Hartman, fellow PGs eye U.S. Ski Team

COPPER MOUNTAIN - Katie Hartman hasn't abandoned her goal of making the U.S. Alpine Ski Team, but the Team Summit standout has a solid backup plan if her dream isn't realized - skiing on a full scholarship at the University of Colorado.

Hartman, a post-graduate racer, spent last season gunning for a spot on the U.S. team's development squad, but was left off the roster when it was announced last spring. Her former teammate, Kirsten Cooper, did make the cut.

"I think they were looking for a younger team and a lot of 88's got nailed," Hartman said referring to her birth year. "But that's life - I have the same goals as last year. ... What they did can't stop me."

Hartman is tentatively scheduled to start school in January before the NCAA season begins because it didn't make sense for her to spend this fall in Boulder.

"The early season training can't get any better than this," Hartman said before skiing at Copper Mountain on Thursday. "And I wanted to take advantage of some speed events (before the new year)."

Team Summit ability coach Doug Elsey said Hartman will know much more about her situation after six NorAm starts.

"If she's killing it and beating the girls on the U.S. team, than she'll continue to go for it," Elsey said. "But if she's not moving forward, she'll go to CU. The worse case scenario is a free ride and racing in college."

Hartman's goals are similar to those of fellow PG Taggart Spenst.

"Everyone still wants to make the U.S. Ski Team," Spenst said Thursday in between laps on Copper's Excelerator chair. "I was a couple spots away from junior worlds last year. ... But I also want to get a scholarship and go to school. It's a huge opportunity to ski for a college."

Spenst was accepted at Denver University, the University of Utah and CU as a member of the current freshman class, but opted to defer admission because he wasn't offered a scholarship.

Spenst and Hartman are joined on the small, but talented PG squad by Jeremy Elliot, who returned to Team Summit this season after spending the last few years in Utah.

"Elliot has a two-year goal of making the U.S. team," Elsey said. "He's coming back from a broken back - he spent a lot of time in the hospital."

Other top J1s for Team Summit include Zach Fretz, Brannan Sheely, Mark Miller, Fletcher McDonald and Hunter Black.

McDonald won the state high school giant slalom championship as a senior while Fretz and Sheely took second and third, respectively.

Fretz said he's looking forward to the high school season and hopes it doesn't conflict too much with the FIS schedule.

"There's always talk every year that people won't have time for high school," Fretz explained. "Once it starts, some will join and others won't. ... I'm gonna try to take out Fletch's title from last year."

The group of J1 girls led by Hartman includes Erin Breslin, Kristina Krone and Torey Anderson.

Breslin, who also skis for Summit High, is optimistic about the upcoming season.

"Dryland went really well," Breslin said. "I think I'm going to do a lot better this season - that's the plan."

Freestylers back in action

Team Summit's freestyle team has its own group of U.S. Ski team hopefuls in the form of Whitney Henceroth, Mikaela Matthews and Jordan Poyfair, who were all named to the U.S. Freestyle Team's devo squad last spring.

"It's a great honor for sure," Matthews said during Thursday's moguls practice at Copper. "We get to go to a bunch of ski camps and get our names out there. The coaches recognize us."

The freeride division of the freestyle team, which has a first-year director in Tyler Morant, is led by Bobby Brown, who finished No. 1 on last year's USSA slopestyle points list.

"Brown's going to be targeting some bigger contests like the X Games and the U.S. Open," freestyle coach John Dowling said. "He's learning kangaroo flips and stuff you just sit back and watch."

Most Team Summit racers will begin their season Dec. 8 at Winter Park.