US Speedskating announces the 2009 Hall of Fame Inductees
Peri Kinder - U. S. Speedskating - US Speed Skating March 25, 2009
Photo: Photo by Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images
US Speedskating is proud to announce the 2009 inductees into the U.S. Speed Skating Hall of Fame.
US Speedskating is proud to announce the 2009 inductees into the U.S. Speed Skating Hall of Fame. The winners are: for the Classical Era Skater Category, Arnold Uhrlass (Henderson, NC); for the Modern Era Skater Category, Connie Carpenter (Boulder, CO) and Katie Class Marquard (Westlake, OH); and for the Contributor Category, Brad Goskowicz (Ham Lake, MN) and Joan Peterson (Maplewood, MN).
The inductees will be welcomed into the U.S. Speed Skating Hall of Fame on April 18, 2009 in St. Louis, MO at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac. Olympian Bonnie Blair-Cruikshank serves as the chairperson for the USS Hall of Fame Committee that holds a yearly election to induct new members.
For complete bios, see below:
Arnold Uhrlass
Few athletes compete in both the Summer and the Winter Olympic Games, but Arnold Uhrlass is an exception. As a long track speedskater, Uhrlass competed at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, CA, setting a national record in the 10,000m. And four years later, he competed in cycling at the Summer Games in Tokyo. Uhrlass also qualified for the 1964 Olympic speedskating team, but declined the invitation so he could stay home with his wife who was expecting their child.
Born in Yonkers, NY on October 19, 1931, Uhrlass grew up in a family of skaters and immediately took to the ice. Skating with the Grand Street Boys Speedskating Club in New York City, he quickly made headlines winning championship events. Uhrlass was invited to skate against the country's best speedskaters at the Race of Champions in Madison Square Garden and he won the event five times.
"I won it more than anybody else and we raced against some good skaters," Uhrlass said. "It was a big deal. The mayor was there. I got congratulated by the mayor of New York City."
Training was done on a more individual basis at the time, and Uhrlass worked all day as a carpenter before coming home to train for events. He and his wife Evelyn raised three children while Uhrlass followed his Olympic dream. He turned down attending many world events knowing his training wasn't quite up to par with the international skaters.
"We just couldn't compete against the Europeans," he said. "I did my training at home but nowadays it's a different story. You can't work today and be a good athlete."
Today, Uhrlass lives with his wife in Hendersonville, NC. His children all participated in speedskating while they were young and now enjoy cycling. Uhrlass was inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in 1997 and the City of Yonkers Sports Hall of Fame in 1977. He is honored to be a part of the National Speed Skating Hall of Fame amidst the many talented speedskating athletes.
Connie Carpenter
It was inevitable Connie Carpenter would take to speedskating. Growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, across the street from a flooded and frozen playground, she would spend hours skating with her brothers and the neighbor kids.
"Girls didn't have a lot of sporting opportunities and I was always extremely active," Connie said. "I skated every night on that rink."
At the age of 12, Connie joined the Madison Speedskating Club and two years later she was on the 1972 Olympic speedskating team. At 14, she was one of the youngest Olympians ever.
Coach Finn Halverson took her under his wing, preparing Connie for competitions, offering her physiological support and direction. She made the speedskating team after taking third place in the 500m at the Olympic trials and was headed for Sapporo, Japan where she finished seventh in the ladies' 1500m.
As a teenager, Connie didn't advertise the fact she was a world class skater and Olympian. "I missed a lot of school that year and I kept to myself," she said. "Everyone probably thought I was a recluse or an oddball, but my biggest fear was that my peers would see me in Lycra."
In Sapporo at the Olympics, Connie recalls the team was free to visit the city and weren't under any strict rules or regulations. She said the next Olympics in Munich, Germany, where seven Israeli team members were killed, changed the Olympic environment forever.
"We were the last naïve Olympians in Sapporo," she said. "I always wanted to go to the Olympics again and thought I was just getting started as a speedskater."
Unfortunately, for speedskating, that wasn't to be. One week before the Olympic trials in 1976, Connie's peroneal tendon tore, leaving her unable to skate. "I didn't make the team and I was devastated," she said.
A natural athlete, Connie turned to cycling and rowing. As a cyclist, she holds 12 national championship titles, earned four world championship medals and one world title. She also won the first woman's cycling event in Olympic history
Heavily influenced by Halverson, Connie attended University of California, Berkeley, where she obtained a degree in physiology and the University of Colorado where she earned a masters degree in sports science.
