USA Luge Junior National Team begins racing season

WINTERBERG, Germany – The USA Luge Junior National Team began its international competitive season with an event at the luge and bobsled facility north of Frankfurt. The Junior category in luge features athletes under 21 years old. 

Elizabeth Kleinheinz (Santa Clara, Calif.) was the top finishing U.S. women in ninth place, while Maggie Richardson (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) was 18^th. Brianna Gosnell (Evansburg, Pa.) did not finish the race. 

The race was won by Margarita Sirsnina of Latvia. Anke Janicke of Germany was second and Josephine Buse, Also of Germany, was third. 

In women’s doubles, Sadie Martin (Vermontville, N.Y.)/Gosnell finished eighth in a competition won by Alexandra Oberstolz/Katharina Kofler of Italy. Germany took second and third, with Lilly Bierast/Leandra Claus and Luise Roeder/Maria Schneider taking those spots respectively. 

In men’s doubles, Nate Bivins (Castleton, N.Y.)/Wolfgang Lux (Swanton, Vt.) did not finish the competition. The winners were Italians Philipp Brunner and Manuel Weissensteiner, followed by Silas Sartor/Liron Raimer of Germany and Edvards Markitans/Roberts Lazdans of Latvia.

Seth Coates (Potsdam, N.Y.) was the top finishing men’s singles athlete for the U.S. He was 14^th. Gabe Desautels (Georgia, Vt.) was 20^th. 

Coates and Kleinheinz teamed up in the mixed singles event to finish 9^th. Desautels and Gosnell were disqualified. In mixed doubles, Bivins/Lux and Martin/Gosnell placed fifth. 

The next event for the Junior National Team is the Junior World Championships in Altenberg, Germany this weekend.