Bickner and Englund Win Final Tune-Up
By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
October, 10 2015
LAKE PLACID, NY (Oct. 10, 2015) - Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, IL) and Nita Englund (Florence, WI) picked up wins Saturday in the New York Ski Education Foundation Flaming Leaves competition, a tune-up event for Sunday’s U.S. Ski Jumping Championship on the Olympic jumps in Lake Placid. Bickner soared to the win over Michael Glasder (Cary, IL) on the HS100 meter hill. Englund took a strong win over Tara Geraghty-Moats (W. Fairlee, VT) in the women’s competition. The athletes will return to the hill Sunday morning for the normal hill event of the U.S. Ski Jumping Championships.
Fans can watch Sunday’s U.S. Ski Jumping Championships live. The coverage will be produced by USA Nordic, streamed live on livestream.com. The live stream begins at 9:30 a.m. EDT for Sunday’s U.S. Championship.
QUOTES
Nita Englund
I felt good about my jumping today. I have always struggled on this hill in the past, but I felt that I got the feeling of the hill this year. There is this infamous 'bump' before the takeoff on Lake Placid. If you are a tiny bit behind it will really destroy your jump, but if you are on top and relaxed the bump tells you when to start the takeoff. I am usually a little late on a ski jump, but the 'bump' helped me this year as it told me when to begin my takeoff....so for once in my life I am happy for infamous bump.
It was a beautiful day outside and it is nice jumping in the US again for the weekend. I am staying with my teammate Nina Lussi at her family's cabin and being out in the woods is really one of my favorite parts about visiting Lake Placid - it feels a bit like home. I'm excited for tomorrow's event and enjoying the last competition of the summer season!
Clint Jones, Men’s Ski Jumping Coach
Kevin Bickner had a great day on the hill and was able to have the longest jumps in both rounds to secure the win. This will be a big confidence booster for him moving into tomorrow's Championship event. Mike Glasder also showed that he will not let Kevin take the victory tomorrow without a fight. Mike performed very well dispite some difficult conditions in the second round. Sunday's competition will be exciting. We have a few athletes that have never won the National Championships fighting for the top spot.
Alan Alborn, Women’s Ski Jumping Coach
Today was a beautiful day for ski jumping in Lake Placid. Nita Englund took the entire ladies field to school today. That said, Tara Geraghty-Moats is a tough competitor on this hill and if the conditions are right she could challenge Nita for the top spot Sunday. Abby Hughes and Nina Lussi were fighting it out today and have sized each other up for tomorrow. It will be a fight for sure but with Nita’s confidence and overall shape coming home from Europe, she will be a fighter for the win tomorrow.
Our younger jumpers fought it out in a junior class with FLY Girls and development team member Cara Larson leaving the rest in the dust. They will join the seniors tomorrow and square up with Nita’s level for a little taste of what the top level is in the world of women’s ski jumping.
U.S. SKI JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
Flaming Leaves Festival – Lake Placid, NY
Sunday, Oct. 11- Live Stream
9:30 am – Trial round HS100 meter U.S. Ski Jumping Championships
11:00 a.m. – U.S. Championship HS100 meter competition round (two jumps) begins