Syracuse.com - Three Central New York luge competitors finish strong at Youth Nationals in Lake Placid

[HuntingNY-News]

"All of these national championships go into deciding the makeup of next year's teams (at various levels)," Gordy Sheer,spokesman for USA Luge.

Lake Placid, N.Y. -- Several Central New Yorkers made their mark at the 2014 Norton Youth Luge Nationals held this past weekend in Lake Placid.

Hannnah Miller, 16, of Rome, took the top spot in the Youth A Women's Division (ages 15-18), with Sydney Axton, 14, of Port Byron, ending up sixth, according to results posted on the USA Luge website.

Sydney AxtonSubmitted photo 

Blake Hagberg, 16, of New Hartford, finished fourth in the Youth Men's A Division.

This coming weekend is the Norton Junior Nationals, which is open to competitors up to 20 years of age.

Blake HagbergSubmitted photo 

"All of these national championships go into deciding the makeup of next year's teams (at various levels)," Gordy Sheer,spokesman for USA Luge.

Lake Placid is the incubator, "the hub," for the U.S. Olympic program's slider sports -- the luge, the bobsled and skeleton. It has a mile-long, ice track, experienced coaches and housing for athletes.

The program produced Erin Hamlin, of Remsen, who took the bronze medal in the singles competition at the recent Winter Olympics in Sochi. Hamlin is the first American of either gender to medal in the luge in the Olympics.

Miller and Axton are both competing for spots on the U.S. Junior National Team and the results from past weekend will be strongly considered.

Lower in the U.S. Olympic luge pecking order is Hagberg, who is on the program's "candidates team," and training for the two-man luge.

Sheer said the action from this weekend's national championships will be streamed live on the USA Luge website at usaluge.com.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog