CARRABASSETT VALLEY – Kristina Koznick and European Martin Tichy won the slaloms Monday in the U.S. Alpine Championships, while Carrie Sheinberg appeared to be the big loser despite a runner-up finish and a combined title.

Koznick, 21, of Burnsville, Minn., posted the best time for each run in the women’s race to win the title for the third straight year, the second at Sugarloaf-USA. She finished in 1 minute, 30.05 seconds; 1.63 seconds ahead of Sheinberg.

Tichy, a member of the Czech Republic national team who lives in Vancouver, thrust an embarrassing note into the championships for American skiers by coming from seventh place after the first run to win. His combined time was 1:36.47.

Another European, Uros Pavlovcic of Slovenia, who goes to school at Sierra Nevada College, tied for second with Casey Puckett of Crested Butte, Colo., in 1:36.70.

Casey’s brother, Chris, won the men’s combined title after finishing 13th and Sheinberg won the women’s combined.

As for Sheinberg, 24, of Port Washington, N.Y., winning the slalom would have meant much more than the $3,500 first prize or the title. Four days earlier, she was told by women’s U.S. ski team coach Herwig Demschar she would not be funded next season after three years of poor performance since her 18th place in the 1994 Olympic slalom. She has been on the team for six years.

But she won Sunday’s giant slalom, and up on the hill before Monday’s race, Demschar told her, “Do the same thing today and your preparation [training] period is paid for,” Sheinberg said. “He didn’t say anything about second. He wasn’t bargaining.

“That’s about $25,000 I lost for 1 1/2 seconds.”

The training period, equipment and travel costs at least $15,000, and could hit $25,000.

Sheinberg said Demschar did not make any counteroffer after the race.

But Sheinberg’s two victories and second place were worth $8,500, a good start if she chooses to pay her own way in training in an attempt to earn a spot on the team.

Despite the added pressure, she said she was not thinking about the money when she started her first run and stood third behind Koznick and Tichy’s sister, Katerina, who wound up third overall.

Meanwhile, Koznick, a member of the U.S. “B” team with Sheinberg, continued her comeback from a bad back that ruined most of her season.

“I couldn’t bend to touch my toes a month ago,” Koznick said. But a chiropractor helped her, and she finished 11th in the next-to-last World Cup slalom of the season, won two North American series races last week and defended her title here.

Skiing

U.S. Alpine Championships

CARRABASSETT VALLEY, – Leading results Monday from the slalom at the U.S. Alpine Championships: Men

1. Martin Tichy, Czech Republic, 1 minute, 36.47 seconds (45.56, 50.91); 2. Casey Puckett, Crested Butte, Colo., 1:36.70 (45.29, 51.41); tie, Uros Pavlovcic, Slovenia, 1:36.70 (45.16, 51.54); 4. Chip Knight, New Canaan, Conn., 1:36.72 (44.88, 51.84); 5. Matthew Grosjean, Aliso Viejo, Calif., 1:36.79 (45.49, 51.30); 6. Josh Nolting, Winter Park, Colo., 1:38.25 (45.32, 52.93); 7. Sacha Gros, Vail, Colo., 1:38.75 (46.84, 51.91); 8. Drew Thorne-Thomsen, Stratton Mountain, Vt., 1:38.92 (46.71, 52.21); 9. Chad Wolk, Vail, Colo., 1:38.95 (46.31, 52.64); 10. Bode Miller, Franconia, N.H., 1:38.96 (46.53, 52.43);

11. Brandon Dyksterhouse, Burlington, Vt., 1:40.08 (46.76, 53.32); tie, Markus Leunig, Switzerland, 1:40.08 (46.58, 53.50); 13. Chris Puckett, Crested Butte, Colo., 1:40.20 (47.08, 53.12); 14. David Viele, Vail, Colo., 1:40.62 (47.07, 53.55); 15. John Minahan, Sodus, N.H., 1:40.92 (47.64, 53.28); 16. Brett Fischer, Winter Park, Colo., 1:41.74 (47.86, 53.88); 17. Jeff Sarchett, Sun Valley, Idaho, 1:41.87 (48.04, 53.83); 18. Andrew Martin, Warner, N.H., 1:41.97 (47.63, 54.34); 19. Derek McClellan, Waitsfield, Vt., 1:42.59 (48.51, 54.08); 20. Dane Spencer, Boise Idaho, 1:42.61 (48.00, 54.61). Combined (Based on all 4 races)

