Members of Vermont’s House and Senate yesterday passed a resolution recognizing Vermont’s 2010 Olympians. You can see it here.
In it, great pride in Vermont’s strong culture of skiing and snowboarding is expressed and most of the athletes competing are recognized, but I wonder where they got their information?
It was surprising that no mention of Jimmy Cochran was made. The Cochran family is about as Vermont as you can get – Jimmy’s Dad and siblings make up the famed skiing family with gold medals, national titles and accolades galore. Jimmy skied at Cochran’s and the Mount Mansfield Ski Club, he went to UVM before making the U.S. Ski Team, and he currently lives in Richmond. In fact, he has spent the last week racing in local races and making snow at the family’s ski area.
The resolution also mentions athletes with Vermont ties, like Michael Morse, who attended Killington Mountain School and Caitlin Compton, a Harwood Union graduate.
That list should have also included Kris Freeman, America’s best shot at a medal in cross-country distance. Freeman was a member of the University of Vermont’s ski team, as was Lowell Bailey, who will compete in biathlon. Five-time Olympian Casey Puckett, a Burke Mountain Academy graduate will compete in ski cross as will Daron Rahlves, who went to the Green Mountain Valley School. Louie Vito, a snowboarder slated to compete in men’s halfpipe, went to the Stratton Mountain School.
