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SALT LAKE CITY — With the 2018 Winter Olympics beginning this week, one Utah school will be without 18 students. Those 18 students have a great excuse for missing class as they will be representing Team USA in the Pyeongchang Olympics.
Westminster College is the official education partner for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard teams. This partnership offers a special tuition-grant program exclusively for current national team members and U.S. Ski Team alumni. Since 2005, the program has allowed over 143 student-athletes to pursue an education while pursuing their Olympic dreams.
“This program came about because we wanted to support athletes in their academic and athletic endeavors," Westminster's director of media and public relations, Krista DeAngelis, said. "Through this partnership, they are able to compete and have their rigorous training schedules while also being able to take classes here.”
Westminster has been known for its Olympic athletes over the years. At the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the school sent 23 students, which was more than any other school in the country. Four of those students made it to the podium, bringing home two gold medals, a silver and a bronze.
“It’s been a great impact on the college; students have the unique experience of sitting next to an Olympian,” DeAngelis said.
The campus, according to DeAngelis, has some special festivities planned on Friday to celebrate the Olympics and their fellow students who will soon compete in the Games. The day will begin with the first-ever Griffin Olympics for faculty and staff members. Faculty members will be competing against each other in a variety of events. Later that night, the student body is hosting a viewing party for the opening ceremonies.
“Whenever the Winter Olympics come up, it’s obviously an exciting time for us,” DeAngelis said. “We are excited to root them on as a campus while they are in Pyeongchang.”
Here are the 18 Westminster athletes to watch in the Pyeongchang Olympics:
- Bryce Bennett, Alpine
- Maddie Bowman, Freestyle Skiing (half-pipe)
- Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Alpine
- Alex Ferreira, Freestyle
- Bryan Fletcher, Nordic
- Taylor Fletcher, Nordic
- Jared Goldberg, Alpine
- Faye Guilini, Snowboard
- Devin Logan, Freestyle
- Wiley Maple, Alpine
- Megan McJames, Alpine
- Madison Olsen, Freestyle
- Abby Ringquist, Ski Jumping
- Morgan Schild, Freestyle Skiing
- Brita Sigourney, Freestyle
- Liz Stephen, Cross-Country
- Darian Stevens, Freestyle
- Jacqueline Wiles, Alpine
Lexi Lewis is studying public relations at Utah Valley University. You can follow her on Twitter @lex_lew1018.
