U.S. Ski Team Announces 2010 freestyle squad

World Cup overall moguls champion Hannah Kearney returns to lead her team to Vancouver. (USSA)
Nine Olympians, including the three 2009 World Championship medalists, will head up the roster for a talent-stacked 2010 U.S. Freestyle Ski Team. A total of 36 athletes have been named to the Team, which kicks off its march to the 2010 Games with World Cup competitions in Finland and France.

Those ready to drop their skills on top of the Olympic community are World Championship gold medalists Ryan St. Onge (Winter Park, CO) and Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA), World Championship bronze medalist and World Cup moguls champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) and Olympic moguls silver medalist Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA).

“Our team is stacked with athletes who have found success at all levels of competition and we are looking forward to keeping consistency on that front in 2010,” said U.S. Freestyle Ski Team Head Coach Jeff Wintersteen. “It’s going to be an exciting season for freestyle.”

Aerials Looks To Fly High
With already ample Olympic experience are St. Onge, Jeret “Speedy” Peterson (Boise, ID) and Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) who make up the aerials A squad and mustered a handful of World Cup podiums from the 2009 season. Aerials Head Coach Matt Christensen is hoping they stay consistently ahead of the curve.

“We hit a great stride in 2009 and I am looking for those guys to not only build that momentum again, but lead the way for others on the team to reach that momentum,” Christensen said. “If we can all reach that stride, great things will come from our team this season.”

Looking to make his a household name is rookie turned B Team athlete Dylan Ferguson (Amesbury, MA) who managed his roster ascent last season when he finished seventh at World Championships. Olympian Jana Lindsey (Black Hawk, SD) and Lacy Schnoor (Draper, UT) also have go big aspirations and, after dedicating their summers to training at the Center of Excellence, are ready for the season.

Ski Cross Ready To Make Debut
Ski cross is gearing up for its Olympic debut and with former Olympic-level alpine racers Casey Puckett (Aspen, CO) and Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) at the helm, Ski Cross Head Coach Tyler Shepherd is excited to see what his team can do.

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Ski racing veteran Casey Puckett brings experience to the ski cross team. (USSA)
“We’ve been to the World Cup and World Championship levels, but now is a chance for these guys, who have both competed at the Olympics in alpine, to show the world our sport,” Shepherd said. “Competing in the newest Olympic sport is going to be exciting. Hopefully already having experience at the Games will prepare them for the excitement and enable them to focus on racing their best,”

With a 2009 World Cup podium from Puckett as well as the three X Games gold medals between he and Rahlves, the ex-alpiners are ready to show the ski cross world old dogs can learn new tricks of the ski cross variety.

Moguls Stays Strong at Every Level
With the consistency of veteran Kearney, the breakthrough performance of Deneen, and group of prepped athletes, the moguls squad is ready for the bumps.

“We have a great mix of athletes from those who have been on the team for years to rookies and each of them has the opportunity to take things to the next level for the 2010 season,” Moguls Head Coach Scott Rawles said. “We’re just looking forward to our first competitions to get started so the team can really start pushing itself for success.”

Giving some extra skills to moguls is Michael Morse (Duxbury, MA) who, in addition to four top-10 World Cup finishes, landed on the first World Cup podium of his career. David Babic (Washington, VT) and Michelle Roark (Denver, CO) also dined on some World Cup success as each finished second during the Visa Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT.

The 2010 U.S. Freestyle Ski Team (with date of birth, hometown and *if Olympian)

A Team
Men
Patrick Deneen, moguls (12/25/87; Cle Elum, WA; Silver Mountain Freestyle)
Sho Kashima, moguls (11/1/86; South Lake Tahoe, CA; Heavenly Freestyle)
Michael Morse, moguls (4/21/81; Duxbury, MA; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club/Killington)
Jeret “Speedy” Peterson, aerials (12/12/81; Boise, ID; Bogus Basin)*
Casey Puckett, ski cross (9/22/72, Aspen, CO)*
Daron Rahlves, ski cross (6/12/73, Sugar Bowl, CA)*
Nate Roberts, moguls (3/24/82; Park City, UT; Park City Freestyle Team)
Ryan St. Onge, aerials (2/7/83; Winter Park, CO)*

Women
Shannon Bahrke, moguls (11/7/80; Tahoe City, CA; Squaw Valley Freestyle)*
Emily Cook, aerials (7/1/79; Belmont, MA; Freestyle Lives Year-round)*
Hannah Kearney, moguls (2/26/86; Norwich, VT; Waterville Valley Black&Blue Trail Smashers)*
Shelly Robertson, moguls (4/8/79; Reno, NV; Squaw Valley Freestyle)
Emiko Torito, moguls (7/2/82; Denver; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)

B Team
Men
Dave Babic, moguls (6/3/79; Washington, VT; Sugarbush)
Scott Bahrke, aerials (7/19/85; Tahoe City, CA)
Dylan Ferguson, aerials (8/10/88; Amesbury, MA; Waterville Valley Black & Blue Trail Smashers)
Bryon Wilson, moguls (4/7/88; Butte, MT; Wasatch Freestyle)

Women
Jana Lindsey, aerials (8/18/84; Black Hawk, SD)*
Eliza Outtrim, moguls (7/18/85; Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club/Mount Snow Ski Club)
Michelle Roark, moguls (11/16/74; Denver; Winter Park Eskimos)*
Lacy Schnoor, aerials (6/12/85; Draper, UT)

C Team
Men
Jeremy Cota, moguls (10/24/1988; Carrabassett Valley, ME; Carrabassett Valley Academy Athletics)
Shane Cordeau moguls (12/16/1986; Sun Valley, ID; Sun Valley Ski Team)
Matt DePeters, aerials (8/20/87; Hamburg NY; Buffalo Ski Club)
David DiGravio, moguls (11/26/86; Farmington, ME; Carrabassett Valley Academy)
Jimmy Discoe, moguls (5/15/89; Ridgway, CO; Telluride Freestyle)
Joe Discoe, moguls (2/23/1987; Telluride, CO; Telluride Freestyle)
Landon Gardner, moguls (1/1/85; Missoula, MT; Missoula Freestyle)
Holt Haga, moguls (8/29/83; Boise, ID; Park City Freestyle Team/Bogus Basin)

Women
Ani Haas, moguls (12/14/87; Missoula, MT; Park City Freestyle)
Mikaela Matthews, moguls (12/24/1991; Frisco, CO; Team Summit)
Heather McPhie, moguls (5/28/84; Park City, UT; Bridger Freestyle/Breckenridge)
Jaime Myers, aerials (3/27/82; Boise, ID)
Laurel Shanley, moguls (2/19/83; Squaw Valley, CA; Squaw Valley Freestyle)
Kayla Snyderman, moguls (7/4/88; Winchester, MA; Waterville Valley Black & Blue Trail Smashers)
Allison Treleaven, aerials (10/20/83; Fort Wayne, IN; Freestyle Lives Year-round)