USA Luge Announces Athletes and Team of the Year

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. --- On Tuesday, May 19, USA Luge announced the winners of its 2009 Athlete of the Year Awards. The athletes and staff of USA Luge take part in the voting process at the conclusion of each luge season. 

Erin Hamlin, Female Athlete of the Year: Hamlin (Remsen, N.Y.) became the first-ever female World Champion in USA Luge history when she took the title on February 6 in Lake Placid, N.Y. She also ended a 99-race German winning streak which included World Cup, World Championship and Olympic competitions. Hamlin also finished the season ranked sixth in the overall World Cup for the 2008-09 season. 

Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin, Team of the Year: The veteran duo of Grimmette (Muskegon, Mich. and Lake Placid, N.Y.) and Martin (Palo Alto, Calif. and Lake Placid, N.Y.) collected their sixth World Championship bronze medal since they began racing together in 1995. The two-time Olympic medalists and three-time World Cup champions claimed the Team of the Year title for the sixth time in their career. 

Bengt Walden, Male Athlete of the Year: For the second time in his career, Bengt Walden (Westborough, Mass. and Lake Placid, N.Y.) has won the Athlete of the Year title. At age 35, Walden seems to get better with age. He posted three top-ten finishes during the 2008-09 World Cup season and finished 6th at the World Championships in Lake Placid for his best-ever season since he began sliding in 1986.

Robbie Huerbin (Pittsburgh, Pa.) was chosen as Junior Male athlete of the Year, while Emily Sweeney (Suffield, Conn.) took the Female Athlete of the Year title. Sweeney had two Youth A (to age 17) podium appearance, including gold in Igls, Austria. Huerbin, who took bronze at the Junior men’s (to age 20) race in Igls, spent much of his season racing on the Senior National Team. Both Huerbin and Sweeney capped off their year by winning their respective Jr. National Championship. Most Improved Junior honors went to Summer Britcher (Glen Rock, Pa.) and Patrick Edmunds (Park City, Utah). 

Louise Sarver (Downers Grove, Ill.) was selected as the winner of the Justin Matarese award, which annually awards a developmental athlete for his or her dedication and enthusiasm towards the sport of luge. The award is presented by the Matarese family in memory of their son Justin. 

In other election news, Ashley Walden (Westborough, Mass. and Lake Placid, N.Y.) was elected by the athletes to serve her third term on the USA Luge Executive Board as their female representative. The athletes also selected Julia Clukey (Augusta, Maine) to serve on the National Team Committee and Erin Hamlin (Remsen, N.Y.) to serve on the Race Committee. 

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