CMC ski team member Gunnar Barnwell to compete at US Alpine National Championships

This story from the Tahoe Daily Tribune was published March 22, 2023 and features Gunnar Barnwell, a member of the CMC ski team. In addition to Barnwell, CMC ski team members Mary Kate Hackworthy, Matthew Macaluso and Nicola Rountree-Williams have also qualified and will compete at the US Alpine National Championships in Sun Valley in April. Article reprinted by permission.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Gunnar Barnwell, who starred on the slopes at Whittell High School and now at Colorado Mountain College, has been selected to compete in the U.S. Alpine National Championships at Sun Valley Resort in Idaho.

The championships presented by Stifel kicks off April 1 and hosts elite and next generation ski racers vying for spots on the U.S. Alpine Ski Team.

The racing event, which runs April 2-5, is the final competition on the hotly contended US national ski racing circuit and is the culmination of a season-long showcase of the best of the best in US ski racing athleticism.

Both men and women compete in slalom, giant slalom and super-G events. The course at Sun Valley has a storied history of alpine racing, having hosted the U.S. Alpine Championships previously in 2018 and 2016 and having tested hundreds of local and visiting athletes with its technical and challenging terrain over the years.

The award-winning grooming and steeps contribute to the long list of merits that makes Sun Valley as the perfect choice for this event.

Prior to attending Colorado Mountain College, Barnwell attended the elite Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation on scholarship before the pandemic and is excited to see coaches and friends back in Sun Valley.

Barnwell was selected for US Nationals while attending SVSEF but the event was canceled due to COVID and the season was essentially lost.

After a stellar racing season for CMC where he helped the team finish ahead of the University of Nevada, Reno Ski Team, Barnwell was selected for US Nationals based on his college points alone, although his FIS points have been significantly better overall this season.

Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes expected to compete at this Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships event will include 2022 Olympic silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle and 2023 World Championships gold medalist River Radamus, as well as local Sun Valley athletes Ryder Sarchett, Jack Smith and Dasha Romanov. The athletes will be racing for national titles, as well as increased prize money, courtesy of Stifel.

“The Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team is very excited to return to Sun Valley for the 2023 Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships presented by Stifel for the first time since 2018,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. “Not only will many of the best alpine skiers in the country be competing for coveted national titles, but it’s an amazing opportunity to inspire the next generation of ski racers who can see their favorite athletes up close on a resort that has helped produce so many champions.”