Moe, Peterson dominate the competition in U16 West Region Alpine Championships

By Anchorage Daily News

Updated: March 25, 2024 Published: March 25, 2024

Intermountain and Jackson Hole racer Taylor Moe won her fourth race in four days Friday by winning the Western Region U16 Championship Super-G at Alyeska. Here she finishes a right-footed turn on the steep Waterfall pitch, and is about to make a sidehill transition into a left-footed turn around the next gate. Her time of 1:17.56 was just in front of runner-up Ruby Smith. (Photo by Bob Eastaugh)

Jackson Hole, Wyoming skier Taylor Moe and Luca Peterson of Truckee, California dominated the U16 Western Region Alpine Championships at Alyeska Ski Resort in Girdwood over the weekend.

Moe won the slalom, giant slalom and super-G contested on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to sweep the girls races. Moe’s closest competition was Sun Valley skier Ruby Smith, who finished second. Brynn Hanley of Team Palisades Tahoe placed third.

Taylor Moe is the daughter of Alaskans Tommy Moe and Megan Gerety. Tommy Moe, who grew up in Palmer and himself skied out of Alyeska, became the first American male downhill ski racer to win two Olympic medals in 1994. Gerety, from Anchorage, was also an Olympian in the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.

Luca Peterson nears the bottom of Alyeska's steep Waterfall pitch on his way to winning the Western Region U16 Super-G Friday, his fourth victory in four races on four days. Peterson skis for the Far West Division and trains with Team Palisades Tahoe. His margin over second place Ulrich Rossi was less than a second. (Photo by Bob Eastaugh)

In the boys competition, Peterson, who skis for Team Palisades Tahoe completed the same feat. He swept the slalom, giant slalom and super-G to run away with the title.

Anthony Ditullio from Big Sky Ski Education Foundation and Jaden D’Amours from Jackson Hole Ski Club finished second and third, respectively.

The top 3 finishers on the podium will head to Vail, Colorado next weekend for U16 Nationals to compete against skiers from the other two regions of US Ski and Snowboard.

Nearly 180 skiers raced over the weekend in total at the West Region, which is one of three U.S. Ski and Snowboard regions across the U.S.

Alyeska Ski Club junior Avery Reger, racing for the Alaska Division in the Western Region U16 Championships, finished fifth in Tuesday's slalom. (Photo by Bob Eastaugh)

Among the top Alaska finishers were Avery Reger (8th), Victoria Tostemar (12th), and Ava Huey (13th) for the girls. On the boys side, Tad Guse (49th), Pierre-Samuel Stiassny (61st) and Austin Murphy (64th) were the top finishers.