USA Names Junior World Champs Jumping Team
PARK CITY, UT (Jan. 5, 2017) - Five men and five women have been named to the team that will represent the USA at the International Ski Federation's 2017 USANA Nordic Junior World Ski Championships Jan. 30-Feb. 5 at the Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow Nordic Center. It's the first time the global junior event has been held in the USA since 1986 in Lake Placid.
The team was named by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, in collaboration with USA Nordic and Women's Ski Jumping U.S.A., following the completion of trials events last weekend. The team was selected based on results of international Continental Cup competitions along with three trials events with jumps at Steamboat Springs, CO and Park City, UT.
The 10-person ski jumping team includes six athletes who competed in the 2016 World Championships in Rasnov, Romania, including Logan Sankey (Steamboat Springs, CO) who was also on the 2015 team that jumped in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The 2017 team is led by top qualifiers from trials Casey Larson (Barrington, IL) of the Norge Ski Club and Anna Hoffmann (Madison, WI) of the Blackhawk Ski Club. Larson swept to wins in all three trials events while Hoffman won back-to-back last weekend on the Olympic jumps in Park City.
The team is one of the most diverse ever with athletes representing seven different clubs from three major ski jumping regions of the country. Five team members are from the strong USSA Central Division including three from the Chicagoland's Norge Ski Club.
"We've seen some strong progress from our men's jumping team both at the junior and World Cup level in the past few years," said USA Nordic Executive Director and Olympian Billy Demong. "It's a great benefit for these athletes from clubs around America to be jumping on what has become a training base for much of the season. It’s a tremendous opportunity to garner international experience with a home field advantage and I credit the Utah Organizing Committee with having the vision and tenacity to bring this event back to the USA."
"This team is a real tribute to our Fly Girls program," said Women's Ski Jumping U.S.A. President Laura Sankey. "This initiative from Women's Ski Jumping U.S.A. was only introduced three years ago but is already making a difference."
All five of the women on the team were a part of the inaugural Fly Girls program.
"Casey Larson has shown his strength with very solid jumps in all three qualifying events," said Men's Coach Clint Jones. "It was good to see that Trevor Edlund also stepped up his game a bit in Park City. There is a bit of a gap back to the next athletes, but they are young and will earn some great experience this year at Junior World Championships."
"Anna Hoffmann is a great example of how the Fly Girls program can work," said Women's Ski Jumping U.S.A. Coach Alan Alborn. "This will be her first Junior Worlds but she joins a very experienced team especially with Cara Larson and Logan Sankey."
Casey Larson and Sankey were also members of the Youth Olympic Games team that competed last February in Lillehammer.
The first competition day is Wednesday, Feb. 1 with individual events for both men and women. The women's team event is Thursday, Feb. 2 with the men Friday, Feb. 3. Jumping concludes with a mixed gender team event on Sunday, Feb. 5.
2017 USA JUNIOR NORDIC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
(Name, hometown, USSA club, birthdate, age at start of championships)
Men
Decker Dean, Steamboat Springs, CO (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) 8/8/2000 (16)
Trevor Edlund, Woodbury, MN (St. Paul Ski Club) 03/02/1997 (19)
Patrick Gasienica, Richmond, IL (Norge Ski Club) 11/28/1998 (18) *
Casey Larson, Barrington, IL (Norge Ski Club) 12/16/1998 (18) * ***
Nathan Mattoon, Eau Claire, WI (Flying Eagles Ski Club 9/22/1998 (18) *
Women
Gabby Armstrong, Lake Placid, NY (New York Ski Education Foundation) 12/06/1998 (18) *
Anna Hoffmann, Madison, WI (Blackhawk Ski Club) 3/28/2000 (16)
Cara Larson, Barrington, IL (Norge Ski Club) 11/5/2000 (16) *
Samantha Macuga, Park City, UT (Park City Nordic Ski Club) 2/17/2001 (15)
Logan Sankey, Steamboat Springs, CO (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) 5/28/1998 (18) * ** ***
* Member of 2016 Junior Worlds team
** Member of 2015 Junior Worlds team
*** Member of 2016 Youth Olympic Games team
2017 USANA FIS NORDIC JUNIOR WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS
Monday, January 30
7:00 p.m. Opening Ceremony (Zermatt Resort, Midway)
Wednesday, February 1
11:00 a.m. Women’s HS100m jump (Utah Olympic Park)
2:00 p.m. Men’s HS100m jump (Utah Olympic Park)
7:00 p.m. Men’s and women’s HS100m medal ceremony (Ice Castles, Zermatt Resort)
Thursday, February 2
9:00 a.m. Women’s HS100m team jump (Utah Olympic Park)
Friday, February 3
2:00 p.m. Men’s HS100m team jump (Utah Olympic Park)
7:00 p.m. Medals Ceremony (Ice Castles, Zermatt Resort)
Sunday, February 5
1:00 p.m. Mixed gender team jump (Utah Olympic Park)
7:00 p.m. Closing Ceremony and Medals Ceremony (Zermatt Resort)
TOP PAST JUNIOR WORLDS FINISHES FOR USA
2 - Sarah Hendrickson - 2012 Erzurum, Turkey
7 - Clint Jones - 2002 Schonach, Germany
8 - Abby Hughes - 2009 Strbske Pleso, Slovakia
8 - Abby Hughes - 2006 Kranj, Slovenia
9 - Avery Ardovino - 2007 Tarvisio, Italy