SOCHI HOPEFULS

WE CAUGHT UP WITH COLLEGE ATHLETES-ALUMS AND UNDERGRADUATES-AS THEY READIED FOR TRIALS THAT WOULD DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL TRAVEL TO RUSSIA FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES TO BE HELD FEBRUARY 7-23. INTERVIEWS BY GAVIN HUANG ’14 AND MINAE SEOG '14

Martin anguita ’16 Alpine skiing (Chile) Santiago, Chile Engineering major

Santiago, Chile Engineering major

2011 and 2010 Chile National Champion; winner, two 2013 FIS slalom races

“My goal has always been to be NCAA champ. If I go to the Olympics, cool. I’m not as focused on them as other people would be because I’m taking classes winter term. I’m actually thinking about whether I want to go to the opening ceremony or not, because I’d miss a lot of races here and miss classes. It’s not that I don’t care about it, but I have so many other things going on.”

Dakota BlaCkhorse-von Jess ’09 Cross-country skiing

Bend, Oregon Computer science major modified with environmental studies

Winner, 2013, 2nd, 2012 and 6th, 2011 U.S. National Championships

“My coach and I are really excited about qualifying, and things are lining up nicely. I’m think I’m fitter than I’ve ever been, which is sort of scary because if I am, I’m moving from a top-level national skier to a high-level international skier. Ultimately, the start line of a race is the start line of a race. All you can control is doing your very best to ski as fast as you can.”

rosie Brennan ’11 Cross-country skiing

Park City, Utah Geography major

Overall champion, 2013 USSA SuperTour; winner, 2013 U.S. National Championship 10K

“I set up the season very well last year by winning overall champion in the 2013 SuperTour circuit and earning start rights to the World Cup races this season. Of course I’m still nervous because I have to follow through and use this opportunity well, but it’s very exciting to have a crazy goal that only comes around every four years.”

sophie CalDwell ’12 Cross-country skiing

Peru, Vermont Psychology major

2013 U.S. Nordic Ski Team; 2nd, 2013 Slavic Cup and 2013 U.S. National Championship; 20th, 2013 World Ski Championships

“I had a great summer training and follow-up training and testing has been going well. Obviously, Olympics are my biggest goal, but sometimes that’s sort of overwhelming to think about. Instead I try to focus on the next camp, the next test ahead of me. Everything feels good so far. I hope my results will reflect that.”

DaviD ChoDounsky ’08 Alpine skiing

Crested Butte, Colorado Earth science and engineering major

U.S. Ski Team since 2009; three top-20 2013 World Cup finishes

“I feel like I’m skiing a lot better and much better conditioned than in 2010, when I almost made the 2010 Olympic team. I started racing when I was 7. You have to put all your energy into it. We were off training in New Zealand in August and then Chile in September and all the time in between basically working out. I’d like to get to Sochi—and maybe win a medal while I’m at it. Most people in the United States aren’t sure that skiing really exists as a sport until the Olympics, so that’s the time to shine.”

kieffer Christianson ’14 Alpine skiing

Anchorage, Alaska Psychology major (expects to graduate in 2019)

U.S. Ski Team since 2011; Junior World Championships team, 2010-13; winner, 2013 Nor-Am giant slalom, Vail, Colorado, and 2013 Junior National giant slalom; 2013 Golden Ski Award

“When I come to school spring term it’s a total rewiring of my brain. When I go back to skiing I’m totally fired up. Initially I

didn’t have that much interest in going to college, but my parents wanted me to go to Dartmouth. When I finally got there I was like, ‘Wow, this is awesome.’ Freshman orientation was the best week of my life. Now the tables are turned because, despite pressure to ski year round, I’ve made it a priority to enroll at Dartmouth at least one term a year.”

hannah DreissigaCker ’09, th’10 Biathlon

Morrisville, Vermont Engineering major modified with studio art

2013 U.S. Biathlon and World Championship teams

“When you race in the United

States, skiing—biathlon especially—is a tiny sport, but in Europe it’s huge. At the world championships last year there were 20,000 fans. The Olympics has a different feel. Our race will definitely have fewer than 20,000 spectators, but being part of something where all sports are in the same place will be cool. It gives you an understanding of everyone else and all the different sports. That’s what’s special about the Olympics.”

susan Dunklee ’08 Biathlon

Barton, Vermont Biology major with ecology focus

2013 U.S. Biathlon and World Championship teams; 5th, 2012 Biathlon World Championship

“I divide my summer between Craftsbury, Vermont, where I

work at the Outdoor Center, and Lake Placid, New York, where the national biathlon team is based, and I always look forward to seeing my friends. Both communities feel like family. The big difference between the Olympics and world championships is more external pressure to do well.”

erika flowers ’12 Cross-country skiing

Bozeman, Montana Geography major; premed track

8th, 2013 U.S. National Championship; 4th, 2012 U.S. National Championship and USSA Super-Tour finals

“The Dartmouth ski program really fosters the ability to grow over the long term, rather than just focusing on the NCAAs. By being encouraged to attend international racing trips and U.S. national competitions, we are constantly exposed to a whole new level of racing. Cross-country skiing is definitely an individual sport, but the Dartmouth ski team provides a team atmosphere. We have everyone from the development team to people racing in the World Cups all working together to make each other better.”

nolan kasper ’14 Alpine skiing

Warren, Vermont Undeclared major (expects to graduate in 2020)

U.S. Ski Team since 2008; 2010 U.S. Olympic team (24th, slalom, in Vancouver); 10 top-10 World Cup finishes, 2011-12

“U.S. skiing is very team-oriented, but when you race it’s you and no one else. Your best training partners are your biggest enemies. Spring term is a time to get my head going in a different direction and keep myself hungry for getting back into skiing in summer. After a pretty significant knee injury last year, I’m excited to get back to racing.”

keith Moffat ’13 Alpine skiing

Berkeley, California Engineering major (expects to graduate in 2016)

U.S. Ski Team since 2010; winner, 2012 South American Cup; 7th, 2012 U.S. National Championship; 4th, 2011 Junior World Championships

“Ski careers—especially for downhill—usually go well into your 30s, and longevity is really important if you want to succeed as any professional athlete; it just builds on itself. But it can be a bumpy road. I have dealt with some serious setbacks, but my education allows me to continue to pursue my skiing goals, knowing I have other options. I’m grateful Dartmouth’s Thayer program has enabled me to pursue both engineering and skiing.”

patriCk o’Brien ’10 Cross-country skiing

Putney, Vermont Environmental studies major, geography minor

8th, 2013 USSA Distance National Championships; 6th, overall, 2013 USSA SuperTour ranking

“There’s so much momentum in cross-country skiing in the United States right now. In that sense the competition is cutthroat, but it’s encouraging to see that the sport is growing nationally. I would love to go to the Olympics, but even if I don’t I’m happy to know that the bar has been raised in our sport in the United States.”

eriC paCker ’12 Cross-country skiing

Anchorage, Alaska Engineering (Phi Beta Kappa)

7th, freestyle sprint, 2013 U.S. National Championship; 3rd, classic sprint, 2012 National Championship; three-time NCAA All-American

“My approach to getting to the Olympics is focusing on the process and not on the results—on doing everything right along the way in order to make sure that when I show up on race day, I’ll be as prepared as possible. This is certainly something I learned at Dartmouth. If you focus on all the little things along the way in the process of excelling in a course, developing relationships with a professor or anything else, the results will show by themselves.”

IDA SARGENT ’11 Cross-country skiing

Barton, Vermont Biology major, psychology minor

U.S. Nordic “A” team since 2010; five top-10 finishes, 2013 World Cup; 4th, U-23 2011 World Championship

“Dartmouth helped me to balance skiing with academics, and I’m still seeking balance in my life. Recently I’ve been doing a lot of Rosetta Stone to keep my brain from rotting. Competing in the Olympics is something I always thought about. It’s a really exciting time for me because it’s finally coming together."

SOPHIA SCHWARTZ ’13 Freestyle mogul skiing

Sun Valley, Idaho Neuroscience major, biology minor (expects to graduate in 2016)

U.S. Mogul Ski Team; winner, 2013 U.S. Freestyle Dual Mogul Championship; winner, 2013 Nor-Am Cup events, Telluride, Colorado, and Apex, Canada

“At first I was nervous that it would be hard to meet people at Dartmouth, since I would be gone for skiing so often. But luckily I’ve found a home in the ultimate Frisbee team. It’s a very warm and proactive community on campus. With other friends pursuing LSAs and off-term internships, I don’t feel unique when I come back to campus after skiing.”

MICHAEL SINNOTT ’07 Cross-country skiing

Sun Valley, Idaho Psychology major, neuroscience minor

Overall champion, 2013 USSA SuperTour; silver medals, 2013, 2012 and 2011 U.S. Cross-Country championships

“My junior ski coach told me I would have a great time anywhere, but that I should find a place that fit me. Dartmouth people just fit with me. There’s an intensity and excitement and happiness about Dartmouth students. Every single person has passion of an incredible caliber. The idea and task of trying to be great without it becoming overwhelming—this is what I found to be the unifying force of the people that I encountered and enjoyed at Dartmouth.”

TRACE CUMMINGS SMITH ’15 Alpine skiing (Estonia)

Dedham, Massachusetts Economics major, government minor

Estonia Alpine Ski Team; 36th, 2013 World Championship; two top-10 finishes, 2013 EISA races

“I skied for the United States when I was younger but had the opportunity with dual citizenship to change the country for which I compete. I can represent Estonia on the world stage, which is a really cool thing. It’s definitely a part of my family’s past that I’m proud of. On the alpine side of the Estonian ski federation there are only a couple of guys who are competing at a really high level vs. about 50 guys in the States. Estonian skiers don’t really train together. We’re on our own.”

sara stuDeBaker ’07 Biathlon

Boise, Idaho Government/International relations major, Latin American, Latino & Caribbean studies minor

2010 U.S. Olympic team (34th in Vancouver); U.S. Biathlon Team since 2007; U.S. World Championship team, 2011, 2012 and 2013; 15th, 2012 World Cup, Kontiolahti, Finland; 14th, 2011 World Cup, Presque Isle, Maine

“Going to the Olympics the second time, I’m a lot less nervous. In 2010 I was in awe. Dealing with that level of pressure and attention from the media was all very new. Now I think I can focus on the race and compete better than I have ever before. Confidence is really key.”

saM tarling ’13 Cross-country skiing

Cumberland, Maine Environmental studies major, geography minor (expects to graduate in 2014)

2013 U-23 World Championship team; 2013 national training group; 3rd, 2012 NCAAs; winner, 2011 NCAAs

“I loved the day-in-and-day-out at Dartmouth, showing up to practice and training. It might not seem special or fancy, but those workouts were really important to me. I’m the age of the ’12s, the class of the ’13s and am graduating with the ’14s. Being committed to skiing, I’ve had to space my academic courses out. Thankfully I have enjoyed all of my classes. I’m very interested in environmental studies and plan to work with GIS mapping software.”