Connie married Davis Phinney and they have two children, Taylor and Kelsey. Taylor competed on the U.S. Cycling team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Kelsey is a strong Nordic ski racer. Connie is a member of both the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. She was born on February 26, 1957 in Madison, Wisconsin, and currently resides in Boulder, Colorado.
Katie Class Marquard
Katie Class Marquard's speedskating career was determined by her older sister who signed up with the Midway Speedskating Club because they had better uniforms. Coached by long-time club coach Bill Cushman, Katie was the youngest in her family of seven children and the only one to make an Olympic team.
During her speedskating career, Katie was on five World Sprint and three World Allround teams, and was a five-time World Cup individual medalist. At the World Championships in 1987, she was a bronze medalist in the 500m and she was third overall in the 1500m World Cup rankings in 1986 and 1987.
Her consistent speedskating performances earned her a spot on two Olympic teams: Sarajevo, Yugoslavia in 1984 and Calgary, Canada in 1988 where she competed in the 500m, 1000m and 1500m.
"Making the Olympic team was rewarding for my entire family, and rewarding for myself," Katie said. "I was very excited, and probably relieved."
In Sarajevo, Katie recalls the athlete village was patrolled by security guards with machine guns. While in Calgary, everything was open, innovative and exciting.
"The Calgary Oval was brand new and it was speedskating heaven," she said. "Back then, it was the fastest ice in the world."
Following the 1988 Olympics, Katie retired from competition, graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in business administration, worked briefly with the Minnesota Twins and started looking for a full-time job. Cushman, who was serving as the president of US Speedskating, persuaded Katie to apply for the USS executive director position. She got the job and for a long time USS was a one-woman show.
Operating out of the U.S. Ski offices in Park City, UT, for two years, Katie created the foundation for the current USS organization. Eventually, the national headquarters was relocated to Ohio and Katie led USS for 16 years through a merger with the Amateur Speedskating Union and five Olympic Games.
"Gradually, over 16 years, more responsibility came to the national office," Katie said. "My greatest contribution is helping US Speedskating grow to where it is today. The sport became more professional and I guided the organization through those changes."
Katie currently lives in Westlake, Ohio with her husband Dennis and two children, Nick and Abbie. She continues to coach the Lakewood Club with her husband, who was previously inducted into the USS Hall of Fame as a Contributor to the sport, and coaches track at a local middle school. She was born on March 24, 1963 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
"Speedskating has basically formed my life," Katie said. "Being inducted into the speedskating hall of fame is a great honor. It's nice when, at my age, my mom can still say, 'I'm proud of you, Katie.'"
Brad Goskowicz
A boisterous group of young speedskaters at the Olympic Rink in West Allis sped past a startled 9-year-old Brad Goskowicz, causing his father, Tony, to decide speedskating was the sport for his son. The hockey skates were returned and soon Brad was doing deep knee bends with the West Allis Speedskating Club.
Ten years later, Goskowicz had competed in more than 100 competitions, winning races at both the National and North American level. "I loved to race on ice, win or lose and it was a great time in the sport with many clubs, competitions and competitors."
With the arrival of children, Tony, Julie and Caitlin, Brad became more involved in the sport. As president of the West Allis club, he was known for innovation. "With the Great Lakes LT and ST Championships as a platform, we were able to try a lot of new things," Brad said. "We were not burdened by a book of regulations like the Nationals and North Americans so we could experiment with almost every aspect of the competition. Many of those innovations and improvements are standard today"
Brad went on to be President of the Wisconsin Skating Association, serving on the Board of the Amateur Skating Union as well as Chairman of the Racing Committee, where he championed the standardization to ISU racing rules. "At that time we had two rule books, with different nomenclature, clerking procedures, etc. It was very confusing for everyone."
"I've always tried to be an agent for change," Goskowicz said. "I wanted to always come up with a better way to do things, to create better opportunities for the skaters. At that time, many saw me as something of a rebel, but I always worked within the organizations to make changes. I find it ironic that many think of me as more of an establishment type today."
Brad organized more than 50 competitions including Nationals, North Americans and US Championships, both LT and ST. He ran the first four U.S. JR Short Track Championships, the first ST American Cup and the first events at the Pettit National Ice Center. Brad also worked more than a hundred competitions as a Competitor's Steward, rising onto the ISU World Championship list in 2000.
