BEAR HOLLOW — A four-man bobsled team featuring the talents of a Utahn won the latest round of America's Cup competition, held in the Utah Olympic Park.
Men's bobsled and both men's and women's skeleton contests for the America's Cup conclude next weekend at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, Lake Placid, N.Y.
However, women's bobsled races will not be held there, said Julie Urbansky, spokeswoman for the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, Lake Placid. The reason is that "it's a new track at Lake Placid," not yet tested for women's bobsledders, she told the Deseret News.
Bill Schuffenhauer, Ogden, is a member of the winning bobsled team piloted by Bruce Roselli of Terre Haute, Ind. Other crew members are Don McMurrian, Boise, and Denton Randolph, Newton, Mass. The crew's winning combined time for two heats at the Utah Olympic Park Bobsled, Luge and Skeleton Track was 1:35.92.
Joe McDonald of Kingston, N.Y. was second, along with sledmates Matt Rose of Norfolk, Mass.; Andrew Tucker, Pensacola Beach, Fla. and Martin Rooney, Fairlawn, N.J., with 1:36.41. Coming in third were Canadians Grady Stevenson, Jon Low, Justin Wilkinson and Morgan Alexander, 1:36.73.
Fourth place went to the team of Joe Sisson, Evanston, Wyo.; Rick Baird and Kurt Prusse, both Logan; and William Parsons. Their combined time was 1:37.00.
In women's bobsled races, Elena Wise of Lakehurst, N.J., and her brakeman Kristi McGilhon of San Diego, Calif., were first, with a combined time in the two heats of 1:39.79.
They were in the "No. 1 spot for the nation's rankings," said Urbansky. Since the women's bobsled competition won't go ahead at Lake Placid, this might give them the America's Cup gold medal, though that won't be certain until results are announced next weekend.
Second place went to driver Lesa Stringer and her brakeman, Paula McKinzie, Canada, with a combined time of 1:40.98.
Third were Meg Henderson and brakeman Carol Lewis, both of Houston, with a combined finish time of 1:41.71.
"Driver Cynthea Wight (Park City) and her brakeman Heather Armstrong (Heber City) were disqualified from the competition," the federation said in a news release.
Also during the Bear Hollow matches of Nov. 27-Dec. 3, Utahns made strong showings in the skeleton races.
Zach Lund, a Salt Lake resident who is a member of the men's skeleton national team, took first with a time of 1:40.31. Trevor Christie, Park City, was second in the men's skeleton contest, with 1:40.61, while third place went to Terry Holland of Pittsfield, Mass., 1:40.84. Claiming fourth was Orvie Garrett with 1:41.29.
Tristan Gale, Salt Lake City, won the women's skeleton contest with a combined time of 1:42.98. Colleen Rush, Park City, was second with 1:43.30. Canadian athletes Lindsay Alcock and Kendra Herbert were third and fourth at 1:44.31 and 1:44.57, respectively.
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