Prep snowboard racing: Truckee boys sweep top three

Truckee boys swept the podium in the third CNISSF snowboard race of the season at Northstar California on Monday.

Defending state champion Ryan Murphy claimed the win in a field of 44 riders in the giant slalom race, posting a combined time of 3:17.20 between his two runs. Murphy also won last week’s GS race at Northstar and was fourth in the opening slalom on Jan. 11.

Truckee’s Quinntin Butler was second in 3:22.17, brother Randy Butler was third in 3:24.98 and Zach Yamauchi was 15th.

The results gave the Truckee boys the team win with 384 points to runner-up Placer’s 365 and third-place Nevada Union’s 360. Truckee’s boys also lead the season standings with 1,160 points. They are followed by Placer (1,094) and Nevada Union (1,071).

Omar Cerda led the North Tahoe boys in 24th, and Gordon Vanhusen was 34th. North Tahoe’s boys finished sixth as a team.

In the girls race, North Tahoe’s Anna Yamauchi finished second to Placer’s Lily Worthington, recording a time of 4:02.95 to Worthington’s 4:02.95.

Sabina Moganti was 12th for the Laker girls, Karla Hernandez was 30th and Estrella Sanchez 31st. North Tahoe’s girls placed fifth.

Annika Bauhaus led the Truckee girls in 11th place and was followed by teammates Sayler McBean in 17th and Paulina Wetzel in 20th. The girls placed sixth.

With a combined 2,108 points, the Wolverines rank third overall in the season standings, trailing Placer (2,216) and Davis (2,138). The Lakers (1,282) are sixth.

Good Samaritans

Murphy and Quinntin Butler not only topped the field in the race, they helped out a fellow racer in need.

According to Truckee coach Eniko Kuch, the pair tended to a Nevada Union rider who had hit a tree and was calling out for help from the tree well.

“They got him calm, called ski patrol and waited with him until help arrived. They then quickly came back up to start the race and came in first and second,” Kuch wrote in an email about the incident.

Kuch said the snowboarder was transported to Tahoe Forest Hospital, where he underwent surgery for a broken femur.