Leading the Men’s World Cup team again will be three-time Verizon National Champion Eric Bernotas (Avondale, PA), who just won the 2006 Verizon National Championships, along with his World Cup teammates from last season Zach Lund (Salt Lake City, UT) and 2003 Junior World Silver Medalist Caleb Smith (Lake Placid, NY). Securing the last spot on the team was former World Cup athlete Kevin Ellis (Dallas, TX).

2003 World Cup Champion, Chris Soule (Trumbull, CT) just missed making the team but can be added by the coaches throughout the season if any of the above athletes do not have a top twelve finish on any track.

The Women’s Team will be made up of a few new faces as well as some veterans. Three-time Verizon National Champion, Katie Uhlaender (Breckenridge, CO), fresh off being named the 2006 Verizon National Champion will lead the 2005-2006 squad along with last years World Cup teammate Katie Koczynski (Nyack, NY). The new face on the team will be Lyndsie Peterson (Taylorsville, UT) who secured a spot on the team when she won yesterdays final race of the team trials.

The fourth spot on the team was awarded to 2005 World Cup Champion Noelle Pikus-Pace (Orem, UT) by the coaches as a result of a discretionary pick which is stated in the criteria. Noelle was granted the spot after being hit by an American 4-man bobsled in the out run of the track at Calgary Olympic Park breaking her right leg. Pikus-Pace has returned home and is recovering after a successful surgery on her right leg and as a result was awarded a medical waiver.

Noelle suffered a compound fracture of her lower right leg, as both her tibia and fibula were broken. A titanium rod was inserted to support the bones during the healing process. Preliminary prognosis is that she will be unable to put pressure on the leg for four weeks and will be on crutches. Pikus-Pace is hoping to come back for the second half of the World Cup season and take a shot at Torino.

Until Noelle is able to return to her spot on the world cup roster the coaches have chosen
2002 Olympic Gold Medalist Tristan Gale (Salt Lake City, Utah) to race in her place.

2002 Olympic Silver Medalist Lea Ann Parsley (Granville, OH), Becca Sorensen (Fort Collins, CO) and Courtney Yamada (Boise, ID) just missed making the team but can also be added by the coaches throughout the season if any of the above athletes do not have a top twelve finish on any track.

On a side note, 2002 Olympic Gold Medalist Jim Shea Jr. (Lake Placid, NY) announced his retirement to head coach Tim Nardiello in Calgary after his final run in the trials. Nardiello stated that Shea contributed immensely to the sport of skeleton and is looking forward to using Jimmy’s expertise in the future as the sport continues to grow in the United States.