Pyeongchang 2018

Nordic skier Dan Cnossen competed in club triathlon during his time at the U.S. Naval Academy. An accomplished triathlete, the Kansas native began training as a sit-skier following a combat injury in 2009. 

A two-time Paralympian, Cnossen represented the U.S. in Sochi, competing in six nordic skiing events and placed in the top 15 in each competition. Four years later, he returned to the Games with experience and poise. 

In PyeongChang, Cnossen has medaled in six events. He opened his program with a gold in the 7.5k biathlon, becoming the first U.S. Olympian or Paralympian to take home a gold in the discipline. In the cross-country 15k, Cnossen picked up a silver, a drastic improvement from him 13th-place finish in Sochi, while also earning his second silver in the biathlon middle-distance. Cnossen earned two additional silver medals in the 15k biathlon and 7.5k cross-country skiing races. He completed the set with a bronze in the cross-country sprint. 

Cnossen's six medals, one gold, four silver and one bronze, made him the most decorated U.S. Paralympian competing in PyeongChang, as he medaled in every event he competed in. 

One of two Illinois student-athletes representing Team USA in South Korea, Travis Dodson is back for round two, but this time in a different sport. The two-time Paralympian will be competing in the sport of sled hockey, after previously competing for the U.S. in Nordic skiing and biathlon during the Sochi Games in 2014. Dodson transitioned from the snow to the ice in 2015 after learning of the sport while competing in Sochi.

While at Illinois, the New Mexico native represented the Illini as a member of its wheelchair track team and raced in the marathon event. In Sochi, Dodson posted four top-25 finishes in the 1k sprint (19th), 7.5k biathlon (20th), 15k biathlon (21st) and 10k (23rd). He was ninth in the sprint event at the 2013 world cup.

This winter in PyeongChang, U.S. men are seeking their third-consecutive Paralympic gold medal in the sport of sled hockey, and Dodson will play a role on the front line. For Team USA, sled hockey begins competition against Japan Sunday morning KST in a preliminary round match-up at the Gangneung Hockey Centre. 

As the only member of the 2018 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team with previous Olympic experience, Gionta brought leadership to the Games as captain for Team USA.

In 2001, Gionta became an NCAA champion with Boston College, and in 2003, he won the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils. During a 15-year career in the NHL, Gionta played in 1,006 games, tallying 588 career points.

During his time as an Eagle (1997-2001), Gionta recorded 232 points in 164 games. The forward still holds the school’s all-time record in goal scoring and is second in team history in career points. He was a three-time AHCA first-team All-American and is one of 25 Eagles to represent Team USA at an Olympic Winter Games and is the second BC student-athlete to serve as the captain of a U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey team. 

“I think everyone can relate with the Olympics and the magnitude of the Olympics,” said Gionta. “The world stops to watch the Olympic Games. To be able to be at that level representing your country, it’s a dream come true.”

During the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Gionta led Team USA with four goals in six games. Prior to Olympic competition, he skated in the IIHF men’s world championship in 2000, 2001 and 2005, tallying eight total points (six goals, two assists) in 23 games.

In South Korea, Gionta and the U.S. men beat Slovakia in the classification round to advance to the quarterfinals. The U.S. ultimately fell to the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals, 3-2, in a shootout.

Tony Granato, the 2018 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team head coach, has competed and coached at the collegiate, professional and international levels throughout his impressive career. A former Wisconsin student-athlete, Granato went back to coach the Badgers in 2016 and completed the last few credits of his degree to graduate a year later, in 2017.

A four-year standout at Wisconsin in the mid-80s, Granato racked up 100 goals and 220 points in 151 games for the Badgers, while also collecting two All-American honors over the course of his college career. He was named a finalist for the 1987 Hobey Baker Memorial Award after posting 73 points in his senior season. While in Madison, Granato shared the ice with men’s ice hockey general manager, the late Jim Johannson, forging a bond that has translated to success on the ice these Games.

“The ability to get your education and represent your school as a student-athlete is a great honor,” Granato said. “I think there are responsibilities that student-athletes have. Going to school is important, so as a coach, you have to balance with the academic side and consider that in all your decisions.”

After college, the Illinois native spent 13 years in the NHL with the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks until injuries forced him to retire. He then transitioned to coaching and spent time with the Colorado Avalanche, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings before returning to the college ranks as head coach for the Badgers.

Internationally, Granato dressed for the red, white and blue at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games, where he registered eight points for Team USA and competed for the U.S. in three IIHF men’s world championships from 1985-87.

Prior to being named head coach for the 2018 Winter Games, he served as an assistant coach on the staff in 2014.

Granato and Team USA face off against the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals on Wednesday afternoon at the Gangneung Hockey Centre.

