Blake Bledsoe of Liberty Lake , WA led a team of eight Spokane Ski Racing Association boys to the overall title in the 2004 Buddy Werner Championships held at Alpental , WA , March 13-14. The Buddy Werner Championships are the Pacific Northwest Ski Association's definitive event to determine the top individuals and teams in 12 and under ski racing. A total of 25 teams from around the Pacific Northwest ( Washington , Oregon and Northern Idaho ) competed.

Bledsoe, a 12-year old student at Greenacres Junior High School, won the first run of Saturday's slalom by a half second and finished third in the two-run race on Saturday. He again won the first run of Sunday's giant slalom, but only by 9 hundredths of a second. However, Bledsoe delivered the knock-out blow with a blistering second run to clinch the win against the field of 153 boys. The win in the giant slalom secured the boys overall title for Blake, edging two TAS athletes who finished 2nd and 3rd.

“I have been coaching Blake for 4 years and I know that winning the Buddy Werner Championships has been his goal the whole time. He has placed at the top of the field in our local races consistently and it had become a plan in the making for Blake and myself to win the divisional championships. I cannot explain how proud I am of Blake. It is beyond words. That is what you live for as a coach, to see an athlete accomplish such milestones. It makes all the hard work worthwhile”, stated Mark Burandt, S.S.R.A. Junior Development Head Coach.

“I couldn't have done it without my coaches or the support of my team. It was a team effort. My teammates helped me every step of the way. In the GS I just wanted to have fun and I knew I had to go for it to win, so I did,” said Bledsoe.

“Blake has come a long way this year and really proved to himself that he can be the best in both slalom and giant slalom. I wasn't surprised when he won, I knew that he had it in him. He is a gifted athlete and he learned a great dea this weekendl about what it takes to be a champion”, added Chuck Holcomb, SSRA Program Director/Head Coach

In becoming the overall champion of this prestigious event, Bledsoe qualifies for the Chevy Truck/USSA Western Region J4 Festival taking place March 18-21 in Sun Valley , Idaho . Only 15 boys from the Western United States are invited to compete in this annual event. The winners of the J4 Festival giant slalom and slalom, will in turn, be invited to compete in the Whistler Cup April 2-4 in British Columbia, Canada. This is an international race and the top event for 11-12 year-olds worldwide. The last time S.S.R.A sent an athlete to the J4 Festival was in 2000, when Will Brandenburg qualified. Brandenburg went on to win the J4 Festival slalom and the bronze medal in slalom at the Whistler Cup as the top American.

WAY TO GO, BLAKE!