As a father, he watched his children win national titles, skate on world teams and participate in three different Olympic Games. Brad credits his wife Peggy for much of his success. "I have always gotten more than my share of the limelight, but Peg is truly ‘the Olympic Mom'. Most people don't realize how much she has contributed behind the scenes to this sport."
Having served on the USS Board of Directors since 1991, Goskowicz became President in 2006. Since then, he has been instrumental in modernizing the USS bylaws, relocating the USS National Headquarters, restructuring development and providing the leadership to ensure financial stability at a difficult time for USS.
"I've spent a lot of time, effort and resources in this sport," he said, "but I can't say the sport ‘owes' me. It's really the other way around. I really owe this sport. Speedskating has enhanced my life, helped me develop many skills and strengthened our family"
Goskowicz was born on March 13, 1956 and currently resides in Ham Lake, Minnesota with his wife.
Joan Peterson
For Joan Peterson, skating is a family affair. Joan, with her four brothers and sisters, could often be found at local rinks in Minneapolis, Minnesota, skating, competing and socializing. She competed until she was 18, winning the Silver Skates competition and joining the Loring Speedskating Club.
It was at one of those rinks where Joan met her future husband, Howard. They were married for 35 years before he passed away, and during that time Joan started a legacy of speedskating with her own two daughters, Lynn and five-time Olympian Amy.
Soon after her daughters started speedskating, Joan received a phone call from the local club. "Someone called me and said, ‘Bring your skates. We need help.' I've been (refereeing) ever since."
Joan has officiated at short and long track events since 1976, working her way to Chief Referee at many national, North American and marathon championships. Eventually, Joan advanced to a Level 4 ISU Referee for long track events. She spent many hours on the track officiating and was the first referee at the national marathon.
Besides her years of refereeing, Joan served on numerous boards, committees and organizations including the president and board member of the East Side Speedskating Club, a board member of the Midway Speedskating Club and the Greater Minnesota Speedskating Association. She has worked on the US Speedskating Hall of Fame committee, the Member and Program Development committee, and the competition, officials and George Howie committees.
"Speedskating is a great sport," she said. "You learn a lot of discipline and conditioning. I've met so many wonderful people."
Joan volunteered at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games and was able to watch her daughter Amy compete in the short track competition."Amy was chosen to carry the flag during the opening ceremonies," Joan said. "That was really exciting."
Born on April 23, 1935, Joan dedicated more than 60 years of her life to speedskating, whether it was competing in events as a teenager, officiating at local or national meets as an adult or serving on various committees and boards. Additionally, she spent 34 years teaching elementary school in Minnesota, influencing an entire generation of children.
The inductees will be welcomed into the U.S. Speed Skating Hall of Fame on April 18, 2009 in St. Louis, MO at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac. Olympian Bonnie Blair-Cruikshank serves as the chairperson for the USS Hall of Fame Committee that holds a yearly election to induct new members.
For complete bios, see below:
Arnold Uhrlass
Few athletes compete in both the Summer and the Winter Olympic Games, but Arnold Uhrlass is an exception. As a long track speedskater, Uhrlass competed at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, CA, setting a national record in the 10,000m. And four years later, he competed in cycling at the Summer Games in Tokyo. Uhrlass also qualified for the 1964 Olympic speedskating team, but declined the invitation so he could stay home with his wife who was expecting their child.
Born in Yonkers, NY on October 19, 1931, Uhrlass grew up in a family of skaters and immediately took to the ice. Skating with the Grand Street Boys Speedskating Club in New York City, he quickly made headlines winning championship events. Uhrlass was invited to skate against the country's best speedskaters at the Race of Champions in Madison Square Garden and he won the event five times.
"I won it more than anybody else and we raced against some good skaters," Uhrlass said. "It was a big deal. The mayor was there. I got congratulated by the mayor of New York City."
Training was done on a more individual basis at the time, and Uhrlass worked all day as a carpenter before coming home to train for events. He and his wife Evelyn raised three children while Uhrlass followed his Olympic dream. He turned down attending many world events knowing his training wasn't quite up to par with the international skaters.
"We just couldn't compete against the Europeans," he said. "I did my training at home but nowadays it's a different story. You can't work today and be a good athlete."
Today, Uhrlass lives with his wife in Hendersonville, NC. His children all participated in speedskating while they were young and now enjoy cycling. Uhrlass was inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in 1997 and the City of Yonkers Sports Hall of Fame in 1977. He is honored to be a part of the National Speed Skating Hall of Fame amidst the many talented speedskating athletes.
