Westminster sends 18 Olympians to compete in PyeongChang - The City Journals

 By Natalie Mollinet | natalie@mycityjournals.com

 

Ever since the Winter Olympics hit Salt Lake City in 2002, a pride and a love for the games has existed. Utah is known for its snow and its world class skiing and snowboarding resorts, so it’s no surprise that 18 of those Olympians are coming from Westminster College and competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Westminster College and U.S. Ski & Snowboarding have helped national athletes not only achieve excellence in the classroom but on the snowy slopes. U.S Ski & Snowboard is an Olympic sport organization that’s based in Park City, but works with thousands of young skiers and snowboarders to excel in their sport and help reach their dreams. With the help of Westminster College, athletes have the opportunity to excel in school too. There have been more than 140 U.S. Ski and Snowboarding athletes who have attended the college and the number keeps growing.

“I’m super grateful to get one-on-one time with professors who appreciate what I do,” said Abby Rinquist, a U.S. ski jumper who is also an art major at Westminster. “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.”

The 18 students were nominated for the 2018 team last week and will represent the United States in giant slalom, moguls skiing, snowboarding and Nordic (cross country skiing and ski jump). The athletes train at the Center of Excellence in Park City while they study at Westminster having to maintain an average GPA of 3.6. Megan McJames, a three-time Olympian, amateur baker and a junior in finance says going to school helps balance time with her practicing and helps her realize that there’s life beyond skiing.

“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,” McJames said. “It has given me skills that translate into make me who I am.”

“I think the type of person that I am – and most athletes are – is a little type-A,” McJames said. “We like to do our best at everything. When you’re pursuing your best in sports, those skills translate into school and vice versa.”

At Westminster, the students who have competed in the previous two Olympic winter games brought home medals. During the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, 14 students competed and earned one bronze medal. In the 2014 games in Sochi, 23 students competed bringing home two gold, one silver and one bronze, adding to the 28 total medals the U.S. brought home.

Not only will the world be watching our athletes compete, but the school will be cheering them on as they pursue their dreams. The 18 athletes that will be representing Westminster and the United States are Maddie Bowman (freestyle), Bryce Bennett (alpine), Ryan Cochran-Siegle (alpine), Alex Ferreira (Nordic), Bryan Fletcher (Nordic), Taylor Fletcher (Nordic), Jared Goldberg (alpine), Faye Guilini (snowboarding), Devin Logan (freeskiing), Wiley Maple (alpine), Megan McJames (alpine), Madison Olson (freestyle), Abby Ringquist (ski jump), Morgan Schild (freestyle), Liz Stephen (cross-country), Brita Sigourney (freestyle), Darian Stevens (freestyle), and Jacqueline Wiles (alpine).

“I was the kid who was in summer school a lot,” said Faye Guilini, a three-time Olympian, Grand Prix champ and a junior at Westminster who’s working on her accounting major. “It took me an extra year to graduate high school and I didn’t really see secondary education as an option.”

Guilini said the Westminster professors were willing to work with her schedule with competing and practicing, and even worked with her when she was traveling. She said it’s very beneficial and because of the understanding and determination of the professors, she’s been able to maintain a 3.9 GPA, something she thought she’d never be able to achieve.

“I think the type of person that I am – and most athletes are – is a little type-A,” McJames said. “We like to do our best at everything. When you’re pursuing your best in sports, those skills translate into school and vice versa.”

Man in custody after leading police on pursuit reaching 'close to 100 mph' in stolen vehicle

HURRICANE — A 35-year-old man is in custody after leading police on a brief pursuit with speeds reaching "close to 100 mph" in a stolen vehicle, officials report.

About 6:30 p.m., a Ford pickup truck was reported stolen from Washington City and later spotted by officers near a Walmart in Hurricane, according to Hurricane police officer Ken Thompson.

"There was a brief pursuit before the suspect ditched the vehicle and fled in a neighborhood on foot," he said.

The truck was left near the area of 700 West and 100 North where residents were told to "stay inside and lock your doors" as police continued searching for the man.

A reverse 911 call went out to residents who live within a mile radius of the area asking them to stay inside their homes and keep their doors locked, Thompson said.

