By USSA

WINTER PARK, Colo. — Olympic gold medalist Julia Mancuso of Squaw Valley powered through exhaustively soft snow at the Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships to take giant slalom gold and up her own national title record to 15.

Nineteen-year-old Norwegian Kristine Gjelsten Haugen was second ahead of 17-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin of Vail.

It was Mancuso’s fourth straight giant slalom title and sixth of her career. She also has four super G titles, four combined titles and one downhill title.

World Cup overall champion Lindsey Vonn of Vail started the first run, but made an early exit after getting late into a hair pin turn.

Temperatures soared into the mid-60s creating soft snow conditions for the final run.