Whitefish Mountain Freestyle team qualifies six for Nationals

Six members of the White-fish Mountain Resort Freestyle Ski and Snowboard Team have qualified for the United States of America Snowboard Association (USASA) National Cham-pionships at Copper Mountain Resort in Colorado on April 5-10.

Lauren Baumgardiner, Marley Rodwick, Chazz Roberts and Baylon Connolly, of Kalispell, and Meredeth Reed and Danner Pickering, of Whitefish, qualified. Each will travel with families and coaches to Colorado to represent Whitefish and the Inland Northwest division of USASA.

Whitefish Mountain Resort hosted two events in the Inland Northwest Series this season in conjunction with the USASA. Other resorts hosting events in the series were Schweitzer, Mount Spokane, 49 Degrees North, Lookout Pass and Silver Mountain.

To qualify for nationals, participants were required to earn the most points overall in their age category for a specific event, such as halfpipe, slopestyle, giant slalom, slalom or boardercross and skiercross.

Despite its name, the USASA system has branched out to include ski events in additional to snowboard events in recent years. The Whitefish qualifiers include snowboarders and skiers.

Last year, the freestyle team brought home one gold and one bronze from Nationals.

"We're taking some very talented kids this year," head coach Steve Knox said. "I know they'll make us proud."

Whitefish Mountain Resort will host the Corn Cup, the last freestyle event of the season, on March 28-29. The event will include a slopestyle on Saturday and a best-trick competition on Sunday, and is open to both skiers and snowboarders.

Full details of the USASA National Championships can be found online at usasa.org.