VETERANS LEAD 2006 U.S. ALPINE SKI TEAM

By Published On: May 9th, 2005Comments Off on VETERANS LEAD 2006 U.S. ALPINE SKI TEAM

VETERANS LEAD 2006 U.S. ALPINE SKI TEAM{mosimage}World Cup and double Worlds champion Bode Miller (Franconia, NH), World Championships double medalists Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) and Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA), plus World Cup first-time winners Lindsey Kildow and Sarah Schleper (both Vail, CO) are among 45 alpine athletes named to the U.S. Ski Team for the 2006 Olympic season.

“We are coming off the most successful season in our history,” U.S. Alpine Director Jesse Hunt said, “and I’m extremely pleased with this group. We’ve got proven winners and medal-winners, and we’ve got very promising younger skiers also in the mix. This should be a very exciting winter for us.”

Hunt said the group included 26 men and 19 women; 14 have Olympic experience while six have won Olympic or World Championships medals and five have won World Cup races.

The 2006 U.S. Alpine Ski Team (including age, hometown, Olympic experience):

Men
A Team – Bryon Friedman (24; Park City, UT), Ted Ligety (20; Park City, UT), Bode Miller (27; Franconia, NH; 1998, 2002 Olympics), Daron Rahlves (31; Sugar Bowl, CA; 1998, 2002 Olympics), Tom Rothrock (26; Cashmere, WA; 2002 Olympics), Erik Schlopy (32; Park City, UT; 1994, 2002 Olympics), Dane Spencer (27; Boise, ID; 2002 Olympics) and Marco Sullivan (25; Squaw Valley, CA; 2002 Olympics).

B Team – Jimmy Cochran (23; Keene, NH), Justin J. Johnson (27; Park City, UT), Chip Knight (30; Stowe, VT; 1998, 2002 Olympics), TJ Lanning (20; Park City, UT), Scott Macartney (27; Redmond, WA; 2002 Olympics), Jesse Marshall (24; Pittsfield, VT) and Paul McDonald (20; Bellevue, WA).

C Team – Chris Beckmann (18; Altamont, NY), Roger Brown (23; Norwich, VT), Erik Fisher (20; Eagle, ID), Kevin Francis (22; Bend, OR), Tim Jitloff (20; Reno, NV), Steve Nyman (23; Orem, UT), Drew Roberts (20; Steamboat Springs, CO), Jeremy Transue (21; Hunter, NY), Andrew Weibrecht (19; Lake Placid, NY), Evan Weiss (21; Seattle) and Jake Zamansky (23; Aspen, CO).

Women
A Team – Kirsten Clark (28; Raymond, ME; 1998, 2002 Olympics), Lindsey Kildow (20; Vail, CO; 2002 Olympics), Caroline Lalive (25; Steamboat Springs, CO; 1998, 2002 Olympics), Libby Ludlow (23; Bellevue, WA), Julia Mancuso (21; Olympic Valley, CA; 2002 Olympics), Bryna McCarty (22; Concord, VT), Jonna Mendes (26; South Lake Tahoe, CA; 1998, 2002 Olympics), Sarah Schleper (26; Vail, CO; 1998, 2002 Olympics) and Resi Stiegler (19; Jackson Hole, WY).

B Team – Stacey Cook (20; Truckee, CA), Jessica Kelley (22; Starksboro, VT), Kaylin Richardson (20; Edina, MN) and Lauren Ross (23; Stowe, VT).

C Team – Caitlin Ciccone (20; Bethlehem, NH), Katie Hitchcock (20; Sugar Bowl, CA), Keely Kelleher (20; Big Sky, MT), Jenny Lathrop (22 on May 6; North Conway, NH), Chelsea Marshall (18; Pittsfield, VT) and Julia Littman (19; Vail, CO).

U.S. Ski Team was second in the Nations Cup – its highest ranking in history – for the 2005 season. Miller became the first U.S. skier to win the World Cup overall title since 1983 when Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney each won. He also won the super G title, giving him three World Cup titles in the last two years; he was the giant slalom champion in 2004. In addition, Miller was the downhill and super G gold medalist at Worlds in Bormio, Italy. Rahlves was silver medalist in downhill and bronze medalist in GS while Mancuso took the bronze in super G and GS.

Kildow, kicking off what turned out to be a breakthrough season, won the first downhill of the winter for the women while Schleper captured the slalom at World Cup Finals.

“This is a very talented Ski Team,” Hunt said. “We have World Cup champions and Worlds medalists, Junior Worlds champions and medalists, and NorAm champions, too. There is a good cross-section of veterans – Bode, Daron, ‘Clarky’ and others – and the next wave of contenders, led by Julia, Lindsey, Resi and Ted and Jimmy.”

In addition, eight athletes have been named to this year’s Development Team. They are:

Men
Mitt Coats (18; Salt Lake City; PCSEF), Timothy Kelley (18; Starksboro, VT; MMSSC), Todd Thibodeau (19; North Conway, NH; Waterville Valley BBTS) and Stefan Hughes (18; Killington, VT; Killington Ski Club).

Women
Kara Crow (18; Stowe VT; Mount Mansfield Ski & Snowboard Club), Megan McJames (17; Park City, UT; Park City Ski Education Foundation), Sterling Grant (17; Amery, WI; Crested Butte Academy) and Jilyne McDonald (19; Bellevue, WA; University of Vermont Ski Team).

-U.S. Ski Team Press Release

Share This Article

About the Author: Pete Rugh