NSA’s Luge team comes home

NSA’s Luge team comes home

The Nsa luge team returns to classes after a long 6 month season on ice. Altough there is some sliding time left in April for the boys, the majority of their high intensity competition is over. Starting the race season with a crash and a 17^th place finish in a Junior World cup and finishing it with a 4^th and 5^th place finish In Senior National Championships the dynamic duo is happy to be back.

Although Tucker West was not happy with his first finish in the start of the Youth World Cup circuit where he crashed in one of the final curves of the track he was able to improve on that in the second Youth World Cup where he finished 3^rd. Both of those races being in Park City, Utah Aidan was also able to improve on his first day finish of 17^th moving himself to the 13^th spot.

                                   

                               

Days after the end of the racing in Park City the team headed to Calgary for more world cup action. Tucker, who had a speedy week of training was able to capitalize on his fast start and find himself another 3^rd place finish in the Youth World Cup. Aidan was also able to prove himself as a contender as he finished 8^th in the Junior World Cup division.

                 

The team, then went on to Igls, Austria for yet another race. Although Aidan stayed back in Lake Placid for this one Tucker continued to show the world he was a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming Youth Olympic Games to take place in Igls, Austria. Tucker racing to a silver medal in this Youth World Cup felt very prepared for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games.

                                         

                   

After heading home for Christmas and getting some well deserved/needed rest and relaxation West headed back to Austria to compete in his first and the first Youth Olympic Games. He went into this race with high hopes, following his second place finish only a month before. He trained hard and enjoyed his week living along side other Youth Olympic athletes and until the day of the race, he was happy as a clam. Tucker, who had high hopes of gold in the mens singles event finished 13^th after having much trouble out of Curve 9 on the Igls track. With his head hung low Tucker (along side his teammates Summer Britcher and the doubles team of Ty Andersen and Pat Edmunds) went into the team relay event without any expectations. The team of Tucker West, Summer Britcher and the doubles team of Ty Andersen and Patrick Edmunds won the gold. Team USA had its first Gold medal in an Olympic event and it sat in the hands of our Junior Luge team.

                         

Having his spirit turned around, Tucker headed to Winterberg, Germany to meet the rest of the Junior team including Aidan Kelly. Tucker chose to race up an age division this race, and for the rest of the Junior World Cup season. Showing to not be their best races the German tracks took their toll on Tucker and Aidan. Finishing 20^th (West) and 21^st (Kelly) in Winterberg, Germany and 19^th (West) and 21^st (Kelly) in Oberhof, Germany the boys left for their sixth and final stop on the Junior World Cup Tour. Junior World Championships was the name of the race and the pressure of a world championship was getting to the two. Without the fastest training times and the best mentality the dynamic duo crossed the finish in 16^th (Kelly) and 13^th (West).

Feeling defeated by the Junior World Cup Tour, they headed back to familiar ground for youth and junior  National Championships in Park City. Kelly who was too old to race in the Youth A mens division was a happy spectator as he got to watch his best friend and roommate get a gold medal. Tucker won Youth National Championships by almost a full second, winning both day 1 of racing and day 2.

                     

           

Junior National Championships took a similar path as Tucker Won on race day 2. Kelly followed tucker by just a few thousandths of a second finishing second on day 2. Because the championship was decided by the combined total of all four runs Tyler Andersen of Lone Peak, Utah took the gold. West a Close second was behind by a tenth of a second, and Kelly in third by just a tenth and a half.

                                                

             

The racing did not end there (unfortunately). Back to their home track they prepared for Senior National Championships where they would race the best in the US including members of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic team. Kelly and West were not too upset with their results as they were just a thousandth apart on day one, finishing 5^th (Kelly) and 6^th (West). Tucker, having a rough day two finished 6^th, where Aidan was able to improve on day one finishing 4^th. The 4^th place finish of Kelly on day two was fast enough to put him in 4^th place in the championship. West finished 6^th overall.

             

And that race marked the official end of the 2011/2012 sliding season. It was a great year and we can expect nothing but improvement in future years from Tucker and Aidan.

By Aidan Kelly