Even though I grew up a ‘meat-n-potatoes’ sports participant and fan playing football, basketball, and baseball, I’ve come to appreciate and respect a few other sports and the athletes.
One sport is Downhill Skiing, and one athlete who I’ve got to know is LAURENNE ROSS who won the US National Title last year, and today made the USA Team for the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Ross has tasted victory and defeat in many ways in her young career, but she’s a trooper to the fullest extent of any athlete I’ve known.
From a crash that nearly took her life, to claiming a Gold Medal in the 2013 Nationals Ross is determined to make Sochi.
However, her chances dwindled after suffering a 35th place finish in the final of 4 qualifying events in Cortina, Italy yesterday.
Meantime, there is another Oregonian that is trying to follow Ross’ footsteps, and that is Rookie JACKIE WILES from Canby. Wiles finished 29th in the final event at Italy.
And, like Ross, she too is headed to Sochi.
Here is the compete list of Alpine Team male & female members for the USA:
Men
David Chodounsky, Crested Butte, CO (6/25/84)
Erik Fisher, Middleton, ID (3/21/85) *
Travis Ganong, Squaw Valley, CA (7/14/88)
Jared Goldberg, Holladay, UT (6/15/91)
Tim Jitloff, Reno, NV (1/11/85) *
Nolan Kasper, Warren, VT (3/27/89) *
Ted Ligety, Park City, UT (8/31/84) *
Bode Miller, Franconia, NH (10/12/77) *
Steven Nyman, Sundance, UT (2/12/82) *
Marco Sullivan, Squaw Valley, CA (4/27/80) *
Andrew Weibrecht, Lake Placid, NY (2/10/86) *
Women
Stacey Cook, Mammoth Mountain, CA (7/3/84) *
Julia Ford, Holderness, NH (3/30/90)
Julia Mancuso, Squaw Valley, CA (3/9/84) *
Megan McJames, Park City, UT (9/24/87) *
Laurenne Ross, Bend, OR (8/17/88)
Mikaela Shiffrin, Eagle-Vail, CO (3/13/95)
Leanne Smith, North Conway, NH (5/28/87) *
Resi Stiegler, Jackson Hole, WY (11/14/85) *
Jacqueline Wiles, Aurora, OR (7/13/92)
* Member of past U.S. Olympic Team
LIKE TEAM USA….DOING THE RIGHT THING WITH PRIDE IN PERFORMANCE SINCE 1952……
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