Tahoe area athletes don’t make podium in snowboardcross

By Lindsey Sine, U.S. Snowboarding

PARK CITY -– Lindsey Jacobellis of Stratton Mountain, Vt., and home mountain rider Jonathan Cheever of Saugus, Mass., took charge of a technical snowboardcross course Saturday, landing a pair of U.S. Championship titles at the Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix at Park City’s Canyons Resort.

Cheever and Jacobellis were presented the ceremonial Green Jacket, a tradition that awards the annual U.S. Champion with a forest green dinner jacket that says “I’m the winner” in a way befitting of the best SBX athlete in America.

Jacobellis, who nailed herself a fourpeat gold medal at the X Games exactly two weeks ago, was in top form, leading the way through the women’s heats for the win, as well as the U.S. Championship title. Jacobellis’ championship crown adds to the list of her titles, the most recent of which she locked down in 2009. Now, the green jacket and the title of best in the U.S. are both back in her hands.

In a stacked men’s field, Cheever kept it consistent pushing his way from round to round in front of a home mountain crowd that included his parents. With a facial scrape sustained in the prior day’s qualifications, Cheever was happy to take second and, as the top U.S. athlete, the U.S. crown.

For Cheever, the win was equally as huge due to the depth of the competitors he was up against, as well as the technicality of the course.

Official results, Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix at Canyons Resort, Park City, Snowboardcross

Men

1. Kevin Hill, Canada

2. Jonathan Cheever, Saugus, MA

3. Markus Schairer, Austria

4. Tony Ramoin, France

–

5. Jayson Hale, Sierraville, CA

6. Kevin Leahy, Yarmouth, ME

7. Mick Dierdroff, Steamboat Springs, CO

8. Graham Watanabe, Sun Valley, ID

Women

1. Lindsey Jacobellis, Stratton Mountain, VT

2. Deborah Anthonioz, France

3. Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City

4. Chloe Banning

–

5. Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, Girdwood, AK

7. Jenna Feldman, Linwood, NJ

8. Kristen Harvey, Truckee, CA