Hood River News

January 14, 2006

The Cooper Spur Race Team took part in its first Mighty Mite race of the season on Sunday, with 227 skiers in all charging down the hill at Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Area. The race, called the Kandahar, is known to be one of the longest-running ski races in the history of the Mt. Hood Mighty Mites; some of today’s coaches raced the Kandahar when they were youngsters.

In attendance were young racers from the Cooper Spur Race Team, the Multnomah Athletic Club and the Meadows Race Team.

At their level of competition, the Mighty Mites compete in separate boys’ and girls’ divisions. The older racers (9-13 years old) get two timed runs, while the young ones (5-8 years old) only get one.

The weather on the mountain Sunday was less than ideal for a kids’ ski race. With cold, snowy and very windy conditions, the racers gathered at the Yellow Chair to await their turns down the hill. The oldest racers go first, leaving the young Mighty Mites to wait their turn in the cold.

The kids toughed it out and raced well, despite poor visibility.

The Cooper Spur Race Team, led by head coach Zach Williams, is young, with its largest age group being 8 and under. But young and old, the kids competed well in their first race of the season.

Highlights from the race include first place finishes from Annalyssa Sassara and Hunter Kern and second place finishes from Shae Duffy and Kellan Duffy.

Next up for the Cooper Spur Race Team Mighty Mites is the Jack Baldwin, scheduled for Jan. 21 and the Diamond Dual on Jan. 22; both will be at Cooper Spur Ski Resort.

Kandahar results

6 and under girls:

Annalyssa Sassara 1st

Shae Duffy 2nd

Callie Crumpacker 5th

Claire Davies 8th

Zakiya Journeau 11th

6 and under boys:

Mitchell Lamer 4th

Riggs Bardin 7th

T.C. Mixon 8th

Levi Geller 13th

Dakota Kurahara 14th

Isaac Beaman 16th

8 and under girls:

Elle Truax 9th

Kelli Clarke 12th

Beth Mixon 13th

Hannah West 16th

Casey Holzman 17th

8 and under boys:

Hunter Kern 1st

Kellan Duffy 2nd

Montana Kurahara 5th

Micah Melkonian 6th

Zach Mikkelson 7th

Kiefer Kreps 8th

William Lamer 9th

Austin Keillor 14th

Dawson Reynier 16th

Nicolas Bergen 17th

Colin Howe 25th

10 and under girls:

Molly Clarke 8th

Korey Cimock 10th

Jennifer Mikkelson 11th

Allie Spadaro 13th

Rachel Osmundsen 20th

Kaili Duffy 21st

Maggie Osmundsen 22nd

Hailey Kern 27th

Lucy McLean 28th

Libby Anderson 29th

10 and under boys:

Charlie Mallon 4th

Cooper Holzman 16th

12 and under girls:

Ricki Swearingen 3rd

Kelsey Spadaro 16th

Karrie Hoag 19th

Hannah Mears 23rd

Rachael Sassara 25th

Alix Melton 29th

12 and under boys:

Will Bergen 9th