2010 US Alpine Team big on promise

With the announcement of the 2010 edition of the U.S. Ski Team’s alpine squad are a couple of things that pop out: It is one of the largest men’s A teams in recent memory; and one of the smallest women’s A teams.

While the men’s group numbers a robust eight members (and that’s without Bode Miller) the women’s team is just a pair. Julia Mancuso maintained her A team status despite what was – by her standards – a lackluster 2009 season. Lindsey Vonn, the best female alpine ski racer on the planet these days, is essentially a team unto herself, having personally outscored the entire Slovenian and Canadian women’s teams.With the announcement of the 2010 edition of the U.S. Ski Team’s alpine squad are a couple of things that pop out: It is one of the largest men’s A teams in recent memory; and one of the smallest women’s A teams.

While the men’s group numbers a robust eight members (and that’s without Bode Miller) the women’s team is just a pair. Julia Mancuso maintained her A team status despite what was – by her standards – a lackluster 2009 season. Lindsey Vonn, the best female alpine ski racer on the planet these days, is essentially a team unto herself, having personally outscored the entire Slovenian and Canadian women’s teams.

Mancuso scored three top 10 finishes last season – in GS at Semmering and Aspen both before the end of December and in downhill at Bansko just after the World Championships. She posted a total of 14 top 20 placings in international competition scoring, and as is her norm, in every available discipline. Women’s coach Jim Tracy says she is training hard and has “taken charge” of her program. There is plenty of reason to expect a rebound.

Vonn has won the World Cup overall title the last two years, the downhill title the last two years, the super G title last season and tacked on two gold medals at Worlds despite nearly cutting her thumb off. Like we said, best on the planet. She was won 11 of her 34 World Cup and World Championship starts in 2009 and was top ten 28 times. It’s enough to make coaches giddy.

The guys team sports four former Olympic team members in Marco Sullivan (a podium at Wengen and three additional top five Cup placings), Scott Macartney (just four early season races last season after fighting back from a nasty head-banging crash at Kitzbuehel in ’08), Steven Nyman (also just four scoring races, three early before the new year and one at the end of the season), and 2008 GS champion Ted Ligety (third in GS standings, bronze medal at Worlds and four Cup podiums last season).

In addition Tim Jitloff, TJ Lanning, Erik Fisher and Andrew Weibrecht skied their way to the A team.

It’s a big team and a relatively young one, heavily oriented to the downhill group that popped an unprecendented five skiers into the top 10 at Val Gardena.

Both “B” Teams are large as well, with small, three person C teams and a Development group featuring skiers born in the 1990’s.

Here’s the entire list:

A TEAM
Men
Erik Fisher (3/21/85; Middleton, Idaho; Rowmark Ski Academy/ Bogus Basin)
Tim Jitloff (1/11/85; Reno, Nev.; Park City Ski Team)
TJ Lanning (8/27/84; Park City, Utah; Park City Ski Team)
Ted Ligety (8/31/84; Park City, Utah; Park City Ski Team)*
Scott Macartney (1/19/78; Crystal Mountain, Wash.; Crystal Mountain Alpine Club)*
Steven Nyman (2/12/82; Provo, Utah; Park City Ski Team/Sundance)*
Marco Sullivan (4/27/80; Squaw Valley, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team)*
Andrew Weibrecht (2/10/86; Lake Placid, N.Y.; New York Ski Education Foundation)

Women
Julia Mancuso (9/9/84; Olympic Valley, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team)*
Lindsey Vonn (10/18/84; Vail, Colo.; Ski and Snowboard Club Vail/Buck Hill Ski Team)*

B TEAM
Men
Thomas Biesemeyer (1/30/89; Keene, N.Y.; New York Ski Education Foundation)
Will Brandenburg (1/1/87; Spokane, Wash.; Schweitzer Alpine Racing)
Jimmy Cochran (5/29/81; Keene, N.H.; Cochran’s/Mount Mansfield Ski and Snowboard Club)*
David Chodounsky (6/25/84; Crested Butte, Colo.; Dartmouth Ski Team)
Tim Kelley (5/20/86; Starksboro, Vt.; Cochran’s/Mount Mansfield Ski and Snowboard Club)
Cody Marshall (11/15/82; Pittsfield, Vt.; Burke Mountain Academy)
Paul McDonald (6/25/84; Bellevue, Wash.; Crystal Mountain Alpine Club)
Jeremy Transue (6/1/83; Hunter, N.Y.; Green Mountain Valley School)
Jake Zamansky (6/26/81; Park City, Utah; Aspen Valley Ski/Snowboard Club)

Women
Stacey Cook (7/3/84; Mammoth, Calif.; Mammoth Mountain Ski Team)*
Hailey Duke (9/17/85; Boise, Idaho; Park City Ski Education Foundation/McCall Ski Team)
Sterling Grant (6/1/87; Amery, Wisc.; Buck Hill Ski Team)
Keely Kelleher (8/12/84; Big Sky, Mont..; Rowmark Ski Academy)
Jessica Kelley (10/5/82; Starksboro, VTt. Cochran’s/Mount Mansfield Ski and Snowboard Club)
Chelsea Marshall (8/14/86; Pittsfield, Vt.; Green Mountain Valley School)
Megan McJames (9/24/87; Park City, Utah; Park City Ski Education Foundation)
Kaylin Richardson (9/28/84; Edina, Minn.; Team Gilboa)*
Sarah Schleper (2/19/79; Vail, Colo.; Ski and Snowboard Club Vail)*
Leanne Smith (5/28/87; Conway, NH; Mt. Washington Valley Ski Team)
Resi Stiegler (11/14/85; Jackson Hole, Wyom.; Park City Ski Team/Jackson Hole)*

C TEAM
Men
Tommy Ford (3/20/89; Bend, Ore.; Mount Bachelor Ski Education Foundation)
Will Gregorak (9/30/90; Longmont, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail)
Nolan Kasper (3/27/89; Warren, Vt; Burke Mountain Academy)

Women
Alice McKennis (8/19/89; Glenwood Springs, Colo.; Rowmark Ski Academy)
Laurenne Ross (8/17/88; Klamath Falls, Ore.; Mount Bachelor Ski Education Foundation)
Kiley Staples (2/2/89; Park City, Utah; Rowmark Ski Academy)

U.S. Alpine Development Team
Men
Michael Ankeny (1/17/91; Deephaven, Minn.; Buck Hill Ski Team)
Nick Daniels (4/5/91; Tahoe City, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team)
Colby Granstrom (9/21/90; Lake Stevens, Wash.; Mission Ridge Ski Education Foundation)
Wiley Maple (5/25/90; Aspen, Colo.; Aspen Valley Ski Club)
Keith Moffat (2/3/91; Berkeley, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team)
Ben Morse (4/23/92; Carrabassett Valley, Maine; Carrabassett Valley Academy)
Hunter Schleper (3/26/91; Vail, Colo.; Iced Out Racing)

Women
Vaneesa Berther (2/11/92; Sammamish, Wash; TAS Alpental Snoqualmie Ski Foundation)
Felicia Byers (12/17/91; Sandy, Utah; Snowbird Sports Education Foundation)
Greta Byrne (5/12/93; Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail)
Rose Caston (7/20/92; Salt Lake City, Utah; Park City Ski Team)
Devin Delaney (2/24/91; North Conway, NH; Green Mountain Valley School)
Julia Ford (3/30/90; Plymouth, NH; Holderness Ski Team)
Anna Marno (11/23/92; Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)
Lauren Samuels (10/13/92; Minneapolis, Minn; Team Gilboa)
(*) denotes former Olympic team status.