, Spencer Morris fifth, Max Horner sixth, Daniel Kwong seventh, Broderick Thompson eighth, Blake Newton 13 th , Alex Smith 16 th , Matthew Segal 18 th , William Jaye 19 th and Ben Ho 23 rd .

In the afternoon, Morris took gold, Willy Konantz was second, and Swette was third for the podium sweep. Thompson was sixth, Horner seventh, Josh Robertson ninth, Alex Smith 19 th , Ho 20 th , Newton 21 st and Segal 22 nd .

In the first of two skills races Konantz took gold, Kwong was second, Swette third, Horner fourth, Smith 16 th and Segal 18 th .

Swette was back on top in the second skills race, followed by Kwong in second and Morris in third. Robertson was fourth, Horner sixth, Segal 11 th , Smith 15 th and Connor Dunn 21 st .

In slalom, Swette won the morning race, followed once again by Kwong in second. Morris was seventh, Smith 10 th , Segal 12 th , Kai Reiss 18 th , Konantz 21 st and John McIver 24 th .

Konantz won the afternoon race, followed by Swette and Morris. Kyle Gardiner was 12 th , Smith 13 th , Dunn 17 th and Segal 23 rd .

Complete results are at www.bcalpine.com.