1. Chris Puckett, 35.11; 2. Gros, 53.82; 3. Casey Puckett, 69.88; 4. Spencer, 98.98; 5. Thorne-Thomsen, 126.33; 6. Jakub Fiala, Breckenridge, Colo., 134.60; 7. Chris Phillips, Waitsfield, Vt., 140.44; 8. Kevin Stell, Juneau, Alaska, 157.79; 9. Travis Svensrud, Bozeman, Mont., 166.17; 10. Andrej Prevuznak, Slovakia, 166.76

Women

1. Kristina Koznick, Burnsville, Minn., 1:30.05; 2. Carrie Sheinberg, Port Washington, N.Y., 1:31.68; 3. Katerina Tichy, Czech Republic, 1:31.83; 4. Alex Shaffer, Aspen, Colo., 1:32.61; 5. Edda Mutter, Germany, 1:33.78; 6. Aimee Mulkern, Magnolia, Mass., 1:34.35; 7. Taylor Watts, Ludlow, Vt., 1:35.43; 8. Katie Monahan, Aspen, Colo., 1:35.48; 9. Alicia Howard, S. Lake Tahoe, Calif., 1:36.03; 10. Tatum Skoglund, Bellevue, Wash., 1:36.63;

11. Kumiko Kahiswagi, Japan, 1:36.71; 12. Marcella Biondi, Italy, 1:36.92; 13. Marie-Helen Thibeault, Canada, 1:38.05; 14. Sabrina Lawrence, Squaw Valley, Calif., 1:38.08; 15. Elizabeth Sherry, Bennington, Vt., 1:38.17; 16. Simona Novara, Italy, 1:38.50; 17. Chrissy Guptill, Glen, N.H., 1:38.54; 18. Liz Skibiski, Sunderland, Mass., 1:38.56; 19. Martina Sailer, Apple Valley, Minn., 1:39.15; 20. Erica MacConnell, Amherst, Mass., 1:39.22. Combined

1. Sheinberg, 87.34; 2. Kirsten Clark, Raymond, Maine, 95.95; 3. Skibiski, 206.82; 4. Tiffany Hoversten, Vail, Colo., 218.77; 5. Suzan Dole, Vail, Colo., 239.22; 6. Lela Hebard, Olympic Valley, Calif., 260.46; 7. Alison Powers, Fraser, Colo., 270.10; 8. Susie Whan, Australia, 292.28; 9. Libby Ludlow, Seattle, 307.08; 10. Sunshine Owens, Jackson Hole, Wyo., 331.65.

Rolex Junior National Slalom AT SUGARLOAF

Men’s: 1. John Minahan, Sodus Point, N.Y., 1:40.92; 2. Scott Macartney, Redmond, Wash., 1:44.87; 3. Kyle Hildebrand, Waitsfield, Vt., 1:45.14; 4. Dana Drummond, Center Conway, N.H., 1:46.11; 5. Travis Svensrud, Bozeman, Mont., 1:47.02; 6. Joshua Transue, Hunter, N.Y., 1:47.65; 7. Tom Rothrock, Mission Ridge, 1:48.10; 8. Mike Prado, Tahoe City, Calif., 1:48.45; 9. Tyler Shephard, Vail, Colo., 1:48.52; 10. Bryon Friedman, Park City, Utah, 1:48.56

Women’s: 1. Alicia Howard, South Lake Tahoe, 1:36.03; 2. Tatum Skoglund, Bellevue, Wash., 1:36.63; 3. Sabrina Lawrence, Olympic Valley, Calif., 1:36.05; 4. Elizabeth Sherry, Bennington, Vt., 1:38.17; 5. Liz Skibiski, Sunderland, Mass., 1:38.56; 6. Marina Sailer, Apple Valley, Minn., 1:39.15; 7. Erica Macconnell, Amherst, Mass., 1:39.22; 8. Jenni Wolk, La Crescent, Minn., 1:39.40; 9. Mimi Marceau, Crested Butte, Colo., 1:39.70; 10. Tiffany Hoversten, Vail, Colo., 1:40.67