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40 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, November 26, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 10, 2004 Grizz girls capture second straight title By JENNIFER SQUIRES for the Mail Tribune It was a moment years in the making when the Ashland High girls' snowboarding team hit the slopes at the prep state snowboarding championships on Friday at Mount Hood Meadows. Not only did the Grizzly girls enter the event as the defending state team champion, the top four Ashland snowboarders were set to compete in their final prep contest. Emma Kurtz, Ella Street, Lily McCabe and Steph Elliott will graduate this spring after training and racing together on the Ashland team for the past three years. "A couple of years ago, people were noting that in a couple years, these girls will have risen to the top of their field," said Grizz head snowboarding coach Matt Faurot. "We were looking ahead to this year and we knew these girls would be the top competitors in the state. They've been progressing together for so long, it's pretty natural to finish out in this fashion." While the girls didn't head north with the lofty goal of repeating as champs, they thought a top-three performance would have been the perfect tone to conclude the season and their prep careers. "Once everybody got up there, they began to take it more seriously," Faurot said. "It's hard when you're in that environment to not rise to the top and want to compete. But as far as expectations, we never talked about goals." Advertisement By the end of the day on Saturday, they had won the team boardercross event, the team half-pipe and placed second in slopestyle en route to claiming their second-straight state title — the 2004 Sato Cup — fighting a steady 30 mph wind with 60 mph gusts and snow coming down sideways. "It ended nicely, with the girls getting crowned champions," Faurot said. "I can't imagine a better ending to their careers. They've been riding together for so long." The four veterans combined with Hallie Beaver and Maddy Wasserman to win the team boardercross, then worked with Beaver and Heather Tomiyama to take the half-pipe competition. In the slopestyle event, Street, Kurtz, McCabe, Elliott, Beaver and Tomiyama to come in second. Ashland also had a pair of individual medalists. Elliott stole the show in the half-pipe, earning first place honors despite the fact the Grizzlies don't regularly practice riding the half-pipe. Kurtz, who lead the Southern Oregon League in combined individual results, took second in the elimination boardercross, and Beaver advanced to the semifinals in the boardercross. For the Ashland boys, Robbie McNamara was second in the boardercross. Gabe Gonzales advanced to the semifinals, and Casey Moore made it to the quarterfinals. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities