Eighteen Westminster College Students And U.S. Ski & Snowboard Student-Athletes Named To Team USA
Westminster College congratulates its 18 U.S. Ski & Snowboard student-athletes who will compete for Team USA in South Korea beginning next week. All of campus will be watching and cheering them on as they pursue their athletic dreams.
Westminster is proud to be an Official Education Partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the national governing body for competitive skiing and snowboarding. U.S. Ski & Snowboard nominated 18 Westminster students for the 2018 team last week. The athletes will represent the United States next month in events like giant slalom, moguls skiing, snowboardcross and Nordic combined. Athletes train at the Center of Excellence in Park City, Utah, while studying 30 minutes away at Westminster College in Salt Lake City.
Together, Westminster and U.S. Ski & Snowboard help national athletes achieve excellence in the classroom and on the slopes. More than 140 U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes have attended Westminster College since the partnership began in 2005. The average GPA for all Westminster U.S. Ski & Snowboard students is 3.6. While they all compete in snow sports, they’re individually earning degrees in and exploring varied passions like art, entrepreneurship, physics and biology. They balance intense training schedules and rigorous coursework with inspiring determination.
Megan McJames, three-time Olympian, amateur baker, Westminster junior and finance major said ““I think the type of person that I am — and most athletes are — is a little type-A. We like to do our best at everything. When you’re pursuing your best in sports, those skills translate into school and vice versa. As an athlete, school has been a great outlet for me to take a break from thinking about skiing all the time and realize there is other stuff out there. It has given me skills that translate into making me who I am.”
Abby Rinquist, ski jumper and Westminster art major added ““I’m super grateful to get one-on-one time with professors who appreciate what I do. They’re all supportive of the dreams that I have as a student, and the dreams that I have as a person and an athlete.”
Faye Guilini, three-time Olympian, Grand Prix champ, Westminster junior and accounting major concluded ““I was the kid who was in summer school a lot. It took me an extra year to graduate high school and I didn’t really see secondary education as an option. Then I made the national team and thought ‘if I can be the best at my sport, I can get through college.’ I started at Westminster and saw that these professors are willing to be there when you’re in South America or halfway around the world. That’s very beneficial. I have a 3.9 GPA, something I never thought I would have.”
2018 Team USA members from Westminster College
- Maddie Bowman (freestyle): junior, biology
- Bryce Bennett (alpine): first-year, undeclared
- Ryan Cochran-Siegle (alpine): sophomore, physics
- Alex Ferreira (freestyle): sophomore, finance
- Bryan Fletcher (Nordic): junior, health education
- Taylor Fletcher (Nordic): sophomore, marketing
- Jared Goldberg (alpine): sophomore, undeclared
- Faye Guilini (snowboard): junior, accounting
- Devin Logan (freeskiing): sophomore, communication
- Wiley Maple (alpine): sophomore, history and psychology
- Megan McJames (alpine): junior, finance
- Madison Olsen (freestyle): sophomore, business
- Abby Ringquist (ski jump): junior, art
- Morgan Schild (freestyle): first-year, undeclared
- Liz Stephen (cross-country): first-year, undeclared
- Brita Sigourney (freestyle): junior, business
- Darian Stevens (freestyle): first-year, business
- Jacqueline Wiles (alpine): first-year, undeclared
Facts about Westminster’s U.S. Ski & Snowboard Students:
- Thirty-three U.S. Ski & Snowboard alums have graduated from Westminster
- Currently, 52 student-athletes are attending Westminster
- More than 140 student-athletes have taken classes at Westminster
Westminster students have competed in two previous Winter Olympic Games:
- 2010 Vancouver 14 students, One bronze
- 2014 Sochi, 23 students, Two gold, one silver, one bronze
U.S. Ski & Snowboard students compete in a variety of competitions throughout the year, including X Games, FIS World Cups and Grand Prix events
