Thursday will be a big day for APU's skiers. Up at Whistler Kikkan Randall and Holly Brooks are scheduled to compete in the women's Nordic 4-by-5k relay.

The relay is an event both women have been looking forward to.

Randall is scheduled to start the race for the U.S. women with Brooks skiing the second leg.

That means half of the U.S. relay team will come from Alaska, which is impressive. Equally as impressive is that both ski for the same college program, APU.

But come Thursday, both Randall and Brooks will be focused on skiing as Americans.

"That was kind of one of my goals coming into the Games. (I) really love the relay events because it takes what is normally an individual sport and puts a team spin on it," Brooks said.

"You know, there's something a little different when your team pride is on the line, and I think we have one of the strongest women's teams we've ever had in U.S. history so it's going to be exciting to represent those ladies and the whole country when we step to the line," Randall said.

The relay is set for 10 a.m. Alaska time.

adapted from KTUU article by John Carpenter
Wednesday, February 24, 2010