A former football and track and field student-athlete at UCLA, Carlo Valdes spent the 2008 season as a member of the UCLA football team before transitioning to becoming a decorated javelin athlete. In 2013, he recorded a personal best throw of 212 feet 11 inches, a mark that inked him into UCLA’s record book for top-10 in distance.

Valdes was introduced to the sport of bobsled by his UCLA head coach and a fellow teammate, who also was a former U.S. bobsled national team member. Valdes used his speed and power from the track to successfully transition to bobsled.

"For me it was an easy transition because bobsled is a combination of football - the toughness that you need for that sport - and javelin,” Valdes said. He also noted throwing at UCLA helped him train more explosively and powerfully, which ultimately improved his speed.

The former Bruin made an immediate impact on the U.S. bobsled team, being named the 2015 U.S. men’s bobsled rookie of the year. Since that honor, Valdes has consistently competed on the international circuit for Team USA. He placed fifth in the four-man bobsled during the 2017 world championship and has earned silver- and bronze-medal finishes during the 2017-18 world cup circuit.

Catch the first-time Olympian in the four-man February 22 at the Olympic Sliding Centre.

The sole rowing student-athlete representing Team USA in South Korea, Dartmouth’s Emily Dreissigacker is competing in her first Olympic Winter Games as a member of the 2018 U.S. Olympic Biathlon Team. During her time at Dartmouth, Dreissigacker played a key role in the varsity eight boat, garnering first-team All-American honors in 2009 and second-team All-American honors in 2010.

The Vermont native helped lead Dartmouth to a top-15 finish at the 2009 NCAA championship and later represented the U.S. in quadruple sculls at the 2010 world rowing under-23 championships, finishing fourth. In 2014, a hand injury sidelined Dreissigacker’s rowing career, steering her to the sport of biathlon.

A member of the U.S. biathlon national team since 2017, the Big Green alum has registered top-100 finishes in every world cup race she has participated in. In 2018, Dreissigacker placed 5th at the IBU cup in route to qualifying for the Olympic Winter Games.

While Dreissigacker competed collegiately on the water, Olympic rowing and biathlon have strong ties in her family. Her mother, Judy Geer, is a two-time U.S. Olympic rower, and her father, Dick, rowed for Team USA at the 1972 Olympic Games. Dreissigacker’s sister, Hannah, was a member of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Biathlon Team and also competed on the Dartmouth skiing team.

Dreissigacker has competed in two biathlon events to-date in her first Olympic appearance. She posted the top finish for the U.S. after placing 51st (23:27.2) in the 7.5k sprint. Her finish qualified her for the 10k pursuit, where she crossed the finish line in 47^th place.

The first athlete to punch his ticket to PyeongChang, Lowell Bailey has represented the red, white and blue in every Olympic Winter Games since 2006. Just last year, he became the first American in history to win a biathlon world championship title after taking gold in the men’s 20k individual.

Over the course of his illustrious career, the Catamount has competed in 11 world championships. And while his international success continues to grow, his collegiate accomplishments are just as impressive.

While competing for Vermont, he placed second in two NCAA championships and earned All-American honors three times. Bailey placed in the top-10 of all six of his NCAA races, helping the Catamounts to an NCAA national runner-up finish his senior season in 2005.

Looking back on his time racing for Vermont, Bailey is certain that it helped paved a path directly to the Olympic Winter Games. And for those chasing an Olympic dream, Bailey emphasizes the importance of collegiate skiing.

“There's experiences that I had racing in college that I'll never forget,” said Bailey. “It definitely laid the foundation for me to jump into biathlon and pursue the Olympic dream. I think if there's any advice I can give, make sure you're staying in the moment. Don't think too hard about the Olympics, think about the NCAA."

Bailey kicked off his Olympic program February 11 in the 10k sprint, with a 33rd-place finish. He has also competed in the 12.5k pursuit, crossing the finish line in 32^nd. Most recently, Bailey placed 51^st in the men’s 20k individual. Men’s biathlon competition will continue Sunday with the 15k mass start.

The first African-American player to ever make a U.S. Olympic men’s ice hockey team, Boston University’s Jordan Greenway brings an offensive prowess to PyeongChang. Most recently at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, the forward contributed three goals and five assists in Team USA’s gold medal-winning effort.

A New York native, Greenway is one of four current student-athletes on the 2018 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team. While balancing school with athletics and international play is no small feat, Greenway racked up 57 points (15 goals and 42 assists) for the Terriers in his first two seasons. During his junior year, he posted eight points (three goals and five assists) in 13 games.

Boston University represents the largest collegiate footprint on the men’s ice hockey team. Fellow Terriers Chris Bourque, Matt Gilroy and John McCarthy are also representing the red, white and blue in PyeongChang.

