By USSA

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. -– Sixteen-year-old Ty Walker (Stowe, Vt.) landed the top spot for the United States with her fourth-place finish in the Paul Mitchell Slopestyle at the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix.

The international field put down runs with confidence at Sunday’s FIS World Cup with Czech rider Sarka Pancochova taking the victory and Isabel Derungs and Elena Koenz of Switzerland taking second and third.

Walker’s top-four result fulfilled her objective criteria for Olympic qualification, and her top finish over the Americans moved her up in the standings behind Jamie Anderson (South Lake Tahoe), who fell during both of her runs Sunday and finished seventh.

Anderson is the only other rider who has met the top-four criteria after her victory at the Dew Tour iON Mountain Championships last weekend at Breckenridge.

Jessika Jenson (Rigby, Idaho) was the only other American rider in the final, finishing eighth.

Overall the course was running a little bit slow due to the new snow and cold, dry Colorado weather. Increasing winds in the second round also threw off many riders during the jumps.