Killington Mountain School junior Kristin Leggett has accepted an invitation to join the US Ski Team as a member of the Development Team. At sixteen years of age, Kristin will be the youngest of the five woman squad which leaves next week for a two week training camp at Mammoth Mountain, California and a week long dry land training camp at the Olympic Training Center in San Diego, California. In California, Kristin will join Coach John Hale, a veteran Europa Team Coach and fellow teammates Lindsay Cone (also of Killington, Vermont), Julia Ford, Kirsten Cooper, Laurenne Ross, and Jennifer Van Wagner.

Head of School Tao Smith expressed his pride in Kristin’s accomplishment. He said, “This is obviously a great accomplishment for Kristin and her coaches, and a solid first step for her in her goal to race at the World Cup level. We are all extremely proud of her recent accomplishments and look forward to supporting her as she continues to advance up the US Ski Team ladder.”

To be selected for the development team she had to meet a set of criteria that includes points and world rankings. Currently Kristin is ranked for her age number one in the US in Super-G, number two in the Downhill and Slalom, and number three in the Giant-Slalom. Kristin, know as a fearless competitor comes off her 2007 season with a number of wins and a remarkable thirteenth place finish in the Super-G at US Senior Nationals this past March.

KMS Head Women’s Coach Lon Brettell resembles a proud, yet stern Papa Bear as he reflects on Kristin’s accomplishment. He says, “It is a great achievement for Kristin to receive an invitation to the ski team. Now she must make an even greater commitment to her sport; her goals are no longer making the ski team, they are now focused on becoming the ‘best in the world.’ I have seen Kristin’s talent and I know she can.”

The Development team is structured to take the top athletes under the age of 19 and move them up the competition ladder from the NorAm circuit to the Europa Cup circuit and hopefully on to race World Cup. If Kristin can do this she will join former development team athletes who include 2006 Olympians Julia Mancuso and Lindsey Kildow.

Smith has said that Killington Mountain School will continue to support Kristin throughout the year when she is not traveling for competitions with the development team. Smith said, “At KMS we are proud of the positive and supportive environment from which all athletes, not just Kristin, can reach their goals. Kristin will always be part of our team, and her teammates should feel a sense of pride and accomplishment as well, they have all been a part of creating an environment where everyone can succeed. We look forward to seeing what the year will bring for her.”

    - Submitted: Monday, May 14th by Elizabeth Reaves