Killington Mountain School Alumnus Michael Morse Named to U.S. Olympic Freestyle Team

Jan. 26, 2010 - PRLog -- Today the U.S. Ski Team announced that Killington Mountain School (KMS) Alumnus Michael Morse (‘99) (http://www.killingtonmountainschool.org/MichaelMorse.html) will represent the United States at the Winter Olympics next month in Vancouver. The Duxbury, Mass. native and 2008 National Champion in moguls and dual moguls solidified his spot on the team with a fifth place finish at the 2010 Lake Placid FIS World Cup event in Lake Placid last Thursday. For Morse, making the U.S. Olympic Team is a culmination of years of hard work and dedication that began on the slopes of Killington Resort with KMS coaches.

“Matt and everyone at KMS have been really helpful on my journey so far,” said Morse on Tuesday. “The list would be endless of the people I need to thank for helping me get to this point.”

Morse and the coaches and staff at KMS have maintained a close relationship over the past 10 years. He has called upon KMS Coach Matt Gnoza more than once this season to individually train him, in addition to his regular training with the U.S. Ski Team, including prepping him for the World Cup events in Deer Valley and Lake Placid. Gnoza currently is the head KMS mogul coach and the director of the KSC/KMS Competitions Program.

“I felt surprisingly calm in Lake Placid,” said Morse of the close race to secure the fourth spot on the Olympic team. “I really enjoy competing in Placid and felt quite confident in my skiing on that course.

I believe that part of being an athlete is all about how you perform under pressure. I am glad this worked out the way they did.”

After missing half of the 2005-06 season and all of 2006-07 due to major back surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back and severe damage to his sciatic nerve, Morse returned in 2007-08 to win the individual and dual moguls titles at March's Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships at Deer Valley Resort in Park City. In 2009 he had 5 top 10 finishes on the World Cup Tour, including third in Voss, Norway.

“At KMS, my main goal was to get better in order to make the U.S. Ski Team,” said Morse. “My dream was to make the team and ski on the World Cup Tour to see how I could do against the best guys in the world. Once I got to that point, that’s when I really wanted to go to the Olympics.”

Morse is now focused on the next week-long training camp in Steamboat, in hopes of continuing to build on some of the momentum from Lake Placid and carry it with him to the Olympics.

“All I have done is given my self a chance to compete for a medal,” said Morse. “The real goal is to perform my best under the spotlight of the Olympics.”

The KMS community has been following Morse’s road to the Olympics closely, documenting his successes and his stories in a special section of www.killingtonmountainschool.org. Moguls competition in Vancouver is currently scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 14.

Killington Mountain School is a fully approved Vermont independent school whose mission is to inspire students to pursue excellence in academics and athletics in a culture that promotes integrity, leadership, responsibility, and respect.

In addition to Morse, KMS freestyle alumni include: Evan Dybvig '97 - Nagano and Salt Lake Olympics, Two-time National Champion; Luke Westerlund '98 - 2004 US National Mogul Champion; Evan Rapps '96 - (Rapps skied for the U.S. Freestyle Team, but is known for his musical interests and a successful career in the skiing community as one of the innovators in the freeride movement.) and Olympian and 4 Time World Pro Tour Champion Chuck Martin.

To learn more about alpine, snowboard, freestyle, and freeride training and opportunities, visit http://www.killingtonmountainschool.org or call 802.422.KMS1.

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Killington Mountain School is a fully approved Vermont independent school whose mission is to inspire students to pursue excellence in academics and athletics in a culture that promotes integrity, leadership, responsibility, and respect.