Four male and two female athletes named to the Regional Olympic Development Program
HAYWARD, WI (June 28)
Central Cross Country Ski Association is proud to announce the CXC Ski Team for the 2007-2008 season. Four male and two female athletes will represent CXC Ski Team and Central Region at the SuperTour, U.S. National Championships, Canadian Nationals and other domestic competitions.
Four of the male athletes returning from the last year’s team are joined by two “rookie†female athletes.
The woman’s side of CXC Team will be represented by Kristina Owen, former member of the Michigan Tech University Ski Team, U-23 World Championship Team Member and top ten NCAA Championship finisher and Johanna Winters, former member of the University of Wisconsin Green Bay Ski Team and NCAA participant .
Two female athletes graduated from the CXC Ski Team after winning SuperTour sprint and overall titles, U.S. National Championships in the Team Sprint event and qualifying to the 2007 Nordic World Championships in Japan. Laura Valaas graduated to the US Ski Team after a historical second place at the U-23 World Championships in Italy. Caitlin Compton graduated to the US Biathlon Team after the best season in her athletic career.
Bryan Cook, a member of last year’s men’s team will officially take the year off from CXC Team to complete his degree studies. He is currently participating in a summer internship program and living in Vienna, Austria.
CXC won three national awards this year presented by the US Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) earlier in May; USSA Development Coach of the Year, USSA Cross Country Club of the Year and USSA Cross Country Domestic Coach of the Year.
“We worked hard to achieve these results. Everyone worked as a part of the team, from the President of CXC to the dedicated volunteers. We’ve accomplished everything we planned at the beginning of the year and established a good base for the future of this program. We have very ambitious goals for the upcoming race season and the 2010 Olympics in Vancouverâ€, commented Yuriy Gusev, Chief Executive Officer of Central Cross Country Ski Association.
Athletes selected for the 2008 CXC Ski Team include:
· Garrott Kuzzy
· Andre Watt
· Brian Gregg
· Matt Liebsch
· Kristina Owen
· Johanna Winters
CXC Ski Team staff includes:
· Bryan Fish — Head Coach
· Yuriy Gusev — Manager and Director of Sports Science
· Scott Wilson — Director of Logistics
· Pete Anderson — Sports Nutritionist
· Sarah Willis — Exercise Physiologist