This winter, the U.S. men are seeking their first Olympic gold medal in since 1980. Team USA men began competition against Slovenia on February 14, ultimately falling to their opponents in overtime, 3-2.

"It was exciting to get my first one under my belt, but it would have been much better to get a win..." Greenway said on his first Olympic game.

Team USA continued its preliminary play February 16 with a win over Slovakia. The U.S. men will face Olympic Athletes from Russia on February 17 at the Gangneung Hockey Centre.

This winter in PyeongChang, Illinois track and field star Aja Evans is seeking her second Olympic medal in the sport of bobsled. She will once again be partnered with pilot Jamie Greubel Poser (Cornell) in hopes of building off the duo’s bronze medal in Sochi.

Before Evans got her start in bobsled, she amounted five All-American honors and three Big Ten championship titles in shot put and sprinting as an Illini. While she was highly accomplished on the field of play, Evans also grew personally during her time in collegiate athletics.

"I think three characteristics playing college sports helped enhance in me are discipline, determination and confidence,” said Evans. “You learn how to be disciplined, because if you don't stick to certain guidelines and rules, you can't compete. You learn to set goals and become more determined. Through winning and as an athlete, you gain a new sense of confidence, as well."

Upon graduation, Evans’ coach suggested she take up bobsled. Two years after that conversation, the Chicago native made her world cup debut. Since then, Evans has finished on the podium at the 2017 world championship and placed in the top-10 six times on the world cup circuit during the 2017-18 season.

Athletic success runs in Evans’ family. Her brother, Fred, played defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, and her uncle, Gary Matthews, is the former hitting coach of the Chicago Cubs. Her cousin, Gary Matthew’s Jr., also played Major League Baseball.

With an already-stellar athletic pedigree, Evans and her bobsled teammates will begin their quest for gold February 20 at the Olympic Sliding Centre in the PyeongChang Mountain Cluster.

A former track and field student-athlete at SUNY Plattsburgh, John Daly returned to the skeleton track in 2016 after a three-year retirement to compete in his third-straight Olympic Winter Games. Having previously represented the red, white and blue in Vancouver and Sochi, the New York native is looking for his first Olympic medal.

At Plattsburgh, Daly competed in the decathlon for the Cardinals from 2004-08. He earned All-American status after placing fifth in the decathlon at the 2007 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Daly also set a school decathlon record with 6,786 points.

In addition to spending time on the running track, Daly also competed competitively in the sport of skeleton.

“It was a giant balancing act. I would drive to and from Lake Placid every day while attending school throughout the winter," notes Daly. "It was a really good and balanced lifestyle, which taught me everything I do now because I still work full-time and compete full-time."

Daly has competed for the U.S. in world championship competition in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2017. His best finish was eighth in 2012, and he most recently finished 17th at the 2017 world championship.

Daly and his teammates begin skeleton competition February 15 at the Olympic Sliding Center in the PyeongChang Mountain Cluster.

While most U.S. alpine athletes garnered experience outside the collegiate athletic ranks, two members of the team propelled their skiing careers as student-athletes. Mark Engel and David Chodounsky both spent time in the NCAA system, with Engel competing for Utah and Chodounsky strapping on his boots for Dartmouth. 

The sole Utah Ute competing for Team USA in South Korea, Engel spent a few years skiing on the international stage before transitioning to college skiing and having a breakout freshman season with the Utes in 2014. Engel captured the 2014 NCAA giant slalom championship and earned All-American status before reclaiming his spot on the U.S. ski team in 2015.

During the first-time Olympian’s initial stint with the national team in 2011-13, he finished on the podium twice at the 2013 U.S. Alpine Championships – second in the slalom and third in the super G. After returning to the national team in 2015, Engel continued to elevate his game and in 2017, the California native raced in his first world championship, placing 34th in the slalom. 

Competing alongside Engel is fellow collegiate athlete Chodounsky. A former skier at Dartmouth, Chodounsky has been on the U.S. ski team the past eight years and is of the top men’s slalom racers in the U.S. Chodounsky represented Team USA in the men’s slalom event in Sochi and competed for the U.S. at the skiing world championships in 2015, 2013 and 2011. The Big Green alum placed 29th at the 2015 world championship and finished with a career-best 15th at the 2016 world cup. 

At Dartmouth, Chodounsky won the NCAA slalom title his freshman year and later captained the team that won the NCAA team title in 2007. Individually, Chodounsky placed second as a junior and third as a senior in the NCAA slalom championships.  

Men’s slalom competition at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games will take place on February 22 at the Yongpyong Alpine Centre.

