Last week, the U14 Western Region Alpine Ski Championships took place at Big Sky in Montana. The event showcased some of the nation’s youngest talent in Alpine skiing. Peyton Wells, of the Mount Hood Academy and Race Team and local Hood River Middle School student, finished third overall in the competition. Wells placed fourth in the slalom, 12th in the Giant Slalom and 10th in the Super Giant Slalom; the three finishes combined for his overall third place.

For his efforts, Wells has earned a spot on the US Ski Team’s Western Region Development Project Team. He will represent Team USA in the U14 boys division at the Whistler Cup. The Whistler Cup is a famous championship that many past and current ski and snowboard professionals competed at. The cup is an international event, with athletes from 23 countries partaking during the week of April 9-15 at Whistle Mountain in British Columbia.