Bobsled and Skeleton Day Two Team Selection Results

Contact: Amanda Bird, USBSF Marketing & Communications Manager

(518) 523-1842, ext 106, abird@usbsf.com

For Immediate Release

October 15, 2009

Bobsled and Skeleton Day Two Team Selection Results 

LAKE PLACID, N.Y.- The U.S. bobsled and skeleton team selection races concluded at the Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid, N.Y. today.  Races will resume in Park City, Utah next week, and the team will be named the evening of October 24^th.  The worst result of the four race series will be dropped, and the top three athletes in each discipline will be named to the team. 

Women’s Skeleton

Noelle Pikus-Pace (Orem, Utah) continued her domination of the women’s skeleton selection races by winning her second consecutive competition today. Pikus-Pace slid runs of 55.92 and 56.34 seconds for a combined time of 1:52.26, putting her in the lead going into the final two competitions in Park City. 

“I feel like I’m back where I was going into the 2005-2006 season,” said Pikus-Pace, who was the World Cup Champion leading into the 2006 Olympic season before suffering a compound fracture that knocked her out of contention.  “It feels good mentally as well as physically to be where I am right now.”

Rebecca Sorensen (Fort Collins, Colo.) held onto her second place position, finishing seventeen hundredths of a second from the lead with a total time of 1:52.43.  Sorensen clocked finish times of 56.16 and 56.27 seconds.

Veteran World Cup athlete Courtney Yamada-Anderson (Boise, Idaho) made her bid for the team with a third place result today.  Yamada-Anderson, who was married last spring, slid runs of 56.16 and 56.62 seconds for a combined time of 1:52.78. 

Katie Uhlaender (Breckenridge, Colo.) continues her rehabilitation program after shattering her kneecap in April, and will be designated to a team prior to the Whistler, British Columbia training week. 

Men’s Skeleton

John Daly (Smithtown, N.Y.) shocked the men’s skeleton field, and himself, by winning today’s tight competition with a two-run total of 1:49.20. 

“I’m very surprised,” said Daly.  “I’ll tell you how I feel in two hours when it sets in.  Yesterday was a downer, but today I bounced back.  The guys are good, but today I was luckier.”

Daly finished last season ranked second overall in European Cup standings, and is known internationally as one of the fastest athletes at the start.  Daly powered off the block with the fastest push times of the competition, 4.96 and 4.94 seconds, for runs of 54.56 and 54.64, respectfully.  

In second place, just four-hundredths of a second from the lead, was Stokes Aitken (Salt Lake City, Utah) with a two-run total of 1:49.24 after sliding runs of 54.64 and 54.60 seconds. 

Only one-hundredth of a second from Aitken was Zach Lund (Salt Lake City, Utah), who crossed the finish line in 54.57 and 54.68 seconds for a combined time of 1:49.25. 

Eric Bernotas (Avondale, Pa.) and Lund applied for medical waivers onto the team after both athletes suffered leg injuries during training leading up to the competitions.  Per the criteria, only one athlete per gender in each discipline can be granted a waiver.  Bernotas claimed yesterday’s win by over half a second, which led to the waiver committee’s decision to grant the waiver to Bernotas. 

"The waiver committee faced its toughest decision of the season last night as they considered medical waivers from the team's most decorated and veteran skeleton male athletes,” said USBSF CEO Darrin Steele. “Both athletes meet the criteria for qualifying for a medical waiver onto the World Cup team, but only one waiver can be granted per gender. Both athletes competed injured yesterday in the first two heats of the selection races, but Eric provided the information the waiver committee needed by dominating the field in both heats. Zach is a great athlete and if he can manage through this injury, he will be back in the mix, waiver or no waiver. 

As a result of the waiver committee’s decision, Bernotas is exempt from the remainder of the team selection competitions.

Women’s Bobsled

Bree Schaaf (Bremerton, Wash.) teamed with Michelle Rzepka (Novi, Mich.) today to win the women’s bobsled race, rebounding from yesterday’s third place result.

“Yesterday didn’t go according to plan,” said Schaaf.  “It took awhile to regroup, but I knew I could come out and win.  I was able to use my home track advantage, and the win gives me confidence going into Park City.”

Schaaf and Rzepka were the fastest team to the finish in both heats, sliding runs of 57.29 and 57.45 for a combined time of 1:54.74.

In second was yesterday’s winner, Erin Pac (Farmongton, Conn.), who teamed with the 2009 U.S. National Push Champion Elana Meyers (Douglasville, Ga.).  Pac and Meyers finished with a total time of 1:54.96 after crossing the finish line in 57.43 and 57.53 seconds. 

Jamia Jackson (Lake City, Fla.) partnered with Jamie Greubel (Newtown, Pa.) to finish third with a combined time of 1:55.18 (57.47, 57.71).

Shauna Rohbock (Park City, Utah) was granted a bye onto the team based on her 2008-2009 season results, which included a World Championship silver medal and a World Cup gold medal on the 2010 Olympic course in Whistler. 

