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Ski jumpers soar over heartland

Joel Reichenberger

Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club ski jumpers left the mountains last week and headed for the plains for a major competition. They came away with plenty of strong performances.

Jumping in Fox River Grove, Illinois, near Chicago, Steamboat skiers accounted for eight podium finishes.

Annika Belshaw had one of the best showings of any competitor at the event, which lumped athletes together in some different age classes and on different sized jumping hills. She won once, in the U14 girls division, jumping off the K47 hill, then placed third in a U16 division on the K70 and in a U20 division on that same hill.



Erik Belshaw also had a strong trip, placing first among U12 boys on the K25 hill.

Decker Dean was second in the boys U16 division on the K70 jump while Elijah Vargas was sixth and Bennett Gamber eighth. Niklas Malacinski also made it onto the podium in second on the K47 in a U14 category where Canden Wilkinson was third, Gunnar Gilbertson fourth and Erik Belshaw fifth.



Grant Andrews scored a second-place finish in the U20 boys division jumping off the K70 hill. Peter Rosenthal was eighth in that same class.

Competing a day later in an open class and against a field stacked with European jumpers, Dean was 14th on the K70 and Andrews 16th. Vargas was fifth in the U20 division, Gamber ninth and Malacinski 10th.

To reach Joel Reichenberger, call 970-871-4253, email jreichenberger@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @JReich9


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