MONT GABRIEL, Quebec - Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) finished third in the first World Cup moguls competition since winning the season opener in December. She led five other American women in the top 20.
Kearney is now tied for the moguls World Cup lead with Canadian Jennifer Heil, who has been second in both competitions this season.
"It was really a good feeling. I actually skied better in my second run than my first, so that's always nice. My goal this year is to be consistent," Kearney said.
"They both did great. Hannah qualified second, then in the finals she skied first run really well and switched up her airs in the second. Sho was the last guy to qualify, so for him to end up where he did was great," Moguls Head Coach Scott Rawles said.
Kearney went for a 360 mute grab in the second run of finals, but Rawles said she just missed the grab like she had been in training.
"I've only done it one other time in competition. It's kind of a new trick," Kearney said.
"I am really psyched that she picked it up and tried doing it. Had she made the grab she probably would have won again," Rawles said.
Last year in Mont Gabriel Kearney suffered a concussion, so Rawles said he was happy to she Kearney overcome that fear.
"You never know how that's going to play out in the mind of the athlete. She is definitely on a roll and looks great going into Deer Valley," Rawles said.
Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) backed Kearney up, finishing fifth for her best finish since a fourth in Norway in 2007.
Kashima, who missed most of last season with an ankle injury, was the first competitor to run in the finals.
"It's a great place to be, being in that spot you have nothing to loose and Sho just let it all hang out. It was great to see," Rawles said.
During the long pause between World Cups this year, which is atypical, the Americans spent the last five weeks trying to stay fresh.
"It's different for each athlete, but the break is tough. Some did NorAms and others trained," Rawles said.
The Team spent a lot of time moving from place to place in order to keep momentum going.
"We were in Park City, Steamboat and Winter Park. Then we spent time at Lake Placid. It's tough. You spend all summer training, you get a chance to ski one event then there's nothing," Rawles said.
Still, the Team is ready for next week's marquee mogul competition in the Visa Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT. The event kicks off with moguls Thursday from 1:15-2:15 p.m., with duals closing out the weekend Saturday evening from 8:00-9:30 p.m.
"Deer Valley is a great venue. I have had some great success there, it's a really fantastic place to compete. It's also the only competition we have in the U.S. so it's really important for our exposure," Kearney said.
"Everyone will be really fired up. There are big crowds there and it's home soil. We're really looking forward to next week," Rawles said.
OFFICIAL RESULTS 2009 FREESTYLE FIS WORLD CUP Mont Gabriel, Quebec - Jan. 24, 2008
Women's moguls 1. Aiko Uemura, Japan 2. Jennifer Heil, Canada 3. Hannah Kearney, Norwich, VT 4. Nikola Sudova, Czech Republic 5. Shannon Bahrke, Tahoe City, CA - 7. Shelly Robertson, Reno, NV 10. Emiko Torito, Denver 14. Michelle Roark, Denver 19. Kayla Snyderman, Winchester, MA # # #
