Freestyle

Breakthrough Podium for Rowley

by
USSA
2015-03-15 06:45
 

MEGEVE, France (March 15, 2015) – With the door closing on his first full season on the World Cup tour, Thomas Rowley (Long Beach, NY) will be taking home some hardware. Rowley battled through five rounds of dual moguls to land his first career World Cup podium, finishing second behind World Champion Anthony Benna of France. On the women’s side, Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) closed out her moguls career with her fourth win of the 2015 season, solidifying her spot at the top of the mogul World Cup standings and bringing home the overall freestyle title.

Rowley’s final run was fast and clean. With a bigger bottom jump, Rowley opted for a 1080 on the bottom air instead of his usual 720. A slight over-rotation pushed him out of the top spot, but the second place spot is nothing to be disappointed with.

Rowley, skiing out of the Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club, burst onto the World Cup scene this year with a fourth place finish at the first event in Ruka, Finland. He has earned four top-10 finishes this year, including a seventh place in dual moguls in Japan before jumping to his second place finish.

“It was good experience to ski all the World Cups this year,” said Rowley. “Our team had some good events, and then not so good ones, but overall it was a pretty good year. It’s great skiing with these guys.”

Rowley’s performance on the tour this season earned him the Rookie of the Year title alongside teammate Morgan Schild. Schild, who earned her spot on the World Cup tour after U.S. Selections in December, won her first dual moguls World Cup two weeks ago in Tazawako Japan. She also had two additional top-10 finishes this season.


Morgan Schild and Tom Rowley win 2015 FIS Rookie of the Year awards. (FIS Freestyle)

“Tom and Morgan both made that next step this season, resetting their goals from skiing NorAms and Junior Worlds last year,” said head moguls coach Garth Hager. “Both of them ski very fast compared to the field, and that’s a big advantage especially in duals. So that’s where their results have come from. Morgan is doing big jumps, as big as the guys. The judges recognize that she’s jumping very well and skiing fast. She doesn’t even question it, she just goes.”

With the 2015 World Cup tour in the books, the U.S. team will compete at U.S. Freestyle Championships in Steamboat Springs, CO, before officially closing out the season.

 

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Tom Rowley skied to his first World Cup podium and best career finish at World Cup finals in Megeve, France.
  • Hannah Kearney earned her fourth win of the 2015 season, bringing home both the mogul title and overall freestyle title.
  • Bryon Wilson and Jeremy Cota also earned top-10 spots, finishing in fourth and sixth.
  • Troy Murphy, Dylan Walczyk, Sho Kashima, Joe Discoe and Ryan Dyer rounded out the U.S. men’s roster, finishing in 11th, 12th, 16th, 19th and 20th.
  • Rowley and Morgan Schild were both named Rookie of the Year.
  • The U.S. team finished second in the Nations Cup standings behind Canada.

 

QUOTES

Tom Rowley
It was good experience to ski all the World Cups this year. Our team had some good events, and then not so good ones, but overall it was a pretty good year. It’s great skiing with these guys. It’s different than what I’m used to, but fun. It’s also very cool to have two U.S. skiers get Rookie of the Year.

Garth Hager, Head Mogul Coach
Tom and Morgan both made that next step this season, resetting their goals from skiing NorAms and Junior Worlds last year. Both of them ski very fast compared to the field, and that’s a big advantage especially in duals. So that’s where their results have come from. Morgan is doing big jumps, as big as the guys. The judges recognize that she’s jumping very well and skiing fast. She doesn’t even question it, she just goes.

RESULTS
Men’s Dual Moguls
Women’s Dual Moguls
Men’s World Cup Moguls Standings
Women’s World Cup Moguls Standings
Men’s World Cup Overall Standings
Women’s World Cup Overall Standings
Nations Cup Standings

 

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