Shiffrin, Cochran-Siegle lead 14 into Jr World Champs

The U.S. team for the Junior World Ski Championships in Roccaraso, Italy has been officially named today (Feb. 16) with 14 athletes tabbed to represent the US.

Leading the charge will be Mikaela Shiffrin a 16 year old with three top 10 World Cup slalom results, including a podium placing scored at Lienz, Austria at the end of December.

Shiffrin earned a bronze medal at last season’s world junior meet, rising from a sick bed to get the result.

Also competing for the US will be Ryan Cochran-Siegle, the current NorAm downhill and super G leader and a four event skier at last season’s world title meet and Abby Ghent the current leader of the NorAm overall standings and also a veteran of last season’s Junior World Championships.

“Mikaela (Shiffrin) was a bronze medalist at last year’s Junior Worlds slalom and continued that success with a podium on the World Cup this season also in slalom,” said US Alpine Director Patrick Riml, “But I’m most impressed with the work she’s put into her giant slalom skiing. She scored her first World Cup giant slalom points just last weekend in Andorra with incredibly challenging conditions.”

Riml also cited Cochran-Siegle saying he has “been working with our men’s Europa Cup Team all season and has shown success at that level with a pair of Europa Cup top-10 finishes. He is also leading the NorAm standings for both downhill and super G to show incredible consistency with his skiing.”

The team director said he was excited by the team strength adding, “I am confident that we’ll see a strong performance from the whole squad.”

In addition to Shiffrin, Cochran-Siegle and Ghent the team will consist of Bryce Bennett, Robert Cone, Kieffer Christianson, Tanner Farrow, Scott Snow and Matthew Strand among the men. The women’s team adds Anna Marno, Foreste Peterson, Katie Ryan, Lauren Samuels and Jacqueline Wiles.

The championships at Roccaraso – in the Alto Songro mountains – begin March 1 with women’s GS and run through super G’s March 9.

Shiffrin’s medal was the only medal won by an American skier last season.
The Team

Men
Bryce Bennett, Olympic Valley, Calif, 7/14/92 (Squaw Valley Ski Team)
Ryan Cochran-Siegle,  Starksboro, Vt., 3/27/92 (Cochran’s/Mount Mansfield Ski and Snowboard Club)
Robert Cone, Killington, Vt., 1/12/92 (Middlebury College Ski Team)
Kieffer Christianson, Anchorage, Alaska, 8/11/92 (Burke Mountain Academy)
Tanner Farrow, Ketchum, Idaho, 3/21/93 (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation)
Scott Snow, Sagle, Idaho, 7/8/93 (Independence Racing Team)
Matthew Strand, Lakeville, Minn., 5/14/93 (Buck Hill Ski Team)

Women
Abby Ghent, Edwards, Colo., 2/25/92 (Ski and Snowboard Club Vail)
Anna Marno, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 11/23/92 (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)
Foreste Peterson, Berkeley, Calif., 10/9/93 (Squaw Valley Ski Team)
Katie Ryan, Aspen, Colo., 1/3/93 (Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club)
Lauren Samuels, Golden Valley, Minn., 10/13/92 (Rowmark Ski Academy)
Mikaela Shiffrin, Eagle-Vail, Colo., 3/13/95 (Burke Mountain Academy)
Jacqueline Wiles, Aurora, Ore., 7/13/92 (White Pass Ski Club)

SCHEDULE
March 1 – Women’s giant slalom
March 2 – Men’s downhill
March 3 – Women’s slalom
March 4 – Men’s super G
March 5 – Team event
March 7 – Men’s giant slalom
March 8 – Women’s downhill
March 9 – Men’s slalom and Women’s super G

MORE INFORMATION
https://www.roccaraso2012.org/

Photo of Mikaela Shiffrin by Gepa