FRIDAY 13TH WAS anything but unlucky for Flagship York Sport club YUSnow as they secured York’s first BUCS points of the year with a series of stunning performances at this years British University Dry Slope Championships in Edinburgh. The two day event is one of only two BUCS events for snowsports teams, and is attended by over 800 students from all over Great Britain. Marlies Neuner, YUsnow’s Snowboard Captain, who finished 10th last year in the Female Snowboarder Giant Slalom, came 2nd in this year’s event, claiming 8 individual points for York. A result that qualified her to take part in the Boarder X event – an event including a downhill section, a jump and a slalom course – the following day, which she went on to win. Tom Farrow also qualified for the same race in the male category.
There were also encouraging signs for the future of the club with first year
Stephanie-Campbell Woodward only just missing out on qualification for a
second run in the Slalom , coming 33rd in of a field of over 200 female
racers. With a bit more luck, the male skiers could have achieved equal success but
some bad luck unfortunately halted their progress. James Lodge and Matt
Thomas completed the tough Slalom course, coming a credible 74th and 100th
respectively. The event pits 32 of the top university skiers around against one another in
a round robin format. Having comfortably progressed through the rounds
York’s captain faced the best that Napier University had to offer in a tight
and tense finale.
A key factor in her success is surely Neuner’s drive to achieve near
perfection, even in reflection of these wonderful achievements she told
Vision, ‘I was not satisfied with my runs. Then again I never am’. Evidently
her attitude is rubbing off on the rest of the YUSnow squad who continue to
represent York at the highest level, to the highest degree.
On her victory Neuner told Vision ‘I could not believe I won, it was one of the best feelings ever.’ she went on to add ‘I could not stop smiling for the rest of the day’. This event may not have added to York’s BUCS points total, but this victory represented a further coup for one of York’s most successful Sports clubs and secured a Gold medal to boot.