One of the most decorated women’s hockey student-athletes in Badger history, Hilary Knight still owns Wisconsin’s all-time points and goals records five years after graduating in 2012. A two-time NCAA champion, the Idaho native tallied a Wisconsin-record 47 goals during her junior year and was named an AHCA Division I All-American multiple times during her illustrious collegiate career.

Knight and three of her Team USA teammates – Brianna Decker, Megan Duggan and Alex Rigsby – all skated together as Badgers. The three-time Olympian attributes her success at the international level to her experience playing hockey at the University of Wisconsin.

"My time at the University of Wisconsin changed my life athletically in so many ways. I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't had my experience as a Badger,” Knight said. “Personally, the relationships that I made both on and off campus, in the community, are still ones that I keep today."

On the international stage, Knight has represented Team USA in every IIHF women’s world championship or Olympic Winter Games since 2007, winning nine world championship medals (seven gold, two silver) and two Olympic medals (silver). Most recently, the forward netted the gold medal-winning goal in overtime during a 3-2 victory over Canada at the 2017 world championship, and shared a team lead in points with six.

Kicking off their journey for Olympic gold, Knight and the U.S. women topped Finland, 3-1, in their first game of the 2018 Olympic Games where Knight registered one assist. Team USA will take on Olympic Athletes from Russia on February 12 in the next round of preliminary play at the Kwandong Hockey Centre.

Brittany Bowe’s path to the speedskating oval has been unique. An internationally competitive inline skater who won a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games, Bowe made the jump from the roller track to the ice track in 2010 – but not without a stop playing college basketball at Florida Atlantic University.

A three-year starter at FAU, Bowe now sits ingrained in the Owls’ record book after finishing her career with the most free throws made in a single game (15). The Florida native also finished in the top-10 in career assists and earned third-team preseason and postseason Sun Belt all-conference honors during her senior season.

"My experience at Florida Atlantic University playing basketball taught me so many lessons,” said Bowe, who credits learning time management from her collegiate athletics days.

Following her collegiate basketball days, Bowe burst onto the international speedskating scene during the 2012-2013 season, winning a world championship bronze medal in the 1000m. She went on to compete in her first Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, where she finished sixth in the team pursuit, eighth in the 1000m, 13th in the 500m and 14th in the 1500m.

After a concussion sidelined the skater for most of the 2016-17 season, Bowe returned to the oval as a member of the 2017-18 U.S. long track world cup team. At the 2018 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Bowe won the 500m and 1500m, and finished second in the 1000m to earn her second-consecutive spot on a U.S. Olympic team. 

Bowe begins competition February 12 in the 1500m. She is also slated to compete in the 1000m February 14 and the 500m February 18. Long track speedskating competition will be held at the Gangneung Oval in the Gangneung Coastal Cluster.

For siblings Erik and Sadie Bjornsen, Olympic skiing is a family affair. The duo was named to their second U.S. Olympic Team in January and is one of the seven sets of siblings representing the United States in South Korea. Both began their collegiate athletic careers as student-athletes on the University of Alaska Anchorage ski team before transferring to Alaska Pacific University.

While at UAA, S. Bjornsen garnered All-American status after finishing third in the classical at the 2009 NCAA championships. Meanwhile, E. Bjornsen posted a second-place finish in the 20k classical at the 2011 NCAA championships to be named an All-American. Both went on to compete for Alaska Pacific after their respective freshman seasons as Seawolves.

“It is a pretty unique and amazing experience to have my brother beside me,” S. Bjornsen said. “Erik and I have been working beside each other since we were young kids racing each other to the finish line. The Olympics were just a dream for us for so long, and now here we are in a whole new dream as we are heading to the Games with goals of winning Olympic medals.”

On the international stage, S. Bjornsen has notched several top-10 world cup finishes during the past few years and is one of the top American sprint and distance racers. She has won U.S. championship titles in the 10k, 20k and sprint, and was a member of the U.S. world championship team in 2011, 2013 and 2015. After a top-10 finish in the 4x5k relay in Sochi, S. Bjornsen has amassed five top-10 finishes in world cup races.

As for her brother, E. Bjornsen has represented the U.S. at the world championships three times in 2013, 2015 and 2017, and has won the U.S. championships four times from 2013 to 2016. Most recently, at a 2016 world cup race in Nove Mesto, E. Bjornsen placed eighth in the 4x7.5k relay.

“There is no other skiing event that compares to the Olympics,” E. Bjornsen said. “It’s hard to describe how amazing it is to be a part of the team. After placing [sixth] in the team sprint in Sochi, I’m headed to PyeongChang to fight for a medal.”

Cross-country skiing competition kicked off on February 10 and will conclude February 25. All competition will take place at the Alpensia Cross-Country Skiing Centre in the PyeongChang Mountain Cluster.