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American Forces Press Service


Army Sweeps Armed Forces Men's Giant Slalom Championship

By Paulette Freese
Special to American Forces Press Service

STOWE, Vt., March 12, 1999 – A Chinook pilot, a West Point cadet and an aviation company operations officer swept the men's Armed Forces Giant Slalom Championship here Mar. 4.

Despite poor snow conditions, rain and dense fog, Capt. Grant Haugen, Cadet Adam Heppe and 1st Lt. William Taylor led the pack of 11 men representing the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps.

Haugen, who captured the gold medal, is a Chinook pilot at Fort Campbell, Ky. The Colorado native grew up in Telluride and was a high school and nationally ranked collegiate ski racer. He said he cross-trains and works out to stay in top physical condition He said he hit the slopes only twice in December and skied just one practice run the day before the race.

Taylor is from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and Heppe attends the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

Together with the military's top two women skiers, Air Force lst Lts. Staci Pannell and Jennifer Rollins, the three men join 20 military biathletes on the U.S. armed forces ski team at the Winter Conseil International du Sport Militaire championships scheduled Mar. 19 to 26 in Lillehammer, Norway.

Giant Slalom Championship Results
Best 2 of 3 Runs (in seconds)

Place Name   Best Run Best 2/3
 
Men:
1 Capt. Grant Haugen, USA 65.06 130.46
2 Cadet Adam Heppe, USMA 66.57 134.86
3 lst Lt. William Taylor, USA 67.35 135.93
4 Cadet Murphy Caine, USMA 69.43 139.72
5 Cadet Lorem Coburn, USMC 70.87 142.64
 
Women:
1 1st Lt. Staci Pannell, USAFR 71.53 145.15
2 1st Lt. Jennifer Rollins, USAF 72.58 145.53
3 1st Lt. Jill Gash, RI ARNG 77.07 161.68
4 Cadet Ann Belford, USMA 80.32 162.03
5 Cpl. Margaret Griffen, USMC 99.09 DNF

 (Paulette Freese is the World Class Athlete Program manager at the U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center, Alexandria, Va.)