Deer Valley, UT (Thursday, January 29, 2004) - "We'll have a plethora of athletes competing," U.S. Head Coach Jeff Wintersteen said with a grin Thursday night as he discussed the American moguls skiers competing on the opening day of World Cup action the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Grand national at Deer Valley.

The schedule calls for moguls Friday and a doubleheader Saturday – aerials during the day and dual moguls at night. At the 2002 Olympics at Deer Valley, U.S. freestylers earned three medals (all silver); at the 2003 World Championships at DV, they took home six medals, including a gold, two silvers and three bronzes.

"We'll have about 20 – total, men and women – in moguls," Wintersteen said, explaining a maximum team size in any World Cup is 12 and the host nation is all allowed an additional six spots. "And then there are the Grand Prix [World Cup] champions, and we've got both of them, so that's 20 moguls skiers...and most of them are planning on skiing both [Friday] and Saturday night."

Among the U.S. moguls skiers: defending World Cup champions Travis Cabral (South Lake Tahoe, CA) and Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA), defending world duals champion and moguls silver medalist Jeremy Bloom (Loveland, CA), Toby Dawson (Vail, CO) – who picked up a bronze in both duals and moguls at the 2003 Worlds at Deer Valley, former World Cup duals champion Michelle Roark (Denver), who collected silver in moguls at the '03 Worlds, and, among others, four-time World Juniors champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT), who reached her first World Cup podium this winter.

The aerials entries for the U.S. will be far fewer with injuries thinning the ranks. Lance Field (Boulder, CO) will make his World Cup debut Saturday, joining Olympic medalist Joe Pack (Park City, UT), who won at Deer Valley four years ago (and then took Olympic silver two years ago), Jeret Peterson (Boise, ID) and Matt Saunders (Lakewood, CO). In addition, Kate Reed (Montrose, CO), Kelly Hilliman (Tonawanda, NY), Christina Craddock (West Newton, MA) and Sharlee Strebel (Layton, UT) will ski in the women's contest.

In addition, Wintersteen said Ryan St. Onge (Steamboat Springs, CO) would miss the Sprint event because of a knee injury suffered in training a week ago in Fernie, B.C. "He strained a ligament, but didn't tear it, so Ryan's on the bench this weekend," the coach said, "and won't compete...but also won't face surgery."

"Conditions are great, just perfect, as usual. The moguls course is fantastic and Deer Valley just keeps upping the ante every time we come here," Wintersteen said.