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The University of Utah Athletics
Ute Skiers Recognized
5/22/2001 12:00 AM | Skiing
May 22, 2001
Salt Lake City - U.S. skiers collected some of the top results in recent seasons last January during three days of World Cup racing on the 2002 Olympic trails at Soldier Hollow, Utah, providing a boost in confidence and motivation as they prepare for Olympic Winter Games XIX.
On the men's side, two-time Olympian Justin Wadsworth (Bend, Ore.) was eighth in a race on the Olympic layout, the finest U.S. performance since 1984. Marcus Nash (Fryeburg, Me.) was hobbled by overtraining but, another Olympic two-timer, he took extensive down time in the spring and felt he learned to keep his training in better balance. Carl Swenson (Boulder, Colo.), a `94 Olympian and an outstanding sprinter, produced his first World Cup top-20.
Two newcomers move up to the Ski Team this winter: Torin Koos (Leavenworth, Wash.), a University of Utah racer, got everyone's attention when he qualified ninth and finished 11th in his first World Cup race, the sprint at Soldier Hollow.
"All our preparation for the last three seasons has been focused on Soldier Hollow. Feeling comfortable at this altitude [6,000 feet] and everything else paid off last winter, and we expect that to happen again this winter," said Head Coach Christer Skog.
In addition, a seven-member development group trains under Coach Miles Minson. The group includes: Men - Kris Freeman (Andover, N.H.), Andrew Johnson (Greensboro, Vt.), Andrew Newell (Shaftsbury, Vt.), and Rob Whitney (Anchorage, Ala.), Women - Melissa Oram (Taberg, N.Y.), Kikkan Randall (also Anchorage) and Aubrey Smith (Seward, Ala). Freeman and Johnson are part of cross country's in-residence program in Park City, Utah, while Oram and Smith come from Northern Michigan University.
Sixteen athletes, including 10 Olympians, have been named to the U.S. cross country, jumping or nordic combined teams for the 2002 season, the U.S. Ski Team said Friday, including six members of the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team, three to the U.S. Ski Jumping Team and seven to the U.S. Nordic Combined Team. The University of Utah had three skiers named to the teams.
Each respective nordic Olympic Team will be announced in mid-January.
U.S. Nordic Director Luke Bodensteiner said the group includes nine athletes who were on the 1998 Olympic Team, five from the '94 Olympic Team and one -- Nina Kemppel (Anchorage, Ala.), who is seeking to become the first U.S. woman cross country skier to compete in four Winter Games -- from the `92 Olympic Team.
The 2002 U.S. Nordic Ski Teams: U.S. Cross Country Ski Team: Men -- Torin Koos (20, Leavenworth, Wash.), Marcus Nash (30, Fryeburg, Me., `94, `98 Olympian), Carl Swenson (31, Boulder, Colo., `94 Olympian), and Justin Wadsworth (32, Bend, Ore, `94, `98 Olympian) Women -- Nina Kemppel (30, Anchorage, Ala., `92, `94, `98 Olympian) and Wendy Wagner (27, Park City, Utah).
U.S. Ski Jumping Team: Alan Alborn (20, Anchorage, Ala., `98 Olympian), Brendan Doran (22, Steamboat Springs, Colo., `98 Olympian) and Clint Jones (16, Steamboat Springs, Colo.).
U.S. Nordic Combined Team: Matt Dayton (23, Breckenridge, Colo.), Bill Demong (21, Saranac Lake, N.Y., `98 Olympian), Kristoffer Erichsen (23, Steamboat Springs, Colo., `98 Olympian), Nathan Gerhart (18, Steamboat Springs, Colo.), Jed Hinkley (20, Andover, N.H.), Todd Lodwick (24, Steamboat Springs, Colo., `94, `98 Olympian), and Johnny Spillane (20, Steamboat Springs, Colo, `98 Olympian).
"These teams are focused squarely on the Olympics, and on being at the top of their game in Utah this winter," said Bodensteiner. "These athletes have the experience we need for success this coming February. Just as importantly, we also have a nice stable of younger athletes on this team, who will be able to use the excitement and opportunities of this winter as a springboard to continued, and increased, success in 2006."
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