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Kerr, Puckett Lead USA in Grindelwald

GRINDELWALD, Switzerland (March 6) - Americans Errol Kerr (Truckee, CA) and Casey Puckett (Aspen, CO) were among top qualifiers Thursday but were both eliminated in the opening round of a FIS World Cup ski cross in Grindelwald. Lars Lewen of Sweden won the men's, with Sasa Faric of Slovenia taking the women's race.

Kerr had qualified fourth but ran into challenges in his quarterfinal heat and did not advance. Puckett, meanwhile, was hit from behind in his quarterfinal. He was taken to a local hospital for observation and released.

Lewen's win on the men's side was his first of the season. Kraus, who was disqualified from the championship round and finished fourth, still had enough points to clinch the World Cup title.

Women's World Cup leader Ophelie David of France had her three-event win streak snapped, finishing fifth. She remained in the lead with teammate Meryl Boulangeat closing the gap in third. No U.S. women competed.

The circuit now heads to Meiringen-Hasliberg, Switzerland for an event Sunday, before the season finale in Valmalenco, Italy.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
Grindelwald, Switzerland
Ski cross

Men (32 qualify for finals)
1. Lars Lewen, Sweden
2. Davey Barr, Canada
3. Stanley Hayer, Canada
4. Tomas Kraus, Czech Republic
5. Ted Piccard, France
-
18. Errol Kerr, Truckee, CA
20. Casey Puckett, Aspen, CO
38 Jean Christophe Rudigoz, Ketchum, ID
68. Lloyd Tucker, Carbondale, CO

DNF
Jake Fiala, Breckenridge, CO

Women
1. Sasa Faric, Slovenia
2. Emilie Serain, Switzerland
3. Meryl Boulangeat, France
4. Noriko Fukushina, Japan
5. Ophelie David, France
-
No U.S. women competed

__________________
UFC 112: Invincible

truebluefan

DAVOS, Switzerland (March 7) - The U.S. Ski Team's Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) came back from her first career win last weekend in Moscow to finish fourth in a World Cup aerial event in Davos. Scotty Bahrke (Park City, UT) was sixth with a career best score in the FIS Freestyle World Cup aerial finale. Thousands were on hand for the night event in the popular resort of Davos in eastern Switzerland.

Canada's Steve Omischl, who had clinched the title in Moscow last Saturday night, won his sixth event of the season. Evelyne Leu of Switzerland took the win in her home country as World Cup champion Jacqui Cooper of Australia failed to make finals.

"Cooker was just a little stiff on her landing on the second jump," said Aerials Head Coach Matt Christensen. Cook went with a full-double full on her first jump (two flips, three twists) and lowered her degree of difficulty on the second jump to a full-full (two flips, two twists).

Teammate Jaime Myers (Boise, ID) hit a "massive lay-full" on her second jump to move up from tenth to seventh.

Bahrke failed to match his career best fifth place, but the 2007 World Cup Rookie of the Year did set a new personal best score with 230.92.

The World Cup coaches voted U.S. Ski Team aerialist Allison Treleaven (Fort Wayne, IN) as Rookie of the Year. Treleaven, a first year World Cup skier, was top-10 in her first career World Cup in Lake Placid in January. She also won the NorAm Cup aerial title.

"This is a great honor for Allison," said Christensen. "She did a fabulous job in her rookie season."

Davos was the final stop on the World Cup aerial circuit. Moguls skiers are back in action Saturday in Are, Sweden with a dual moguls event, with ski cross action in Meiringen-Hasliberg, Switzerland. The World Cup wraps up next week with moguls and ski cross in Valmalenco, Italy.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 FIS FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
Davos, Switzerland - March 7, 2008
Moguls

Men
1. Steve Omischl, Canada, 253.96
2. Warren Shouldice, Canada, 250.75
3. Dmitri Dashinski, Belarus, 250.47
4. Andreas Isoz, Switzerland, 238.44
5. Renato Ulrich, Switzerland, 237.89
-
6. Scotty Bahrke, Park City, UT, 230.92
8. Ryan St. Onge, Winter Park, CO, 225.30

Women
1. Evelyne Leu, Switzerland, 207.14
2. Lydia Lassila, Australia, 198.62
3. Alla Tsuper, Belarus, 182.83
4. Emily Cook, Belmont, MA, 161.41
5. Olga Volkova, Ukraine, 160.52
-
7. Jaime Myers, Boise, ID, 143.83
8. Jana Lindsey, Black Hawk, SD, 142.91

__________________
UFC 112: Invincible

truebluefan

MEIRINGEN-HASLIBERG, Switzerland (March 9) - Errol Kerr (Truckee, CA) posted his best World Cup finish to date, coming in eighth in a ski cross competition in Switzerland Sunday. Jake Fiala (Copper Mountain, CO) tied his season's best, coming in immediately behind Kerr in ninth.

"This race was more of an open track similar to what you would see in North America. It's more of a glide track. Errol is really good at gliding and handling the terrain real subtly," said Head Coach Tyler Shepherd. "He did really well in the qualifying and that set him up for some good lane choices. He had some terrible starts but he did ski well all day, it's just a matter of getting his starts better."

Lars Lewen won his second consecutive ski cross competition, marking his second win of the season. World Cup champion Tomas Kraus of the Czech Republic finished third. Canadian Stanley Hayer posted his fourth podium of the season, finishing second.

World Cup champion Ophelie David of France won the women's competition. Sasa Faric of Slovenia finished second. No U.S. women competed.

The FIS Freestyle World Cup now heads to Valmalenco, Italy for finals March 12-16, but the U.S. skiers are headed back to compete in the Jeep King of the Mountain event in Sun Valley, ID.


OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
Meiringen-Hasliberg, Switzerland - March 9, 2008
Ski cross

Men
1. Lars Lewen, Sweden
2. Stanley Hayer, Canada
3. Tomas Kraus, Czech Republic
4. Christopher Delbosco, Canada
5. Audun Groenvold, Norway
-
8. Errol Kerr, Truckee, CA
9. Jake Fiala, Copper Mountain, CO
22. Jean Christophe Rudigoz, Ketchum, ID
39. Lloyd Tucker, Carbondale, CO

Women
1. Ophelie David, France
2. Sasa Faric, Slovenia
3. Gro Kvinlog, Norway
4. Julia Murray, Canada
5. Jenny Owens, Austria

__________________
UFC 112: Invincible