Men’s Bobsled

John Napier (Lake Placid, N.Y.) claimed the first four-man bobsled victory of the season today with his team of Jamie Moriarty (Winnetka, Ill.), Steve Langton (Melrose, Mass.) and Chris Fogt (Apline, Utah).

“It’s definitely a good confidence booster,” said Napier.  “Four-man has always been my best, but I’m improving my two-man.  I feel good going into Park City.”

Napier had his first top six result in a World Cup competition in Park City last season, and will be a contender on the 2002 Olympic course next week.  Napier and crew slid runs of 55.06 and 55.26 to finish with a winning combined time of 1:50.32.

Todd Hays (Del Rio, Texas) finished second today with a portion of his 2002 Olympic medalist push team of Bill Schufenhauer (Ogden, Utah) and Garrett Hines (Syyrna, Ga.). Charles Berkeley (Clayton, Calif.) joined the team, which finished with a total time of 1:50.48 after sliding runs of 55.11 and 55.37. 

In third was driver Grayson Fertig (New York City, N.Y.) and crew of Theron Johnson (Wheaton, Md.), Laszlo Vandrascek (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Tim O’Mara (Salt Lake City, Utah).  Team Grayson crossed the line in 1:50.87 (55.22, 55.65).

Steven Holcomb (Park City, Utah) was named to the 2009-2010 World Cup team based on his last season’s results, which include the four-man World Championship crown and the two-man World Championship bronze medal.

Amanda Bird, USBSF Marketing & Communications Manager, has been out of the office due to a family emergency.   For immediate assistance, please contact Bird on her cell at (518) 961-1543, or at abird@usbsf.com. 

Results:

Women’s Skeleton

1. Noelle Pikus-Pace 1:52.26 (55.92, 56.34); 2. Rebecca Sorensen 1:52.43 (56.16, 56.27); 3. Courtney Yamada-Anderson 1:52.78 (56.16, 56.62); 4. Keslie Tomlinson 1:53.24 (56.57, 56.67); 5. Annie O’Shea 1:53.52 (56.55, 56.97); 6. Kimber Gabryszak 1:55.24 (57.38, 57.86); 7. Rachelle Rasmussen 1:55.27 (57.30, 57.97); 8. Tracey Anderson 1:56.15 (57.91, 58.24); 9. Joy Bryant 1:56.40 (58.23, 58.17); 10. Cassie Revelli 1:57.77 (58.73, 59.04); 11. Sabrina Hiteshew-Wilson 1:58.56 (59.74, 58.82);

Men’s Skeleton

1. John Daly 1:49.20 (54.56, 54.64); 2. Stokes Aitken 1:49.24 (54.64, 54.60); 3. Zach Lund 1:49.25 (54.57, 54.68); 4. Matt Antoine 1:49.47 (54.51, 54.96); 5. Caleb Smith 1:49.95 (55.05, 54.90); 6. Luke Schulz 1:50.28 (54.98, 55.30); 7. Kyle Tress 1:50.80 (55.33, 55.47); 8. Chris Burgess 1:51.05 (55.10, 55.95); 9. Tom Abbey 1:52:59 (56.27, 56.32); 10. Chris Nurre 1:52.81 (56.35, 56.46); 11. Matt Griff 1:53.89 (57.04, 56.85); 12. Brad Stewart 1:54.27 (57.25, 57.02); 13. Nick Vienneau 1:55.50 (57.74, 57.76)

Women’s Bobsled

1. Bree Schaaf and Michelle Rzepka 1:54.74 (57.29, 57.45); 2. Erin Pac and Elana Meyers 1:54.96 (57.43, 57.53); 3. Jamia Jackson and Jamie Greubel 1:55.18 (57.47, 57.71)

Men’s Bobsled (Four-man)

1. Napier, Moriarty, Langton, Fogt 1:50.32 (55.06, 55.26); 2. Hays, Berkeley, Schuffenhauer, Hines 1:50.48 (55.11, 55.37); 3. Fertig, Johnson, Vandrascek, O’Mara 1:50.87 (55.22, 55.65); 4. Kohn, Burns, Sprague, Cunningham 1:51.05 (55.48, 55.57); 5. Bradley, Carriel, Thurman, Strickland 1:51.93 (55.79, 56.14); Albrecht-Carrie, Orr, King, Armbruster (DNS);

About the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation

The United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, based in Lake Placid, N.Y., is the national governing body for the sports of bobsled and skeleton in the United States. The USBSF would like to thank its sponsors, suppliers and contributors for their support: Allianz Life, Under Armour, Vilter Manufacturing, 776 Original Marketing, KBC Helmets, Luminox Watch Company, EDAS/Ripxx and Ferris Mfg. Corp. The USBSF would also like to thank the following sponsors and suppliers for their partner, the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project:  Whelen Engineering, PPG, Columbia Sportswear, JEGS Automotive, Lucas Oil, Mac Tools, EXA, Lumber Liquidators, Lincoln Electronics and Racing Electronics.  For more information, please visit the USBSF website at http://bobsled.teamusa.org.

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