USSA nominates athletes for 2007-08 alpine team

The United States Ski and Snowboard Association on Wednesday released a list of 42 nominated athletes for the 2007-08 alpine ski team, a list headlined by World Championships medalists Julia Mancuso and Lindsey Kildow and absent of Bode Miller for the first time in 11 seasons.
THE UNITED STATES Ski and Snowboard Association on Wednesday released a list of 42 nominated athletes for the 2007-08 alpine ski team, a list headlined by World Championships medalists Julia Mancuso and Lindsey Kildow and absent of Bode Miller for the first time in 11 seasons.
    The total of 42 athletes includes 21 men and 21 women on the preliminary A, B and C teams for next season. The teams won’t be named officially until later this summer.
    The athletes nominated for the women’s A team include two who didn’t race at all on the World Cup last season because of knee injuries, Sarah Schleper and Caroline Lalive. Kaylin Richardson, who started last season on the B team but enjoyed a breakthrough year on the World Cup, is on the A team roster for ’07-’08.
    The men’s A team, headlined by Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety, also includes three racers on the mend from injury — Bryon Friedman, Erik Schlopy and Dane Spencer. Friedman is still looking to return to full speed after suffering a badly broken leg two seasons ago; Schlopy hurt his knee, hip and thumb in a pre-Christmas crash last season; and Spencer began skiing last November after breaking his neck and pelvis during a crash in February 2006.
    Miller, the reigning World Cup super G champion who is poised to pass Phil Mahre and become the winningest U.S. men's racer ever on the World Cup, decided earlier this month to ski as an independent racer next season.    
    Ski Racing Junior of the Year Will Brandenburg has been nominated for the B team after spending last season on the development team. Fellow SR Junior of the Year Leanne Smith has been nominated for the C team after spending last season on the development squad.
    Below is the full list of nominated athletes:

Men’s Team
A Team
Bryon Friedman (6/14/60; Park City, UT; Park City Ski Education Foundation)
Ted Ligety (8/31/84; Park City, UT; Park City SEF)
Scott Macartney (1/19/78; Crystal Mountain, WA; Crystal Mountain Alpine Club)
Steven Nyman (2/12/82; Provo, UT; Sundance/Park City SEF)
Erik Schlopy (8/21/72; Park City, UT; Park City SEF)
Dane Spencer (12/24/77; Boise, ID; Bogus Basin)
Marco Sullivan (4/27/80; Squaw Valley, CA; Squaw Valley Ski Team)

B Team
Will Brandenburg (1/1/87; Spokane, WA; Schweitzer Alpine Racing)
Jimmy Cochran (5/29/81; Keene, NH; Cochran’s Mount Mansfield Ski & Snowboard Club)
Erik Fisher (3/21/85; Middleton, ID; Rowmark Academy/Bogus Basin)
Kevin Francis (6/13/82; Bend, OR; Mt. Bachelor SEF)
Tim Jitloff (1/11/85; Reno, NV; Park City SEF)
Tim Kelley (5/20/86; Starksboro, VT; Cochran’s/MMS&SC)
T.J. Lanning (8/27/84; Park City, UT; Park City SEF)
Cody Marshall (11/15/82; Pittsfield, VT; Green Mountain Valley School)
Jeremy Transue (6/1/83; Hunter, NY; GMVS)
Jake Zamansky (6/26/81; Aspen, CO; Aspen Valley Ski&Snowboard Club)

C Team
Chris Beckmann (10/9/86; Altamont, NY; NYSEF)
Travis Ganong (7/14/88; Olympic Valley, CA; Squaw Valley Ski Team)
Paul McDonald (6/25/84; Bellevue, WA; Crystal Mountain)
Andrew Weibrecht (2/10/86; Lake Placid, NY; New York SEF)

Development Team
Tommy Ford (3/20/89; Bend, OR; Mount Bachelor SEF)
Colby Granstrom (9/21/90; Lake Stevens, WA; Mission Ridge SEF)
Max Hammer (1/29/88; Jackson Hole WY; Jackson Hole Ski Club)
Bump Heldman (10/25/88; Auburn, ME; Gould Academy Snow Sports Club)
Nolan Kasper (3/27/89; Warren, VT; BMA)
Andrew Phillips (5/18/89; Sandy, UT; Park City Ski Team)

Women’s Team
A Team
Stacey Cook (7/3/84; Mammoth Mountain, Mammoth Mountain Ski Team)
Lindsey Kildow (10/18/84; Vail, CO; Ski&Snowboard Club Vail)
Caroline Lalive (8/10/79; Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)
Libby Ludlow (8/26/81; Bellevue, WA; Crystal Mountain Alpine Club)
Julia Mancuso (9/9/84; Olympic Valley, CA; Squaw Valley Ski Team)
Kaylin Richardson (9/28/84; Edina, MN; Team Gilboa)
Sarah Schleper (2/19/79; Vail, CO; S&SCV)
Resi Stiegler (11/15/85; Jackson Hole, WY; Park City/Jackson Hole

B Team
Caitlin Ciccone (3/14/85; Bethlehem, NH; Burke Mountain Academy/Franconia Ski Club)
Katie Hitchcock (3/11/85; Sacramento, CA; Sugar Bowl Ski Team)
Jessica Kelley (10/5/82; Starksboro, VT; Cochran’s/MMS&SC)
Lauren Ross (1/8/82; Stowe, VT; MMS&SC)

C Team
Laurel Carter (10/29/86; Norwich, VT; Ski Racing International)
Hailey Duke (9/17/85; Boise, ID; Park City SEF)
Sterling Grant (6/1/87; Amery, WI; Buck Hill Ski Team)
Keely Kelleher (8/12/84; Big Sky, MT; Rowmark Academy)
Julia Littman (7/21/84; Vail, CO; S&SCV)
Chelsea Marshall (8/14/86; Pittsfield, VT; GMVS)
Megan McJames (9/24/87; Park City, UT; Park City SEF)
Leanne Smith (5/28/87; Conway, NH; Mt. Washington Valley Ski Team)
Kiley Staples (2/2/89; Park City, UT; Rowmark Academy)

Development Team
Lindsey Cone (7/1/88; Killington, VT; Burke Mountain Academy)
Kirsten Cooper (11/12/88; Breckenridge, CO; Team Summit)
Julia Ford (3/30/90; Plymouth, NH; Holderness Ski Team)
Kristin Legget (Killington, VT; Killington Mountain School)
Laurenne Ross (8/17/88; Klamath Falls, OR; Mount Bachelor SEF)
Jennifer Van Wagner (Traverse City, MI; Rowmark Ski Academy)