Two firearms were inside the truck at the time it was stolen and were both recovered along with the vehicle.

Police located the man about 9:30 p.m. and took him into custody.

Residents in the area are no longer being asked to stay indoors but police ask the general public to avoid the area until the scene is cleared, Thompson said.

Further details were not immediately available.

Contributing: Natalie Mollinet, KSL TV

Authorities identify Logan woman killed in crash on Highway 91

RICHMOND, Cache County — A Logan woman died and another woman was injured in a crash on U.S. Highway 91 Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

Phyllis Belles, 70, died from injuries in the crash. Her 21-year-old granddaughter was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident and was taken to Logan Regional Hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Nick Street said.

Emergency crews responded to a report of the crash on U.S. 91 at an intersection near North Cache Middle School shortly after 12:30 p.m. The 21-year-old woman was driving a Subaru Forester when she lost control of the vehicle, couldn't stop and ended up under the rear of the trailer's dual wheels, Street said.

Belles wasn't wearing a seat belt and was ejected. She died at the scene. Her granddaughter wasn't wearing a seat belt either, but troopers didn't say if she was ejected or not. She was expected to survive, Street said. The driver of the semitruck wasn’t injured.

The highway was slick and covered with snow at the time of the crash. Street said the tires of the Subaru were worn smooth and were showing cords, which made it difficult for the vehicle to stop.

Utah Department of Transportation officials said chains and four-wheel drive were required through Sardine Canyon on U.S. 91. UDOT officials added the scene of the crash was cleared and U.S. 91 lanes were reopened, as of 3:30 p.m.

Several other crashes were also reported across the state Tuesday because of wintry weather.

Contributing: Natalie Mollinet, KSL

Interview with Kerry Jackson and Dan Farr on SLC FanX 2014

SLC Comic Con FanX First Day

Salt Lake Comic Con 2014

Nothing is going to stop Erica Owens, anything from A to Y

She really is the girl who can do anything she put her mind to. She does everything from dance, to music, making friends and being the life of the party. But for Erica Owens, she found her passion in playing soccer.

Owens grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah in the Sugarhouse area with a loving family and a passion for being the best, and working hard for it.  

“She’s super competitive,” Owens childhood friend Clara Toronto said, “and just naturally good at everything she tries.”

Since she was a kid, Owens had played soccer recreationally, and played competitively all the way up to college. When she got into high school she decided to continue her love in soccer and tried out for the team, and of course made it.

At Highland high school in Salt Lake, she was the star goalie all the way to her senior year, winning awards in the athletics department, and on the side making the varsity basketball team, not even having any background in basketball. Owens was the student body vice president, involved in Madrigals and still made time to keep practicing soccer.

When she decided to play soccer it was during her senior year, “I’d already had a bunch of offers (from different colleges). Yeah once people started convincing me to do it with schooling I was like ‘why not?’”

Owens got offers from schools like Stanford, Notre Dame, Boston College and local universities as well.

“I didn’t ever want to play keeper. I stick with keeper because I definitely not meant to be a forward. I’m tall, I’m just better at catching things,” Owens said.

When she decided to play soccer in college she would practice for hours every day. What inspired her to work so hard was knowing that she had a team relying on her, and that she had to do her job.

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” Owens said, “Even if that means putting in extra time.”

She decided on BYU, and was the star goalie for the women’s soccer team while working on her degree in exercise and wellness.

“There were points every single practice where I thought it wasn’t worth it, it’s hard to keep a positive mindset,” Owens said talking about the struggles of being a student athlete, “You don’t feel adequate as a freshman, but I just had to keep pushing through, and it was in the end definitely worth it.”

Owens graduated from BYU in 2014, becoming the face of the BYU women’s soccer team. She hopes to continue her field in soccer, but for now she works on what she earned with her degree as a personal trainer, helping people to be as fit as she is. But she still has dreams of becoming a professional soccer player.

“There’s rumors of (Salt Lake’s) Real’s premiere women’s team going pro and I think I’m going to try out for it. By think I mean I’m going to definitely try out.”