Big guns absent from US World Junior team

By Published On: February 14th, 2013Comments Off on Big guns absent from US World Junior team

The US will go to the FIS Alpine World Junior Championships without its two biggest guns.

Fourteen have been named to represent the USA in the World Junior Championships scheduled for Quebec Feb. 21-28. Notably absent from the list is World Cup slalom leader Mikaela Shiffrin who will visit the site of next season’s Olympics in Sochi, Russia for training. Also absent is last season’s double gold medal winner Ryan Cochran-Siegle who was injured in the Schladming senior World Championships during the super combined competition Feb. 11.

Leading the Americans will be Katie Ryan and Jacqueline Wiles who recently finished one-two in the Nor Am downhill standings.

The 2013 Alpine World Championship Team includes:
Men

Jack Auty, Durham, NH., 3/13/95 (Burke Mountain Academy)
Bryce Bennett, Olympic Valley, Calif., 7/14/92 (Squaw Valley Ski Team)
Keiffer Christianson, Anchorage, Alaska, 8/11/92 (Dartmouth Ski Team)
Robert Cone, Killington, Vt., 1/12/92 (Middlebury College Ski Team)
Samuel Durpratt, Park City, Utah, 11/28/93 (Park City Ski Education Foundation)
Matthew Strand, Lakeville, Minn., 5/14/93 (Buck Hill Ski Team)
Nick Krause, Northboro, Mass., 5/12/93 (Stratton Mountain School)

Women
Abby Ghent, Edwards, Colo., 2/25/92 (Ski and Snowboard Club Vail)
Katherine Irwin, Vail, Colo., 6/5/94 (Ski and Snowboard Club Vail)
Lila Lapanja, Incline Village, Colo., 12/3/94 (Sugar Bowl Academy/Diamond Peak)
Paula Moltzan, Lakeville, Minn., 5/7/94 (Ski and Snowboard Club Vail)
Foreste Peterson, Berkeley, Calif., 10/9/93 (Squaw Valley Ski Team)
Katie Ryan, Aspen, Colo., 1/3/93 (Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club)
Jacqueline Wiles, Aurora, Ore., 7/13/92 (White Pass Ski Club)

Gepa photo of Bryce Bennet from earlier this season.

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About the Author: Hank McKee

In memoriam: The veteran of the staff, McKee started with Ski Racing in 1980. Over the seasons, he covered virtually every aspect of the sport, from the pro tours to junior racing, freestyle and World Cup alpine competition. He wrote the first national stories for many U.S. team stars, and was still around to report on their retirements. “Longevity has its rewards,” he said, “but it’s a slow process.”