Yamada Breaks Own Track Record in Win

Yamada Breaks Own Track Record in Win; Bernotas Prevails on Third Day of
U.S. Skeleton Team Trials

LAKE PLACID, N.Y.—Courtney Yamada (Boise, Idaho) shaved three hundredths of
a second off her own women’s skeleton track record at the Olympic Sports
Complex in Lake Placid, N.Y., to set a new top time with her first run of
56.50 during today’s third day of the U.S. skeleton national team trials.
For the men, 2006 Olympian Eric Bernotas (Avondale, Pa.) claimed first place
after finishing second during the first two days of racing.

Yamada once again claimed the day’s fastest starts and turned them into a
winning total time of 1:53.49 (56.50, 56.99) to edge runner-up Noelle
Pikus-Pace (Orem, Utah), who slid to a combined time of 1:53.56 (56.79,
56.77). Tied with Pikus-Pace after the first run, 2006 Olympian Katie
Uhlaender (Breckenridge, Colo.) placed third with runs of 56.79 and 57.21
for a time of 1:54.00. Bree Schaaf-Boyer (Bremerton, Wash.) held onto
Thursday’s fourth-place finish by sliding a combined time of 1:54.03 (57.11,
56.92), while Tristan Gale (Salt Lake City, Utah) took fifth after runs of
57.03 and 57.69 for a time of 1:54.72. Landing in sixth was Rebecca Sorensen
(Fort Collins, Colo.) in 1:55.03 (57.33, 57.70).

Bernotas pulled out a victory of nearly half a second over Caleb Smith (Lake
Placid, N.Y.) after runs of 54.94 and 55.27 for a time of 1:50.21. Smith
came in second with a time of 1:50.66 (55.16, 55.50), finishing half a
second faster than third-place finisher Matt Antoine’s (Prairie du Chien,
Wis.) time of 1:51.16 (55.42, 55.74). In fourth and fifth place,
respectively, were Chris Hedquist (Salt Lake City, Utah) with runs of 55.84
and 56.04 for a total of 1:51.88 and John Daly (Smithtown, N.Y.) in 1:52.09
(55.74, 56.35). Kyle Tress (Trenton, N.J.) rounded out the top six with runs
of 56.02 and 56.83 for a combined time of 1:52.85.

After three races, Pikus-Pace leads the women and Smith is in front of the
men with 290 points each. In second and third, respectively, for the women
are Uhlaender with 260 points and Yamada with 250, while Schaaf-Boyer
currently is in the fourth and final World Cup spot with 205. For the men,
Bernotas is in second with 280 points, Antoine is third with 230 and
Hedquist sits in fourth with 220.

Today’s competition was the third of six total races that will determine the
2006-07 U.S. World Cup skeleton team. Trials conclude in Park City, Utah,
with the final three races on Nov. 10-12. The World Cup season opens Nov. 30
in Calgary, Alberta, before the team returns to race on the U.S. tracks in
Park City on Dec. 7 and in Lake Placid on Dec. 15. Media interested in
attending the Park City trials can contact Utah Olympic Park’s Jennifer
Nichols at (435) 658-4247 or jennifer.nichols@olyparks.com.

RESULTS:
Women:
1. Yamada, 1:53.49 (56.50, 56.99); 2. Pikus-Pace, 1:53.56 (56.79, 56.77); 3.
Uhlaender, 1:54.00 (56.79, 57.21); 4. Schaaf-Boyer, 1:54.03 (57.11, 56.92);
5. Gale, 1:54.72 (57.03, 57.69); 6. Sorensen, 1:55.03 (57.33, 57.70); 7.
Annie O’Shea (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.), 1:55.21 (57.62, 57.59); 8. Kim
Krolewski (Needham, Mass.), 1:55.31 (57.27, 58.04); 9. Keslie Tomlinson
(Potomac Falls, Va.), 1:56.22 (57.94, 58.28); 10. Katie Koczynski (Nyack,
N.Y.), 1:56.42 (58.11, 58.31); 11. Jessica Palmer (Roy, Utah), 1:56.73
(58.44, 58.29); 12. Leah Ford (Sterling, N.Y.), 1:57.94 (58.49, 59.45); 13.
Jody Barton (Washingtonville, N.Y.), 1:58.03 (58.75, 59.28); 14. Cassie
Revelli (Highland, Utah), 1:59.64 (1:00.19, 59.45); 15. Angie Stakus
(Mendon, Mass.), 1:59.67 (59.95, 59.72); 16. Felicia Canfield (Park City,
Utah), (58.52, DNS); 17. Linda Cise (Indianapolis, Ind.), DNF.

Men:
1. Bernotas, 1:50.21 (54.94, 55.27); 2. Smith, 1:50.66 (55.16, 55.50); 3.
Antoine, 1:51.16 (55.42, 55.74); 4. Hedquist, 1:51.88 (55.84, 56.04); 5.
Daly, 1:52.09 (55.74, 56.35); 6. Tress, 1:52.85 (56.02, 56.83); 7. Chris
Burgess (Glen Gardner, N.J.), 1:52.95 (56.29, 56.66); 8. Maury Zuber
(Marengo, Iowa), 1:53.17 (56.26, 56.91); 9. Brady Canfield (Park City,
Utah), 1:53.26 (56.24, 57.02); 10. Adam Donahoo (Sandy, Utah), 1:53.47
(56.88, 56.59); 11. Stokes Aitken (Salt Lake City, Utah), 1:53.70 (57.06,
56.64); 12. Justin Stoddard (Salt Lake City, Utah), 1:54.19 (56.93, 57.26);
13. Matt Revelli (Highland, Utah), 1:54.57 (57.06, 57.51); 14. Jason Askins
(Salt Lake City, Utah), 1:54.71 (57.29, 57.42).

About the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation
The United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, based in Lake Placid,
N.Y., is the national governing body for the sports of bobsled and skeleton
in the United States. The USBSF would like to thank its sponsors, suppliers
and contributors for their support: Allianz Life, Columbia Sportswear
Company, CW-X, KBC Helmets and Sportsmark.

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