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Summit Youth Hockey sends 3 girls to USA Hockey National Championship Tourney

Compiled by Phil Lindeman
plindeman@summitdaily.com
The Summit Youth Hockey U-12 and U-14 girls teams practice this winter. Three locals on the team — Ava Gosnell, Ashlyn Lewis and Sydney Gurlea — have earned an invite to the USA Hockey National Championship tournament in Michigan from April 5-10 with their elite team from the Aspen area.
Phil Lindeman / plindeman@summitdaily.com |

3 local girls represent Summit hockey at USA Hockey National Championship

It’s rare to send even one hockey hopeful to the USA Hockey National Championship Tournament. It’s even more rare to send a trio of girls.

Next week (April 5-10), three Summit County locals — Ava Gosnell, Ashlyn Lewis and Sydney Gurlea — travel with an elite U-14 AA team to the high-end tourney in Troy, Michigan. The team, known as the Aspen Leafs, is based in Aspen and features players from across the region, including girls from as far as Steamboat Springs. The three Summit players helped propel the squad to the USA Rocky Mountain District Championship in Phoenix from March 17-19, which in turn earned them an invite to the national championship.



What’s more, the Summit girls are three of the youngest on the elite Aspen squad. Most of the players are in ninth grade, said Doug Gurlea of Summit Youth Hockey, but Gosnell and Lewis are in eighth grade, and Sydney, Doug’s daughter, is in seventh grade. This season, the squad went 5-4-3 in league play but peaked in time for the playoffs, finishing second in the state tournament before winning the district tournament, according to Steamboat Today.

Best of luck to the Summit girls and entire U-14 AA Aspen Leafs team at the national championships!



Volleyball star AnnaMarie Dodson earns trip to 2017 USA Volleyball Junior Nationals

Summit High’s AnnaMarie Dodson has already punched her ticket to junior nationals this summer.

From March 10-12, Dodson’s club team, the NORCO Volleyball Club 17 Black team, competed in the Asics Colorado Crossroads Tournament in Denver and took third place overall in the gold bracket — the highest division — with a tourney record of 7-2. More than 1,460 total teams competed at the three-day tournament, which is the first Rocky Mountain Region qualifier for the 2017 USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship.

A bronze at the season’s first tournament was enough to earn Dodson’s team an invite to the junior nationals in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this June. Securing a bid to the tournament is difficult: Only 36 bids are available for thousands of teams in the 17 Open division. It’s the top division for that age class in USA Volleyball, and Dodson’s team can breathe a sigh of relief knowing they’re already qualified after the first tourney of the season. She is the only Summit High School varsity player with an invite to junior nationals.

“It doesn’t matter if you are a starter or a player that impacts the game off the bench,” said Cathy Mahaffey, director for NORCO Volleyball Club. “The volleyball world knows you are a strong and disciplined athlete training hard and being successful.”

NORCO teams have participated in 13 of the last 14 junior national tournaments. The 2017 tourney runs from June 30 to July 3 in Minneapolis.

Summit vs. Arvada | Tigers baseball, March 22

A regular-season varsity baseball game against non-conference foes Arvada High School, held in Arvada on March 22. The Tigers won, 13-2, and improved to 4-1 overall (0-0 in the 4A Western Slope).

Head coach Tom Looby with the recap:

Andrew Shaw pitched 5.1 innings, struck out 14 batters and scattered only three hits in a dominating performance. Omar Nunez came on in the sixth inning and got the save.

At the plate, Brian Hessler had a 3-3 day, ripping three doubles and driving in four runs. Nunez, Shaw and Sam Hull got two hits apiece, while Nunez and Turner McDonald both tripled for the Tigers.

Summit next faces Colorado Academy today in downtown Denver. First pitch is at 4 p.m.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 H E Final

Summit 5 0 0 3 0 2 3 14 4 13

Arvada 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 – – 2

Runners Roost of Fort Collins Invitational | Tigers track and field, March 25

A highly competitive track and field meet, hosted by Fort Collins High School in Fort Collins on March 25. The meet drew 22 boys and girls teams from schools across the state, along with students from as far north as Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Top girls teams, overall

1. Fort Collins High School

2. Rocky Mountain High School

3. Mountain View High School

22. SUMMIT HIGH SCHOOL

Top boys teams, overall

1. Fort Collins High School

2. Fossil Ridge High School

3. Mountain View High School

22. SUMMIT HIGH SCHOOL

Top Summit finishes

8. Hunter Stimson, 300-meter hurdles — 50.3 seconds

Summit vs. Conifer | Tigers girls soccer, March 23

A regular-season varsity soccer game against non-conference foes Conifer, hosted at Summit High School on March 23. The Tigers lost, 1-3.

1st 2nd Final

Summit 1 0 1

Conifer 1 2 3

Summit vs. Steamboat Springs | Tigers girls soccer, March 25

A regular-season varsity soccer game against conference rivals Steamboat Springs, held at Steamboat Springs High School on March 25. The Tigers lost, 0-1, and are now 1-5 overall and 1-3 in the 4A Western Slope.

The Tigers faced Steamboat again on Tuesday, March 28, at 4 p.m. That results was not available at press time.

1st 2nd Final

Summit 0 0 0

SSHS 1 0 1

Summit vs. Eagle Valley | Tigers boys lacrosse, March 21

The first boys lacrosse game of the 2017 spring season, an away game against conference foes Eagle Valley in Gypsum on March 21. The Tigers lost, 10-11, to begin the season at 0-1 overall and 0-1 n the 4A Slope.

1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q Final

Summit 4 2 2 2 10

EVHS 1 1 4 5 11

Summit vs. Vail Mountain School | Tigers boys lacrosse, March 24

The first home boys lacrosse game of the season against conference rivals Vail Mountain School at Summit High School on March 24. The Tigers lost, 9-18, and are now 0-2 overall and 0-2 in the 4A Slope. Box score is unavailable.

Summit next faces Glenwood Springs in another conference match tomorrow (March 30) at home. Tip-off is 4 p.m.

Summit vs. Eagle Valley | Tigers girls lacrosse, March 22

An away girls lacrosse game, hosted by conference foes Eagle Valley High School in Gypsum on March 22. The Tigers won, 11-7, and improved to 4-1 overall and 4-1 in the league. Box score is unavailable.

Summit next takes on Steamboat Springs at home on April 5. Tip-off is 4 p.m.


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