LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – Eight athletes were named by USA Luge Friday to its Junior National Team, led by Riley Stohr, who not only raced in Junior National, Junior World Cup and Junior World Championships last winter, but also made his World Cup debut in Lake Placid, placing 11th.
Stohr, of Whitehall, Mich., is joined on the men’s squad by Elijah Pedriani, of New Haven, Vt., who finished third in the over Youth A World Cup standings, highlighted by a silver medal in Park City, Utah among five top 10 results.
Also named to the team was Jonny Gustafson of Massena, N.Y. Gustafson won the 2015 Norton Junior National Championship in singles and has four career junior titles.
The women’s group consists of Brittney Arndt, Ashley Farquharson and Grace Weinberg.
Arndt, of Park City, is the 2015 Norton Junior National Champion; Farquharson, also of Park City, is the 2015 Norton Youth National Champion and bronze medalist in the junior nationals; Weinberg, of Middlebury, Vt., had four top 10 efforts in last winter’s Junior World Cup tour after claiming silver medals in the 2014 Norton Youth and Junior National Championships.
The lone doubles team is comprised of Jake Farquharson of Park City, Utah and Christian Colaiezzi of Scranton, Pa. They combined for a gold medal in the Norton Junior National Championships and were the points leaders in the spring seeding races. These accomplishments enabled them to achieve team status for 2015-2016.
Showing USA Luge’s program depth and off-season recruitment success, a total of 75 young luge racers were placed on the Junior C and D Teams.
Junior C Team (Men)
Justin Bistrovich (Syracuse, NY)
Zach DiGregorio (Medway, MA)
Garrett Gorsch (Park City, UT)
Sean Hollander (Lake Placid, NY)
Dana Kellogg (Chesterfield, MA)
Duncan Segger (Lake Placid, NY)
Ian Smith (Park City, UT)
Nehemiah Smith (Cleveland, NY)
Justin Taylor (Newark, DE)
Luke Voegeli (Sun Prairie, WI)
Duncan Biles/Alanson Owen (Herriman, UT/Park City, UT)
Scott Graumlich/Keaton Jens (Terrance Park, OH/St. Charles, IL)
Aidan Trimble/Justin Taylor (Sharon, VT/Newark, DE)
Junior C Team (Women)
Sydney Axton (Port Byron, NY)
Anna Basaj (Whitehall, MI)
Dyani Bryant (Port Henry, NY)
Katherine Bishop (Carlisle, MA)
Emeline Cave (Philpot, KY)
Samantha Carone (Park City, UT)
Emily Cetin (Barre, VT)
Brigid Duesterhaus (Spartanburg, SC)
Chevonne Forgan (Chelmsford, MA)
Camille Johnson (Columbia, MD)
Sophia Kirkby (Ray Brook, NY)
Mackenzie Rice (Mariposa, CA)
Courtney Sepucha (Concord, MA)
Isabel Wiley (Ossining, NY)
Junior D Team (Park City, Utah-based)
Jonathan Conners (La Crescenta, CA)
Nolan Costin (Glendale, CA)
Matthew Greiner (Park City, UT)
Nicholas Iverson (Park City, Utah)
William Iverson (Park City, Utah)
Michael O’Gara (La Crescenta, CA)
Ethan Owen (Park City, Utah)
Crawford Patten (Oakland, CA)
Jacob Petersen (La Crescenta, CA)
Roy Smith (Park City, Utah)
Ian Thomas (Carlisle, MA)
Roan Thomas (Park City, Utah)
Darien Versario (Redondo Beach, CA)
Delaney Duncan (Park City, Utah)
Sarah Jared (Glendora, CA)
Elizabeth Petersen (La Crescenta, CA)
Aleksandra Verga (La Crescenta, CA)
Junior D Team (Lake Placid, N.Y.-based)
Jett Arp (Burlington, VT)
August Balicki (Downers Grove, IL)
Noah Boggess (Muskegon, MI)
Eamonn Bottger (Burlington, VT)
Jonathan Clark (Peru, NY)
Will Cox (Cincinnati, OH)
Sam Day (Wantagh, NY)
Sam Eckert (Jay, NY)
Rowan Jackson (Plattsburgh, NY)
David Klingerman (Catawissa, PA)
Brian LoCicero (Milford, CT)
Malachy McAdams (Marblehead, MA)
Gavin Shamis (South Burlington, VT)
Jeffrey Sichler (Patterson, NY)
Madison Atkinson (New Hartford, NY)
Julia Bussard (Amelia, OH)
Maya Chan (Chicago, IL)
Emily Eckert (Jay, NY)
Selena Jeskanen (Peru, NY)
Joan Kemper (Chicago, IL)
Keightlynn Kishbaugh (Berwick, PA)
Molly Loucy (Milton, VT)
Elana Morrison (Twin Lake, MI)
Madalyn Phillips (Deerfield, NY)
Hayley Powers (Washington, DC)
Lauren Reitzel (Plainfield, IL)
Sage Sularz (Burlington, VT)
Marie Winn (New Hartford, NY)
American athletes are not government supported. The organization exists with the help of corporate sponsors, the United States Olympic Committee and proud supporters around the country.
You can assist these youngsters and their teammates achieve their dreams by becoming a member of USA Luge for the annual fee of $50.
In return you will receive souvenir items and become entered in the team’s database, giving you access to the USA Luge news service.
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