Five from Notre Dame qualify for the USSA Rocky/Central Junior Ski Championships to be held in Colorado.
Notre Dame sophomores Katelyn Kozole and Sydney Lintol, freshman KC Kennedy, 8th-grader Megan Kozole and 7th-grader Jack Lintol all qualified last weekend in northern Michigan for the USSA Rocky/Central Junior Ski Championships that will be held in Colorado next month.
It is quite an accomplishment for the Notre Dame students since for the U16 (14/15 year olds), only 16 skiers in the Rocky/Central region can qualify with two discretionary appointments allowed from the race committee, and for the U14 (12/13 year olds), only 19 plus two discretionary skiers qualify.
World champions and Olympians such as Lindsey Vonn, Bill Demong, Hannah Kearney and Kikkan Randall all began their careers by working through the USSA pipeline, and competing at junior championships along the way.
The qualifying series for the five from Notre Dame was held over two weekends in Marquette, Mich., and consisted of two super-G, two giant-slalom and two slalom races. With more than 225 athletes competing in this event, these Notre Dame athletes accomplished an amazing feat.
The U14 championships will be held March 14-19 in Winter Park, Colo., and the U16 event is March 12-17 in Vail, Colo.
About USSA
The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) is the national governing body of Olympic skiing and snowboarding. It is the parent organization of the U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing. Developed to facilitate participation in national and international competition, the Olympic sports organization provides structure for competitive skiing and snowboarding. From grassroots programs to governance of sport, management of rules, competitions and athletic rankings, the USSA oversees athletic pipelines for development in the sports. With a vision to make the USA the best in the world in Olympic skiing and snowboarding, the USSA provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders who share an Olympic dream while maintaining a strong adherence to core values. The USSA, established in 1905, operates out of the national training and education facility, the Center of Excellence, in Park City, UT.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.