January 22, 2006 – Four-time Olympian Todd Lodwick (Steamboat Springs, CO)ran his collection of U.S. ski championships to 17 Saturday, winning both the normal hill jumping title and the nordic combined gold medal. He now has a record nine nordic combined championships and a record eight U.S. jumping crowns.

Lodwick jumped 121 and 120.5 meters on the 100-meter hill at Howelsen Hill, good for 257.3 points with Clint Jones (also Steamboat) taking the silver medal after jumps of 117.5 and 119.5 meters. Tommy Schwall (also Steamboat) took third place.

Lindsey Van (Park City, UT) had an easy time in the women’s jumping championship. She went 114 and 114.5 meters for 229.9 points, more than 25 points up on silver medalist and former U.S. champ Jessica Jerome (also Park City) with Abby Hughes (also Park City) in third place.

In the combined event, Lodwick and Olympic teammate Bill Demong (Vermontville, NY) skied easily out front of the pack through a 7.5K course. Lodwick was 58 seconds ahead of Demong, a three-time Olympian, at the finish with Brett Camerota (Park City, UT), who is bound for his first Olympics next month in Italy, taking the bronze medal.

The jumping championships continue Sunday with the large hill title meet. If Lodwick, who has said this is his last seson, wins that one, it will be three consecutive years in which he has swept all three jumping and combined gold medals.

U.S. SKI JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIPS Howelsen Hill Steamboat Springs, CO – Jan. 21, 2006 (100-meter hill; jump distances in meters) Men 1. Todd Lodwick, Steamboat Springs, Colo., (121-120.5 meters) 257.3 points 2. Clint Jones, Steamboat Springs, Colo., (117.5-119.5) 247.7 3. Tommy Schwall, Steamboat Springs, Colo., (115-116.5) 235.3 4. Bill Demong, Vermontville, N.Y., (114-117.5) 232.3 5. Jimmy Denney, Duluth, Minn., (114.5-114) 229.9 — Women 1. Lindsey Van, Park City, Utah, (114-114.5) 229.9 2. Jessica Jerome, Park City, Utah, (106-110) 203.4 3. Abby Hughes, Park City, Utah, (104-105) 188.8 4. Alyssa Johnson, Park City, Utah, (100-104.5) 177.2 5. Brenna Ellis, Park City, Utah, (94-99) 154.5 — U.S. NORDIC COMBINED CHAMPIONSHIPS (100-meter jumping hill; 7.5K race) 1. Todd Lodwick, Steamboat Springs, Colo., (1st in jumping, 1st in 7.5K) 2. Bill Demong, Vermontville, N.Y., (2/2) 58 seconds back 3. Brett Camerota, Park City, Utah, (4/4T) 2:16 4. Eric Camerota, Park City, Utah, (9/6) 2:44 5. Carl Van Loan, Webster, N.H., (10/4T) 2:48