Donna Vano and success have been intertwined at USASA events. That success reached an unprecedented level last week, when the South Shore snowboarder won nine gold medals out of nine possible events at the 17th annual USASA National Championships held at Northstar-at-Tahoe in Truckee.

Vano, who competes in kahuna women (50-59), won gold in boardercross, slalom, giant slalom, slopestyle and halfpipe. She also won four gold medals in the various overall categories.

"Nine out of nine is amazing," Vano said. "I'm pretty stoked on that. Not only did I have the opportunity to meet some great women, the competition was fierce. The quality of the competitors in the kahuna women's division definitely kept me focused."

South Tahoe Snowboard Series won 104 total medals to claim its second straight medal county victory over the other regions. With 160 members, STSS is the 10th largest regional series in the United States. STSS also won the medal county victory from 1999-2003.

"When we go over there, we're not Heavenly, we're not Sierra," Vano said. "We go over there as South Shore. We've held the standard very high."

Highlights of the first two days of competition appeared in the Tribune last week. Monday's paper included results from the third day of competition last Wednesday.

Listed below is the recap of the overall medalist awards as well as the final two days of competition held at Northstar. Only the medalists in the overall categories are listed. Only the top 10 in the daily competitions are listed in this report.

For more information, visit www.usasa.org.

Overall Medalists

Vano's domination in all disciplines was reflected in the overall medalist awards. Vano added four more gold medals to her tally by finishing first in the Alpine, freestyle, triple combined and overall standings lists in kahuna women (50-59). Nancy Ng also won four gold medals in all four overall lists in master women (30-39).

In Alpine overall, Janessa Brackett won silver in grommet girls (8-9), Keyon Heydarian bronze in grommet boys, Mario Mangiaracina bronze in legend men (40-49), Jon Villani silver in junior men (16-17), Alissa Withrow silver in women's jams (18-22) and Tess Weather bronze in women's jams.

In freestyle overall, Taylor Chatwin won silver in grommet girls (8-9), J.P. Bergeron silver in master men (30-39), Zippy Neil bronze in legend women, Cierra Xavier silver in jam's women's, James Strawser silver in senior men (23-29), Jamie Anderson gold in open class women, Shawndrea Wisma silver in skier girls (11-15), Finn Anderson gold and Kyle Smaine bronze in skier boys (11-15), Katie Stewart silver in skier women (16-19), Nick Suarez gold and Mik Gadomski bronze in open class skier men.

In combined overall, Bracket won silver and Heydarian bronze in grommet, Garrett Gibb bronze in junior men (16-17), Frany Alcamo silver in open class women, John Retta silver and Roger Carver bronze in open class men.

In the triple overall standings list, Taylor Chatwin won silver and Janessa Brackett bronze in grommet girls, Heydarian bronze in grommet boys, Julianne Brackett bronze in menehune girls (10-11), Neil bronze in legend women, Gibb silver in junior men, Alcamo silver, while Carver won silver and Retta bronze in open class men.

Friday, March 31 recap

Travis Chatwin led 12 South Tahoe Snowboard Series medalists with his gold medal in boardercross in master men (30-39) at Northstar-at-Tahoe. In the same race, Peri Kalamaras won silver and Benjamin Boussina placed fourth.

In other boardercross action, Jennifer Cryan won a gold medal in senior women (23-29), while James Strawser took silver in senior men. Alissa Withrow won a bronze medal in women's jams (18-22).

Nancy Ng won gold in master women (30-39) and Justeen Ferguson claimed gold in skier women (16-19).

In slalom, Vano claimed yet another gold in kahuna women (50-59) and Mario Mangiaracina won silver in legend men (40-49). In legend women, Zippy Neil placed 10th.

In grommet girls (8-9), Janessa Bracket won a bronze medal and Taylor Chatwin placed fifth. Keyon Heydarian took fourth in the boys' race. David Riegel placed seventh in ruggie boys (7 and under).

In halfpipe, Jamie Anderson won gold in open class women, while Nick Suarez won a silver medal in open class skier men. Mik Gadomski took fourth in open class skier men.

Thursday, March 30 recap

Keyon Heydarian and Janessa Bracket each won silver medals in giant slalom in the grommet division (8-9) to help the South Tahoe Snowboard Series win 10 more medals in a variety of disciplines.

Taylor Chatwin placed sixth in the grommet girls' giant slalom race. In other giant slalom action, Vano won gold in kahuna women (50-59) and Mario Mangiaracina won a bronze medal in legend men (40-49).

Zippy Neil placed 10th in legend women and David Riegel placed seventh in ruggie boys (7 and under).

In halfpipe, Rebecca Bruce won a silver medal in breaker boys (12-13) and Shawndrea Wisma won silver in skier girls (11-15).

Natasha Sagucka placed ninth in breaker girls, Shelby McIntyre ninth in menehune girls (10-11) and Natasha Sagucka ninth in breaker girls. Finn Anderson and Kyle Smaine placed fourth and seventh, respectively, in skier boys.

In slalom, Alissa Withrow won a silver medal in women's jams (18-22) and Tess Weathers placed fourth in the same race. Nancy Ng claimed gold in master women (30-39), while Risley Sams placed eighth in master men.

In slopestyle, STSS continued to dominate by watching Nick Suarez win a silver medal in open class men and Jamie Anderson gold in open class women. Mik Gadomski placed fourth for the men and Nikki Gerardi fourth in the women's division.

17th annaul USASA National Championships

Final Medal Count

Series G S B Total

STSS 32 43 29 104

Copper Mtn. 43 25 20 88

So. Vermont 30 31 21 82

NTSS 33 23 22 78

Note: STSS won medal count in 2005 and from 1999-2203.



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