USA Luge--Fall World Cup Team Announced

On the heals of the weekend's 2014 Norton National Championships in Lake Placid, N.Y., USA Luge revealed the composition of their fall 2014 World Cup squad.

The women's team will be led by Sochi Olympic bronze medalist Erin Hamlin, 27 of Remsen, N.Y. Hamlin, who was ranked sixth in last season's overall World Cup rankings, will be joined by 20 year-old Glen Rock Pa. native and 2014 Olympian Summer Britcher. World Cup medal winner Julia Clukey, 29 of Augusta, Maine and 2013 Junior World Champion Emily Sweeney, 21 of Suffield, Conn., were also named to the team.

27 year-old Chris Mazdzer of Saranac Lake, N.Y., fresh off his sixth Norton National Championship title, enters the fall World Cup as the top-ranked athlete for the United States, having placed fifth in last season's rankings. Mazdzer's 2014 Olympic teammates Tucker West, 19 of Ridgefield, Conn., and 20 year-old Aidan Kelly of West Islip, N.Y. will join him when the World Cup begins in Igls, Austria on November 29 and 30.

Taylor Morris, 23 of South Jordan, Utah may join the team for some portion of the fall World Cup, depending upon his health. He is recovering from ankle and wrist injuries.

The newly crowned Norton National Championship winning duo of Matt Mortensen and Jayson Terdiman are set to make their World Cup debut as a team in Igls. Mortensen,28 of Huntington Station, N.Y, and Terdiman,25 of Berwick, Pa., raced in the 2014 Olympic doubles competition, but with different teammates.

Jake Hyrns and Andrew Sherk will also race in a portion of the fall World Cup events. Hyrns, 21 of Muskegon, Mich., recently returned from basic training as a member of the Army National Guard. As a result, he and Sherk, 22 of Fort Washington, Pa., may need extra time to prepare for the coming season.

"I think the athletes are well prepared going into the World Cup season,' said USA Luge Sport Program Director and two-time Olympic medalist Mark Grimmette of Lake Placid, N.Y. "They worked hard over the summer and the coaching staff has worked hard to give them the equipment they need, so I'm excited for the team to get racing."

The nine-stop World Cup will move from Igls to Lake Placid, N.Y. on December 5-6, followed by the third and final pre-Christmas event in Calgary, Canada on December 12-13. Visit http://usaluge.org/season_1415 for the complete season schedule.

For more information on the Fastest Sport on Ice®, log on to http://www.usaluge.org/

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