Connie Carpenter
It was inevitable Connie Carpenter would take to speedskating. Growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, across the street from a flooded and frozen playground, she would spend hours skating with her brothers and the neighbor kids.
"Girls didn't have a lot of sporting opportunities and I was always extremely active," Connie said. "I skated every night on that rink."
At the age of 12, Connie joined the Madison Speedskating Club and two years later she was on the 1972 Olympic speedskating team. At 14, she was one of the youngest Olympians ever.
Coach Finn Halverson took her under his wing, preparing Connie for competitions, offering her physiological support and direction. She made the speedskating team after taking third place in the 500m at the Olympic trials and was headed for Sapporo, Japan where she finished seventh in the ladies' 1500m.
As a teenager, Connie didn't advertise the fact she was a world class skater and Olympian. "I missed a lot of school that year and I kept to myself," she said. "Everyone probably thought I was a recluse or an oddball, but my biggest fear was that my peers would see me in Lycra."
In Sapporo at the Olympics, Connie recalls the team was free to visit the city and weren't under any strict rules or regulations. She said the next Olympics in Munich, Germany, where seven Israeli team members were killed, changed the Olympic environment forever.
"We were the last naïve Olympians in Sapporo," she said. "I always wanted to go to the Olympics again and thought I was just getting started as a speedskater."
Unfortunately, for speedskating, that wasn't to be. One week before the Olympic trials in 1976, Connie's peroneal tendon tore, leaving her unable to skate. "I didn't make the team and I was devastated," she said.
A natural athlete, Connie turned to cycling and rowing. As a cyclist, she holds 12 national championship titles, earned four world championship medals and one world title. She also won the first woman's cycling event in Olympic history
Heavily influenced by Halverson, Connie attended University of California, Berkeley, where she obtained a degree in physiology and the University of Colorado where she earned a masters degree in sports science.
Connie married Davis Phinney and they have two children, Taylor and Kelsey. Taylor competed on the U.S. Cycling team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Kelsey is a strong Nordic ski racer. Connie is a member of both the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. She was born on February 26, 1957 in Madison, Wisconsin, and currently resides in Boulder, Colorado.
Katie Class Marquard
Katie Class Marquard's speedskating career was determined by her older sister who signed up with the Midway Speedskating Club because they had better uniforms. Coached by long-time club coach Bill Cushman, Katie was the youngest in her family of seven children and the only one to make an Olympic team.
During her speedskating career, Katie was on five World Sprint and three World Allround teams, and was a five-time World Cup individual medalist. At the World Championships in 1987, she was a bronze medalist in the 500m and she was third overall in the 1500m World Cup rankings in 1986 and 1987.
Her consistent speedskating performances earned her a spot on two Olympic teams: Sarajevo, Yugoslavia in 1984 and Calgary, Canada in 1988 where she competed in the 500m, 1000m and 1500m.
"Making the Olympic team was rewarding for my entire family, and rewarding for myself," Katie said. "I was very excited, and probably relieved."
In Sarajevo, Katie recalls the athlete village was patrolled by security guards with machine guns. While in Calgary, everything was open, innovative and exciting.
"The Calgary Oval was brand new and it was speedskating heaven," she said. "Back then, it was the fastest ice in the world."
Following the 1988 Olympics, Katie retired from competition, graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in business administration, worked briefly with the Minnesota Twins and started looking for a full-time job. Cushman, who was serving as the president of US Speedskating, persuaded Katie to apply for the USS executive director position. She got the job and for a long time USS was a one-woman show.
Operating out of the U.S. Ski offices in Park City, UT, for two years, Katie created the foundation for the current USS organization. Eventually, the national headquarters was relocated to Ohio and Katie led USS for 16 years through a merger with the Amateur Speedskating Union and five Olympic Games.
"Gradually, over 16 years, more responsibility came to the national office," Katie said. "My greatest contribution is helping US Speedskating grow to where it is today. The sport became more professional and I guided the organization through those changes."
Katie currently lives in Westlake, Ohio with her husband Dennis and two children, Nick and Abbie. She continues to coach the Lakewood Club with her husband, who was previously inducted into the USS Hall of Fame as a Contributor to the sport, and coaches track at a local middle school. She was born on March 24, 1963 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
"Speedskating has basically formed my life," Katie said. "Being inducted into the speedskating hall of fame is a great honor. It's nice when, at my age, my mom can still say, 'I'm proud of you, Katie.'"
