February 21-22, 2026
The JFBBRT U14s headed to Seven Springs Mountain Resort this past weekend to compete in the PARA State Championships. With nine athletes wearing the JFBBRT colors, our team fought hard through tough snow conditions all weekend while also making time for team bonding at the resort. This is what championship racing is all about—testing yourself against the best in challenging conditions.
Friday: Team Dinner and Tradition
Many racers arrived early on Friday to train on the hill and get familiar with the terrain. That evening, the team gathered for the traditional JFBBRT team dinner, where each racer received their JFBBRT sweatshirt. Special thanks to U14/U16 mom Jeanine Skahan for coordinating the sweatshirts this year—they looked great!
The championship event consisted of three runs each of slalom and GS on Avalanche trail, with a reset after the second run each day. Results are based on total World Cup points scored from all of the runs, so mistakes can pile up quickly.
This makes the U14 Derby a pressure cooker that tests not only the athletes’ skiing skills, but also their mental skills. It tests their focus under pressure and their resilience after a DQ, a bruising crash, or a surprise performance from another competitor they normally beat. First-year U14s who did well at the U12 Derby are often stunned by how much harder the hill and course sets are at this event, and by the sheer number of strong competitors they’re up against.
In this context, each JFBBRT athlete had a successful event. Some delivered right from the start when other competitors didn’t. Some were steady, building bit by bit throughout the weekend. Others went to bed Saturday with results that made their goals seem far away, but then delivered big on Sunday under even greater pressure. All of our first-year athletes kept their spirits up after Day 1 and improved their standings in the GS, gaining valuable experience for next time. The entire U14 coaching staff is really proud of each athlete’s results and the mental toughness they all displayed.
Saturday: Slalom in the Sun
The snow started firm in the morning but became slushy as the day wore on and temps climbed into the 40s. This made for a bumpy and challenging track each run, even with the reset and clean course for the third run. JFBBRT athletes skied smart and fast from the beginning to start the weekend with some excellent finishes on the first runs—accomplishing a goal that is very important for a multi-day event.
SL Results – Girls (3 Runs)
- Gabby B.: 2nd, 7th, 33rd, and 6th for all three combined
- Mackenzie: 5th, 18th, 7th, and 7th for all three combined
- Erin: 13th, 10th, 16th, and 15th for all three combined
- Riley: 37th, DNF, 6th, and 18th for all three combined
- Josetta: 34th, 27th, 18th, and 28th for all three combined
SL Results – Boys (3 Runs)
- Jack: 2nd, 6th, 5th, and 3rd for all three combined
- Noah: 7th, 11th, DNF, and 11th for all three combined
- Kellan: 27th, 41st, 28th, and 38th for all three combined
- Sawyer: DNF, 37th, 33rd, and 44th for all three combined
Saturday Evening: Race Banquet
Saturday evening brought the race banquet in the Grand Ballroom—a fun time for athletes to connect with each other and with racers from other teams. Each athlete was called up individually and received a state championship hat. These moments of celebration and camaraderie are what make the racing community special.
Sunday: GS Gets Gnarly
Sunday’s GS races brought a different set of challenges. Despite cold temperatures overnight, the surface didn’t freeze solid and was too dry for coaches to apply urea to make it firm. For the first run, the surface was packed granular snow that crumbled away. For the second run, the surface was a mix of ruts, bumps, and ice. After the reset, athletes and coaches scraped off all the snow and exposed the hard and unforgiving icy base. Each run on those challenging conditions, combined with Avalanche’s double fall line and steep pitches, tested the athletes’ ability to direct pressure to their outside ski and stay balanced through each turn. Again, JFBBRT athletes showed their skills and grit with more strong finishes over the three runs.
GS Results – Girls (3 Runs)
- Riley: 8th, 7th, 13th, and 8th for all three combined
- Josetta: 25th, 11th, 9th, and 11th for all three combined
- Erin: 11th, 9th, 27th, and 13th for all three combined
- Gabby B.: 6th, 21st, DNF, and 15th for all three combined
- Mackenzie: DNF, 33rd, 5th, and 18th for all three combined
GS Results – Boys (3 Runs)
- Jack: 3rd, 3rd, 7th, and 3rd for all three combined
- Noah: 4th, 4th, DNF, and 6th for all three combined
- Kellan: 22nd, 21st, 35th, and 27th for all three combined
- Sawyer: 39th, 33rd, 31st, and 38th for all three combined
Overall Standings and What’s Next
Discipline awards were given to the top eight athletes in slalom and the top eight in GS by adding up the World Cup points earned over the three runs each day.
The State Team and post-season event selections are determined by adding up the World Cup points from all six runs across both disciplines. The top 10 earn the coveted PARA State Team sweatshirt. The top 5 girls and top 6 boys are invited to the Eastern Championships at Sunday River in Maine. Places 6-15 for girls and 7-16 for boys earn invitations to the Francis Piche Invitational at Gunstock Mountain in New Hampshire.
Six of the nine JFBBRT athletes qualified for post-season events – more than any other club in PARA. JFBBRT earned 4 State Team sweatshirts, 1 spot at Eastern Championships, and 5 spots at Piche’s. Here’s how our racers finished:
Girls:
- Gabby B.: 8th overall – State Team and qualified for Piche’s
- Mackenzie: 9th overall – State Team and qualified for Piche’s
- Riley: 12th overall – qualified for Piche’s
- Erin: 14th overall – qualified for Piche’s
Boys:
- Jack: 3rd overall – State Team and qualified for Eastern Championships
- Noah: 7th overall – State Team and qualified for Piche’s
Thank You and Congratulations