Graybill, Antoine win skeleton openers at U.S. trials

From Lake Placid, USA (Courtesy USBSF PR)

Savannah Graybill (Denver, Pa.) and Matt Antoine (Prairie du Chien, Wisc.) won the first of four skeleton races with convincing leads at Mount Van Hoevenberg this morning. Graybill is hoping to secure one of two positions available on the women’s skeleton World Cup team. Antoine already locked in his national team spot after winning the 2014 Olympic bronze medal, and is on track to lead the three-men squad this season.

“We have so many quality athletes tearing it up and making a statement to get this next Olympic quad started,” said USA Skeleton Team Head Coach Tuffy Latour. “Based on what I saw today, we’re going to be competitive on all of the circuits this season, and it’s really exciting to be a coach of this program.”

Graybill led the women’s field by 0.51 seconds to secure her first career victory. Graybill, now in her fourth season, posted the fastest runs of the competition, 57.64 and 57.81 seconds, for a total time of 1:55.45.

“I was pretty pleased with the race today,” Graybill said. “Mother Nature hasn’t been cooperating, but the track crew did an amazing job prepping overnight and getting everything set for the race. I came into today with the goal to win. I felt pretty good about the runs. In the women’s field, everyone was pushing hard and sliding really well, so I knew it was going to be tough. Annie and I have been going back and forth all week, so it’s really good motivation to push myself.”

Graybill’s college strength coach was contacted by women’s bobsled Olympic medalist Elana Meyers in 2010, and Graybill actually tested out the sport of bobsled before deciding to make the switch to skeleton. She made the national team her first full year involved in the sport, competing on the Intercontinental Cup. Graybill now has her sights set on the World Cup tour.

“I’ve been training really hard, and my goal all summer has been to make my World Cup debut this season,” Graybill said.

Seasoned veteran Annie O’Shea (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) finished second with a two-run total of 1:55.96. O’Shea said she felt pre race jitters today, which was reflected in her first run, a 58.08, which was third-best of the heat. O’Shea inched closer to Graybill in the final heat with a time of 57.88 seconds.

“It’s good to have the first race done,” O’Shea said. “The jitters were there, but I’m glad the competition is so tough. It pushes me to come back tomorrow and give it everything I possibly can. I am excited and happy for this season.”

Megan Henry (Roxbury, Conn.), a member of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program, finished third with a combined time of 1:56.09. Henry posted the fastest start times of the competition, 5.34 and 5.37 seconds, and was in second place after the first heat.

While training in Utah over the summer of 2012, Henry found she was gasping for breath. A CT scan revealed dozens of blood clots in her lungs, a complication from the contraceptive NuvaRing. She was placed on blood thinners in the E.R., hospitalized for a week, and was told her athletic career was over. Two years later, Henry is back on ice and vying for a World Cup spot.

“I’m just trying to be level headed,” Henry said. “I trained hard at the beginning of the summer, then found out I had a labral tear late summer, so it really put a damper on training. I figured at that point all I could do is try my best and not worry about where I’m ‘supposed’ to be. My official training runs went really well, so it gave me the confidence I needed to know it’s possible. I’m really happy that I could put it together when it mattered.”

Antoine, the Sochi bronze medalist, was a dominant force in the men’s division. Antoine finished a distant 1.30 seconds from the field with a two-run total of 1:51.59. The veteran competitor posted the fastest finish times of the competition, 55.70 and 55.89 seconds, and clocked the quickest start, 4.93, in the second heat.

“It’s definitely a different mindset heading into the season after coming off last year, which was a huge high,” Antoine said. “I took some time off after the Olympics to regroup and I got into offseason training late, so it will take some extra effort to get back into a groove and refocus. I still have a lot of passion for the sport and a lot I still want to accomplish. I’m taking a little extra time at the beginning of the season since the tour doesn’t start until later, and I’m still knocking off the rust. Come December, I’ll be ready.”

Kyle Tress (Ewing, N.J.), who made his Olympic debut in Sochi, was second with a total time of 1:52.89. Stephen Garbett (Parker, Colo.) clocked a total time of 1:53.31 to finish third. Garbett does not currently qualify for the World Cup tour per the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation’s (IBSF) 5-3-2 rule. Athletes must compete in five races held on three different tracks over two seasons. Garbett is in only his second year in the sport, and will be eligible to race on the World Cup tour later this season. Allen Blackwell (Jackson, Miss.), who does meet IBSF eligibility, was fourth with a total time of 1:53.79.

Skeleton selection races continue tomorrow at 1 pm ET before moving to Park City, Utah. For media inquiries, please contact Amanda Bird, USBSF Marketing & Communications Director, at abird@usbsf.com, or at (518) 354-2250.
Stay updated on the team’s progress leading up to the biggest event of the season by following the team on the USBSF Twitter page or the USA Bobsled & Skeleton Facebook page.

Results
Women’s Skeleton
1. Savannah Graybill 1:55.45 (57.64, 57.81); 2. Annie O’Shea 1:55.96 (58.08, 57.88); 3. Megan Henry 1:56.09 (58.02, 58.07); 4. Morgan Tracey 1:57.48 (58.46, 59.02); 5. Kendall Wessenburg 1:57.58 (58.65, 58.93); 6. Kellie Delka 1:57.61 (58.47, 59.14); 7. Veronica Day 1:57.97 (58.88, 59.09); 8. Gracie Clapp Taylor 1:58.21 (58.91, 59.30); 9. Samantha Culiver 1:58.49 (59.06, 59.43); 10. Sherrie Emery 1:58.57 (59.13, 59.44); 11. Lauren Salter 1:58.74 (59.35, 59.39); 12. Caitlin Carter 1:59.18 (59.13, 1:00.05); 13. Megan Dovell 2:02.99 (1:01.37, 1:01.62);

Men’s Skeleton
1. Matt Antoine 1:51.59 (55.70, 55.89); 2. Kyle Tress 1:52.89 (56.27, 56.62); 3. Stephen Garbett 1:53.31 (56.21, 57.10); 4. Allen Blackwell 1:53.79 (56.85, 56.94); 5. Kyle Brown 1:53.82 (56.54, 57.28); 6. Alex Ivanov 1:54.46 (57.17, 57.29); 7. Greg West 1:54.49 (57.15, 57.34); 8. Nathan Crumpton 1:54.50 (56.96, 57.54); 9. Austin McCrary 1:54.80 (57.09, 57.71); 10. Trent Kraychir 1:55.01 (57.54, 57.47); 11. Mike Rogals 1:55.03 (56.90, 58.13); 12. Ryan Sweeney 1:55.30 (57.38, 57.92); 13. Kevin McGlade 1:55.67 (57.59, 58.08); 14. Jacob Miter 1:55.78 (57.34, 58.44); 15. Anthony Watson 1:57.11 (58.16, 58.95); 16. Dominic Costanzo 2:00.99 (1:00.40, 1:00.59);