May 19, 2005

UVM’s McDonald to Stay with Ski Program

BURLINGTON, Vt. –University of Vermont women’s alpine skier Jilyne McDonald
(Bellevue, Wash.) was named to the US Ski Team’s development team earlier this
month, but McDonald has turned down the nomination to remain at UVM.

“The training opportunities are great with the (US) team, but we have excellent
training here at UVM too.  Between the coaching and the training hill, I think
it’s a good decision,” said McDonald, one of the top women’s racers on the
collegiate carnival circuit, in an article in the Stowe Reporter on May 12.

“It’s great that Jilyne decided to stay as far as the team goes. The group of
women we have are tight-knit and she is a part of that,” said Bill Reichelt,
director of skiing at Vermont and head alpine coach.  “It also speaks to the
program and college skiing in general that she feels she can improve here.”

McDonald earned All-America honors in her first NCAA Championship appearance,
helping the Catamounts earn national runner-up honors this past season.  She
was one of two freshmen on UVM’s NCAA squad and finished sixth in the giant
slalom and 17th in the slalom.  During the EISA carnival circuit in 2005, she
posted six top-five finishes in 10 races.  In the final two weekends of the
regular season, she won the giant slalom and was third in the slalom at the
Williams Carnival.  She followed that with a win in the slalom at the EISA
Championship.  She also competed for the United States in the 2005 Winter World
University Games in Austria.

Several former Catamounts have skied for the US Ski Team and several former US
Ski Team members have joined the Catamount squad during the history of the
program.  Currently, former UVM skier Jimmy Cochran, the older brother of
current member Amy Cochran (Keene, N.H.), is a member of the B Team.  Freshman
Greg Hardy (Stratton, Vt.) came to UVM after a stint with the US Ski Team and
won the 2005 national championship in the giant slalom.

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Vermont Athletic Communications