US Teams Announced for 2016-2017 Season
The United States Telemark Ski Association announced the rosters for the 2016-2017 US Telemark Teams. There are three team levels with two top racers named to the World Cup Team. Sixteen were named to the US Team and another seventeen to the Development Team.
Two veteran team members will fill the World Cup Team positions this year. These team members will be competing at at least one of the World Cup events to be hosted in Europe this upcoming season, as well as in Nationals and various domestic races. The 2014 National Champion, Cory Snyder of Franconia, NH plans to attend as many World Cup events as possible this season while also continuing to work towards his Master’s degree at Montana State University. The 2016 National Champion and fellow Montana transplant, Tanner Visnick of Steamboat Springs will be balancing the role of racer with that of a college junior at Montana State University. Tanner and Cory return to the World Cup Team after strong performances in 2015/2016 and each achieving a Top 10 finish at the World Cup Final in Murren, Switzerland.
The National Team is comprised of two women and fourteen men. This team will focus their racing on US events although some may travel to Europe for World Cup races as well. Farli Boden of Sandpoint, Idaho, and Melinda Long of Rowayton, Connecticut will vie for the place of fastest female team member this season. Farli is a rising junior at Sandpoint High School and also competes in alpine races as well. Farli will continue to perfect her technique with the goal of working up to the World Cup Team in the future. Melinda will continue to build off of a strong first season which consisted of four Top 3 placements. Leading the men’s US Team are Jeffrey Gay, the 2015 National Champion, Tommy Gogolen the 3rd place finisher at 2016 Nationals, and Birk Larsen, the 4th place finisher at 2016 Nationals. This strong group will provide leadership and experience at this season’s domestic races. Returning National Team veterans also include Garrett Long of Rowayton, CT and Dylan Weglarz of Durham, New Hampshire. New to the National Team this year is Nicolas Belissent of Chamonix Mt. Blanc, France. Nicolas, born in Santa Clara, CA will be competing in multiple World Cup events this winter thanks to his advantageous position in Chamonix. New members of the National Team demonstrated strong performances over the season and at Nationals and include: Henry Barth of Glenwood Springs, CO; Nathan Fogell of Alton, NH; Cedar Mattole of Whitefish, MT; Hardy Merrill of Warren, VT; Norm Miller of Rochester, NY; Keith Radick of Guilford, CT; Keith Rodney of Wilmington, VT; and Steve Weglarz of Durham, NH.
This season the Development team has been revamped and now combines junior members working to develop their skills and senior racers looking to help grow and develop the sport in one team which includes four women and thirteen men. The women on the team are Taylor Finn, Colorado Springs, CO; Tabi Freedman, New York, NY; Danielle Huckabone, Amherst, NH; Linda Pilliod, Laconia, NH; Jake Badway, Westborough, MA; Stefan Bagnato, Albany, NY; William “Chip” Dorroh, Cascade, ID; Miles Fey, New Boston, NH; Michael Foote, Laconia, NH; Sam Garber, Wellesley, MA; Rick Hirsch, Golden, CO; Dan Kenerson, Sugar Hill, NH; Aren Moynihan, Keene, NH; Jason Naylor, Chester, CT; Jack Rosenthal, Steamboat Springs, CO; Griffin Wagner, Cambridge, MA; and Devon Wright, Campton, NH.
The US Team athletes will compete in regional, national and World Cup Telemark events this coming winter. Dates for regional races and the National Championships will be posted to the USTSA website in early fall.
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