February 15, 2012 (Park City, UT) – The U.S. Ski Team named 11 ski jumping and nordic combined athletes to its 2012 FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championship Team. The Junior Worlds will be held Feb. 19-26 in Erzurum, Turkey. Among the athletes is ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson (Park City, UT) who comes into Junior Worlds leading the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup with six victories. Hendrickson was bronze medalist at Junior Worlds two years ago. The Team earlier named ten cross country athletes.

2012 FIS NORDIC JUNIOR WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
Men’s Ski Jumping

– Peter Frenette, Saranac Lake, NY, 2/24/92 (New York Ski Educational Foundation)
– Christian Friberg, Roseville, MN, 9/8/94 (St. Paul Ski Club)
– Will Rhoads, Park City, UT, 6/8/95 (Park City Nordic Ski Club)
– Brian Wallace, Woodbury, MN, 7/3/93 (St. Paul Ski Club)

Women’s Ski Jumping
– Nita Englund, Iron Mountain, MI, 6/10/92 (Kiwanis Ski Club)
– Sarah Hendrickson Park City, UT, 8/1/94 (Park City Nordic Ski Club)
–  Nina Lussi Lake Placid, NY, 3/29/94 (New York Ski Educational Foundation)

Nordic Combined
– Cliff Field, Steamboat Springs, CO, 9/29/92 (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)
– Adam Loomis, Eau Claire, WI, 3/19/92 (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)
– Erik Lynch, Steamboat Springs, CO, 6/9/94 (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)
– Michael Ward, Aspen, CO, 12/23/92 (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)

HIGHLIGHTS

– Ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson (Park City, UT) comes into Junior Worlds leading the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup with six victories. Hendrickson was 18th last year and bronze medalist in 2010.
– Hendrickson and teammates Nita Englund (Iron Mountain, MI) and Nina Lussi (Lake Placid, NY) are making their third appearance at Junior Worlds.
– The women’s jumpers are training in Predazzo, Italy and will go to Liberec, Czech Republic for a tuneup competition before traveling to Turkey.
– Ski jumper Peter Frenette (Saranac Lake, NY), a 2010 Olympian, was top American in 27th last year at Junior Worlds and 12th in 2010. He is making his third appearance. He was recently eighth in a Continental Cup in Iron Mountain, MI.
– Christian Friberg (Rosevile, MN) had an impressive 18th in his first Continental Cup earlier in February in Predazzo.
– Ski jumper Will Rhoads (Park City, UT) was a part of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games Team in January.
– It will be the second Junior Worlds for Christian Friberg (Roseville, MN) and third for Brian Wallace (Woodbury, MN).
– Adam Loomis (Eau Claire, WI) and Michael Ward (Aspen, CO) were each top 15 in a Continental Cup in Erzurum in January.
– Ward and Cliff Field (both Steamboat Springs, CO) are making their third Junior Worlds appearance, second for Erik Lynch (Steamboat Springs, CO).
– Erzurum is located in Eastern Turkey at relatively high elevation. It was the host for the World University Games in 2011.

QUOTES
Alan Alborn, Women’s Ski Jumping Coach
The Junior Worlds Team of Sarah Hendrickson, Nina Lussi and Nita Englund will be a force to reckon with in Turkey. Sarah has a demanding lead in the women’s first ever World Cup season after 10 of 14 events. We are looking for a strong performance from her against Sara Takanashi from Japan, who will be her closest competitor.

Nina Lussi and Nita Englund will be gaining experience in Turkey and looking to better their results from past World Junior Championships.

Paolo Bernardi, Women’s Ski Jumping USA Coach
For Sarah the goal is the gold medal. The challengers will be Japan’s Sara Takanashi and the Slovenian Katja Pozun but neither of them has beaten Sarah during this season. And judging by Sarah’s recent World Cup wins in Slovenia and her training here in Italy, she is in the right spot for winning the title.

Casey Colby, Men’s Ski Jumping Coach
Christian Friberg and Brian Wallace are both on the USA Ski Jumping Team’s development squad and leading the charge of our teenage generation of skiers bridging the gap to the national team and the international levels of competitions including FIS Cup and Continental Cup. Christian was an amazing 18th in his first Continental Cup and Brian scored FIS Cup points in Predazzo, Italy.

FIS JUNIOR WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS
Feb. 22 – Nordic combined individual (HS108 meters/10k)
Feb. 23 – Men’s and women’s ski jumping (HS108 meters)
Feb. 24 – Nordic combined team event (HS108 meters/4x5k)
Feb. 25 – Men’s and women’s ski jumping team event (HS108 meters)
Feb. 25 – Nordic combined individual (HS108 meters/5k)