Brad Goskowicz
A boisterous group of young speedskaters at the Olympic Rink in West Allis sped past a startled 9-year-old Brad Goskowicz, causing his father, Tony, to decide speedskating was the sport for his son. The hockey skates were returned and soon Brad was doing deep knee bends with the West Allis Speedskating Club.
Ten years later, Goskowicz had competed in more than 100 competitions, winning races at both the National and North American level. "I loved to race on ice, win or lose and it was a great time in the sport with many clubs, competitions and competitors."
With the arrival of children, Tony, Julie and Caitlin, Brad became more involved in the sport. As president of the West Allis club, he was known for innovation. "With the Great Lakes LT and ST Championships as a platform, we were able to try a lot of new things," Brad said. "We were not burdened by a book of regulations like the Nationals and North Americans so we could experiment with almost every aspect of the competition. Many of those innovations and improvements are standard today"
Brad went on to be President of the Wisconsin Skating Association, serving on the Board of the Amateur Skating Union as well as Chairman of the Racing Committee, where he championed the standardization to ISU racing rules. "At that time we had two rule books, with different nomenclature, clerking procedures, etc. It was very confusing for everyone."
"I've always tried to be an agent for change," Goskowicz said. "I wanted to always come up with a better way to do things, to create better opportunities for the skaters. At that time, many saw me as something of a rebel, but I always worked within the organizations to make changes. I find it ironic that many think of me as more of an establishment type today."
Brad organized more than 50 competitions including Nationals, North Americans and US Championships, both LT and ST. He ran the first four U.S. JR Short Track Championships, the first ST American Cup and the first events at the Pettit National Ice Center. Brad also worked more than a hundred competitions as a Competitor's Steward, rising onto the ISU World Championship list in 2000.
As a father, he watched his children win national titles, skate on world teams and participate in three different Olympic Games. Brad credits his wife Peggy for much of his success. "I have always gotten more than my share of the limelight, but Peg is truly ‘the Olympic Mom'. Most people don't realize how much she has contributed behind the scenes to this sport."
Having served on the USS Board of Directors since 1991, Goskowicz became President in 2006. Since then, he has been instrumental in modernizing the USS bylaws, relocating the USS National Headquarters, restructuring development and providing the leadership to ensure financial stability at a difficult time for USS.
"I've spent a lot of time, effort and resources in this sport," he said, "but I can't say the sport ‘owes' me. It's really the other way around. I really owe this sport. Speedskating has enhanced my life, helped me develop many skills and strengthened our family"
Goskowicz was born on March 13, 1956 and currently resides in Ham Lake, Minnesota with his wife.
Joan Peterson
For Joan Peterson, skating is a family affair. Joan, with her four brothers and sisters, could often be found at local rinks in Minneapolis, Minnesota, skating, competing and socializing. She competed until she was 18, winning the Silver Skates competition and joining the Loring Speedskating Club.
It was at one of those rinks where Joan met her future husband, Howard. They were married for 35 years before he passed away, and during that time Joan started a legacy of speedskating with her own two daughters, Lynn and five-time Olympian Amy.
Soon after her daughters started speedskating, Joan received a phone call from the local club. "Someone called me and said, ‘Bring your skates. We need help.' I've been (refereeing) ever since."
Joan has officiated at short and long track events since 1976, working her way to Chief Referee at many national, North American and marathon championships. Eventually, Joan advanced to a Level 4 ISU Referee for long track events. She spent many hours on the track officiating and was the first referee at the national marathon.
Besides her years of refereeing, Joan served on numerous boards, committees and organizations including the president and board member of the East Side Speedskating Club, a board member of the Midway Speedskating Club and the Greater Minnesota Speedskating Association. She has worked on the US Speedskating Hall of Fame committee, the Member and Program Development committee, and the competition, officials and George Howie committees.
"Speedskating is a great sport," she said. "You learn a lot of discipline and conditioning. I've met so many wonderful people."
Joan volunteered at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games and was able to watch her daughter Amy compete in the short track competition."Amy was chosen to carry the flag during the opening ceremonies," Joan said. "That was really exciting."
Born on April 23, 1935, Joan dedicated more than 60 years of her life to speedskating, whether it was competing in events as a teenager, officiating at local or national meets as an adult or serving on various committees and boards. Additionally, she spent 34 years teaching elementary school in Minnesota, influencing an entire generation of children.
Rate It
Signin to rank content.