Hauser named to U.S. ‘A’ Team for 2nd time

SILVERTHORNE – Drew Hauser of Silverthorne is one of four athletes who have been named to the U.S. Telemark Ski Team’s “A” squad, as announced by the U.S. Telemark Ski Association (USTSA).

Hauser, 18, who graduated from Summit High School this past spring, will be entering his second year on the A Team and his third year on the U.S. team overall; he was named to the B Team as a 16-year-old. The local freeheeler’s top results last year came at the biannual World Championships in Thyon, Switzerland, where he finished third overall among junior racers. He took silver and bronze medals in individual events, as well, and was ninth in the world (older racers included) in the sprint classic.

He’ll be joined on the USTSA A team by Brett Stein of Wayland, Mass., who claimed bronze in last season’s junior worlds classic race; and by Shane Anderson of Cody, Wyo., and Eric Lamb of Whitefish, Mont.  Kelsey Schmid-Sommer, another who hails from the freeheeling hotbed of Whitefish, is the lone female representative on the A Team.

Tory Hauser, Drew’s dad and a longtime telemark racer, said a number of other athletes were nominated for A Team status, but they were unable to commit to everything an A Team member is required to do.

The men’s B Team includes David Hobbs (Whitefish), Ken Recker (Steamboat Springs), Peter McMahon (Whitefish) and Joel Nylander of Salt Lake City.

The women’s B Team features Steamboat’s Lorin Paley, Heidi Fehlheber of Whitefish, Jeaninne Pucell of Seattle and Suzanne Pattinson of Spokane, Wash.

Team Summit’s Max Shefte-Jacobs was one of two athletes named to the U.S. Development Team, along with Steamboat’s Erika Walters.

The World Cup begins in France in January and wraps up March 22 with finals in Canada.

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20070706/SPORTS/107060089