Park City, UT – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association on Thursday named a group of 15 elite athletes to compete at the 2013 FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championship scheduled for Feb. 19-28 at Le Massif and Mont-Sainte-Anne ski resorts in Quebec, Canada. Each athlete heralds from top USSA club programs across the country including 2013 NorAm downhill title winner Katie Ryan, of Aspen, Colo., and Oregonian Jacqueline Wiles, who is in the hunt for the NorAm overall title just one point behind Norwegian Kristine Gjelsten Haugen.

“The base of our national team is the outstanding club programs that help boost our U.S. athletes to the next level as a part of our national development system,” said U.S. Ski Team Alpine Director, Patrick Riml. “Junior Worlds are a great opportunity for these athletes to get big race experience amongst the fastest young athletes in the world. With the recent performances of these athletes, we have a strong team and look forward to a great Junior World Championships.”

Notably absent from the roster is Mikaela Shiffrin, who will remain in Europe to focus on the World Cup where she is leading the Audi FIS World Cup slalom standings. Defending World Juniors downhill and combined gold medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle, of Starksboro, Vt., will also miss the competition due to a season ending knee injury suffered during the super combined at the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships.

Medals will be awarded for downhill, super G, giant slalom, slalom, a traditional combined, team event and the Marc Hodler Trophy for overall team performance with competitions split between speed events at Le Massif and technical events at Mont Ste. Anne.

2013 FIS ALPINE JUNIOR WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM

Men
Jack Auty, Durham, NH, 3/13/95 (Burke Mountain Academy)
Bryce Bennett, Olympic Valley, CA, 7/14/92 (Squaw Valley Ski Team)
Keiffer Christianson, Anchorage, AK, 8/11/92 (Dartmouth Ski Team)
Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Starksboro, VT, 3/27/92 (Cochran’s/Mount Mansfield Ski and Snowboard Club)
Robert Cone, Killington, VT, 1/12/92 (Middlebury College Ski Team)
Samuel Dupratt, Park City, UT, 11/28/93 (Park City Ski Education Foundation)
Matthew Strand, Lakeville, MN, 5/14/93 (Buck Hill Ski Team)
Nick Krause, Northboro, MA, 5/12/93 (Stratton Mountain School)

Women
Abby Ghent, Edwards, CO, 2/25/92 (Ski and Snowboard Club Vail)
Katherine Irwin, Vail, CO, 6/5/94 (Ski and Snowboard Club Vail)
Lila Lapanja, Incline Village, CO, 12/3/94 (Sugar Bowl Academy/Diamond Peak)
Paula Moltzan, Lakeville, MN, 5/7/94 (Ski and Snowboard Club Vail)
Foreste Peterson, Berkeley, CA, 10/9/93 (Squaw Valley Ski Team)
Katie Ryan, Aspen, CO, 1/3/93 (Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club)
Jacqueline Wiles, Aurora, OR, 7/13/92 (White Pass Ski Club)

SCHEDULE
(Speed events in Le Massif, technical events on Mont Ste. Anne)
Feb. 21 – Women’s giant slalom
Feb. 22 – Men’s downhill, women’s slalom
Feb. 23 – Men’s super G
Feb. 25 – Men’s giant slalom
Feb. 26 – Men’s slalom, women’s downhill
Feb. 27 – Women’s super G