SSWSC athletes headed to Vail for U16 Rocky Central Junior Championships

March 4, 2025 Shannon Lukens

2024-2025-sswsc-u16-alpine-teamcourtesy-ann-west

Photos courtesy Ann West.

Nine U16 Alpine athletes from Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club have qualified to compete in the U16 Rocky Central Junior Championships in Vail, March 6-9.

U16 Rocky Central Junior Championships Qualified Athletes

Schuyler Biglow
Leo Orton
Soren Shepherd
Jonathan Nichols
Wilson Walker
Pthalo Plomtheux
Molly Fretwell
Isabella Konecsny
Naia Broggi

Press Release from Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. – Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club has announced that nine U16 alpine athletes have qualified to compete in the U16 Rocky Central Junior Championships in Vail, CO, March 6-9, 2025. The U16 Team raced in a series of qualifiers February 11-13 including two slalom races at Vail and one giant slalom races at Steamboat—one giant slalom race at Steamboat was canceled due to snowfall.

Over three days of competition and three races, the team came home with two podium finishes and an impressive 15 top 15 results. At the conclusion of the series, qualifiers for the U16 Rocky Central Junior Championships were announced and SSWSC qualified nine out of 14 U16 alpine athletes—Schuyler Biglow, Leo Orton, Soren Shepherd, Jonathan Nichols, Wilson Walker, Pthalo Plomtheux, Molly Fretwell, Isabella Konecsny, and Naia Broggi.

SSWSC athletes had impressive performances, including Molly Fretwell’s 2nd place finish in the first slalom event and Isabella Konecsny’s 3rd place podium in the giant slalom. Naia Broggi also delivered a strong performance, securing 14th place. On the men’s side, Schuyler Biglow earned two top-10 finishes, Wilson Walker placed a solid 8th in giant slalom, and Pthalo Plomteux achieved his best result of the season, finishing 15th in giant slalom.

The athletes will head to Vail, CO, March 6–10 to compete against top racers from the Rocky and Central regions, aiming for qualification to the U16 National Championships in Sugarloaf, Maine, at the end of March.

For those who narrowly missed qualification, the journey isn’t over. They will have the chance to push their limits at the U14/U16 R/C Showdown in Steamboat Springs from March 3–5 at Howelsen Hill and Steamboat Ski Resort, a competition that promises excitement, challenge, and valuable experience for the first-year U16 athletes.

U16 Alpine Qualifier Results:

February 11, 2025 Women SL in Vail

Race 1: 2nd Molly Fretwell, 5th Isabella Konecsny, 26th Naia Broggi, 32nd Rylee Thomsen

Race 2: 4th Molly Fretwell, 31st Naia Broggi, 35th Rylee Thomsen

February 12, 2025 Men SL in Vail

Race 1: 8th Schuyler Biglow, 11th Soren Shepherd, 14th Jonathan Nichols, 16th Leo Orton, 18th Wilson Walker, 20th Pthalo Plomteux, 28th Keagan Austin

Race 2: 10th Soren Shepherd, 12th Leo Orton, 14th Wilson Walker, 17th Pthalo Plomteux, 22nd Keagan Austin, 24th Henry Davis, 27th Felix Hadley,

February 15 Men and Women GS in Steamboat Springs

Women: 3rd Isabella Konecsny, 5th Molly Fretwell, 14th Naia Broggi

Men: 6th Schuyler Biglow, 8th Wilson Walker, 9th Leo Orton, 15th Pthalo Plomteux, 16th Jonathan Nichols, 20th Felix Hadley, 23rd Henry Davis, 32nd Dillon Middledorf

U16 Rocky Central Junior Championships Qualified Athletes

Schuyler Biglow

Leo Orton

Soren Shepherd

Jonathan Nichols

Wilson Walker

Pthalo Plomtheux

Molly Fretwell

Isabella Konecsny

Naia Broggi

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ABOUT SSWSC

Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC) provides sports and youth development programming for over 1,200 athletes in Steamboat Springs. SSWSC believes in the fundamental value of sport for the individual. Our mission is to create champions on and off the mountain by developing life skills and personal growth through sports. Our vision is to be the nation’s model community youth sports organization, inspiring every individual to achieve their highest level of personal and athletic potential. SSWSC alumni have become Olympians, NCAA champions, collegiate scholars, CEOs, and leaders. Our programs include alpine, cross country, freestyle, freeskiing, Nordic combined, jumping, snowboarding, backcountry education, strength and conditioning, cycling, and skateboarding. Founded in 1914, SSWSC is one of North America’s oldest and most successful winter sports clubs, serving tens of thousands of athletes for over a century, including 100 Olympians with 19 Olympic medals. U.S. Ski & Snowboard named SSWSC Club of the Year five times, more than any other club in the country. For more information, visit www.sswsc.org.