FOX RIVER GROVE, Illinois — Seventeen-year-old Sarah Hendrickson won her first U.S. National Ski Jumping title Saturday on the small hill (K70) at Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove, just outside Chicago.
Hendrickson’s first jump was 68.5 meters, and she out-jumped the entire field with her second jump of 73 meters. Alissa Johnson took second, Jessica Jerome third and Abby Hughes fourth.
“This definitely is a confidence booster going into the World Cup season in December,” Hendrickson said. “I’ve been second in Nationals four different times now and it’s nice to finally get a win. I’m super happy.”
One of those second-places was in this year’s large hill event in July, which took place in Park City, Utah.
“I’ve been working on keeping my hips high while in the air, which allows you to build more height over the knoll and gain distance,” she said. “On the second jump (Saturday), I worked on that one specific thing and it helped.”
Hendrickson has been making strides on the Continental Cup in the past two years, sparked in part by a history-making finish at the 2010 Junior World Championships, where she became the first American to ever medal by winning a bronze.