Ski Utah Press Release

SALT LAKE CITY – 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.

QUOTES

Megan McJames, three-time Olympian, amateur baker, Westminster junior and finance major 

“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 

“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 

“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

Visit www.westminstercollege.edu/us-ski-and-snowboard for more information.

Media Contacts:  Krista DeAngelis and Arikka Von, 801-832-2682

About U.S. & Ski Snowboard: 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic sports organization based in Park City, Utah, providing leadership and direction for elite athletes competing at the highest level worldwide and for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders in the USA, encouraging and supporting all its athletes in achieving excellence wherever they train and compete. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. One of the oldest and most established sports organizations worldwide, directly tracing its roots back to 1905, U.S. Ski & Snowboard receives no direct government support, operating solely through private donations from individuals, corporations and foundations to fund athletic programs that directly assist athletes in reaching their dreams.

About Westminster:

Westminster is a private, independent and comprehensive college in Salt Lake City, Utah. Students experience the liberal arts blended with professional programs in an atmosphere dedicated to civic engagement. With the goal of enabling its graduates to live vibrant, just and successful lives, Westminster provides transformational learning experiences for both undergraduate and graduate students in a truly student-centered environment. Faculty focus on teaching, learning and developing distinctive, innovative programs, while students thrive on Westminster’s urban Sugar House campus within minutes of the Rocky Mountains. For more information, visit www.westminstercollege.edu or follow WestminsterSLC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.