By: Sydney Chan, Syracuse University B.S. Broadcast and Digital Journalism
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Speed, exhilaration and friendship were fully displayed during Saturday’s, Feb. 1, youth luge A and B races held at Mt Van Hoevenberg, in Lake Placid. As members of the USA Luge Junior Development Team, this year’s Empire State Winter Games was the first competition for several young athletes.
Brynn Davison of Holliston, Mass. took home the gold medal in the Youth B Women’s race with a total time of 1 minute, 37.970 seconds. She’s been sliding for about a year and was first introduced to luge through Slider Search, USA Luge’s official athlete recruitment program. “It was a normal day,” she laughed. “My dad just asked if I wanted to go, and I said yeah!”
Sarah Stefanides of West Chester, Pa., walked away with the silver medal. In her two runs down the icy chute, she clocked a combined time of 1:38.938. Stephanie Hoylman of Columbus, Ohio followed with a two-heat total of 1:38.992 and won bronze.
A group of 10 athletes made up the Youth B Men’s event. Lake Placid’s Maxim Zayonc eclipsed the field with a two-run time of 1:34.420; trailed by silver-medalist William Roberts of Holliston, Mass. in 1:34.587. The bronze medal was captured by Colin Peterson of Columbus, Ohio, in 1:36.050.
Davison’s teammates, Alexis Mason of Lancaster, Ohio and Violet Clancy of Wayne, Pa, placed first and second in Youth A Women, tallying times of 1:35.499 and 1:37.254, respectively. The three met during last February’s USA Luge screening camp, an invitation-only event for athletes who have shown potential during the Slider Search or another recruitment event to try the sport on ice. Reilyn Bajus of Wynnewood, Pa. completed the Youth A Women’s podium, with a total time of 1:40.437.
The Youth B Men’s stage consisted of Warren Briggs of Madrid, N.Y., Caleb Dusek of New London, Wisc., and Landon Kozik of Norfolk, Mass., who clocked times of 1:33.909, 1:34.854, and 1:38.363, respectively.
The sliders are split into groups by age — Youth A Men and Women (athletes born between 2007 and 2010), Youth B Men and Women (athletes born between 2011-2012).