14 Westminster Students Make Olympics

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - All eyes on the campus of Salt Lake City's Westminster College will be focused on the 2010 Olympic Winter Games as 14 Westminster students head to Vancouver to compete for the gold next month.  From snowboarding to freestyle skiing, the college will be cheering on these exceptional student-athletes who have been named to the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team.

"We are absolutely thrilled to have 14 students named to this year's team," said Safia Keller, Westminster's USSA-grant program liaison. "For a college that boasts just over 3,000 students, it's quite an achievement to have so many phenomenal athletes here."

Westminster, a highly-regarded comprehensive liberal arts college in Salt Lake City, has a strong partnership with the Park City-based U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding, providing college education to athletes training at the Team's Center of Excellence.

"Westminster College continues to play a vital role for our athletes training at the USSA Center of Excellence," said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) President and CEO Bill Marolt. "We're proud that so many of our 2010 Olympians have been able to supplement their Olympic training with the educational opportunity offered by Westminster."

The roster of student athletes from Westminster includes a full third of the 18-member 2010 U.S. Olympic Freestyle Ski Team along with alpine, cross country and snowboarding athletes, plus a skeleton Olympian. Westminster Olympians include:

Freestyle
Lacy Schnoor (Aerials, Draper, UT) - Westminster sophomore/marketing major
Jana Lindsey (Aerials, Black Hawk, SD) - Westminster sophomore/communication major
Heather McPhie (Moguls, Bozeman, MT) - Westminster junior
Ryan St. Onge (Aerials, Winter Park, CO) - Westminster sophomore/business major
Dylan Ferguson (Aerials, Amesbury, MA) - Westminster sophomore
Bryon Wilson (Moguls, Butte, MT) - Westminster freshman/art major

Cross Country
Liz Stephen (Montpelier, VT) - Westminster freshman
Torin Koos (Leavenworth, WA) - Westminster Master of Professional Communication graduate
Morgan Arritola (Ketchum, ID)  - Westminster freshman

Snowboarding
Graham Watanabe  (Sun Valley, ID) - Westminster sophomore/business major

Alpine
Megan McJames (Park City, UT - Westminster freshman
Kaylin Richardson (Edina, MN) - Westminster freshman
Leanne Smith (Conway, NH) - Westminster sophomore

Skeleton
Zach Lund (Salt Lake City) - Westminster senior/aviation major

Westminster has more than 35 U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding athletes who attend the college through the Westminster/USSA grant program. Because Westminster believes in supporting athletes who want to pursue their athletic dreams as well as their academic endeavors, the program allows all A, B and C-level U.S. Ski Team or U.S. Snowboarding  athletes who qualify to attend the college tuition-free. Westminster's USSA athletes study a variety of subjects at the college and have an average cumulative G.P.A of 3.65. These student-athletes must balance their rigorous training and competition schedules along with their academic courses.

"Because of the close proximity to the mountains and world-class training facilities, Westminster is really the ideal institution for these athletes to pursue their education," explained Keller. "Our faculty and staff understand the dedication it takes to compete at their level and they work closely with these students to help them balance their tough schedules."

Westminster has recently created a Web page for the campus and public to keep updated on progress of these amazing student-athletes. The page includes bios, press releases, photos, and other information.

About Westminster
Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college.  With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster is distinguished by its unique environment for learning. Westminster prepares students for success through active and engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. Westminster's unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake, further enriches the college experience