CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine -- Caitlin Ciccone came through with a strong second run and beat Olympic champion Julia Mancuso for the U.S. giant slalom title Wednesday.
Ciccone trailed Mancuso after the first run, but won with an aggregate time of two minutes, 17.96 seconds for her third podium at the national championships. She was second in the slalom and the combined.
"It's all about my run on that day," said Ciccone, who earned a spot on next season's World Cup squad. "I was just thinking about my skiing, I don't really think about anyone else."
Mancuso, the surprise giant slalom gold medalist in Sestriere, Italy, last month, settled for runner-up position after clocking 2:18.10. She was the defending champion.
Mancuso, who finished 11th in the season-ending World Cup giant slalom standings, is the highest ranked U.S. woman in the discipline. Kristina Koznick, ranked 28th, is the only other American woman in the top 30.
"For me, watching the girls struggle and struggle on the World Cup, it's really fun to come back and get beat at Nationals," Mancuso said. "I'm the only girl making a second run at World Cup in GS in most of the races.
"So for me to come back and have two decent runs, with no real mistakes, and be able to be beat is really a positive thing for them to look at and see."
Mancuso was also runner-up to local favorite Kirsten Clark in Saturday's downhill and the combined event, as well as third in Monday's slalom.
Stacey Cook, who won the super-G title Sunday, placed third with 2:18.24. Megan McJames was fourth in 2:18.64.
