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Steamboat Springs — There's a certain amount of pressure that goes with competing at the highest level.

Add that to competing at a skier's home course, and Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Freeskier team coach Tony Lodico said nerves can get the best of skiers.

On Wednesday in the opening competition of the 2008 Freestyle Junior Olympics at the Steamboat Ski Area, Lodico said those nerves certainly appeared to get the best of the Steamboat skiers.

"They washed out on a couple landings," Lodico said. "It was nerves here and there. They rushed some things and were not skiing as confident."

Lauren Ladley had the best Steamboat finish of the day with a 16th-place finish in the girls halfpipe competition. Molly Leonard finished 26th.

"This is their first year competing and skiing halfpipe," Lodico said of the two Steamboat girls. "They really progressed and had a lot of fun. It's impressive to see them progress as far as they have. Just beginning and competing with these girls is really impressive."

In the boys' events, Jonas Seiler paced Steamboat with a 25th-place finish. Other Steamboat boys finishers included Michael Ricker in 27th, Chapman Geer in 29th, Ben Von Thaden in 30th, Conor Garrecht-Connelly in 32nd, Adrian Pougiales in 35th and Brian Burger in 74th.

"A couple of the guys skied really well," Lodico said. "It would have been nice if they would have landed some clean runs, but overall the skiing was pretty good. They're still growing as athletes. I'm very happy and excited to see them as they get better and really start to excel."

Lodico said he expects to see better results today in the slopestyle event. Along with nerves being more under control, he said the five Steamboat skiers today are much better slopestyle skiers than halfpipe skiers.

"I definitely expect better out of them" today, Lodico. "They're more naturally slopestyle skiers."

Garrecht-Connelly, Geer, Pougiales, Ricker and Seiler are expected to compete in slopestyle at 10 a.m. today at Bashor Terrain Park on Mount Werner.