Meet the Wisconsin Olympians.
Casey Andringa
Sport: Freestyle skiing (moguls).
Date of birth: Oct. 6, 1995.
Wisconsin tie: Born in Milwaukee.
Fast facts: First-time Olympian was born in Wisconsin, but his parents moved to Colorado when he was 3 . ... Joined the Winter Park freestyle team at 8 . ... Ten years later he was close to making the U.S. national team but tore his meniscus a week before the Freestyle Junior World Championships . ... Finished third in dual moguls at the 2015 Junior Worlds . ... Lives in Boulder, Colo., and is the drummer in Salty, a local band.
Matt Antoine
Sport: Skeleton.
Date of birth: April 2, 1985.
Wisconsin tie: Born in Prairie du Chien. Fast facts: Antoine won the bronze medal at the 2014 Sochi Games. Pending appeal, his medal could be promoted to silver after the gold medalist was disqualified in November for doping . ... Started skeleton in 2003 after watching the 2002 Winter Games on TV . ... Has earned 11 career World Cup medals and has competed in seven World Championships, with a top individual finish of fifth at Lake Placid, N.Y., in 2012 . ... Holds a degree in sports management, wellness and fitness from California University of Pennsylvania.
Bobby Butler
Sport: Hockey.
Date of birth: April 26, 1987. Wisconsin tie: Plays for the Milwaukee Admirals.
Fast facts: The right wing was the Admirals’ leading scorer through 43 games with 20 goals and 13 assists . ... 6 foot and 188 pounds . ... Has played in 130 NHL games with four teams . ... Made NHL debut with Ottawa on April 1, 2010 . ... Skated in 153 games with the University of New Hampshire, scoring 121 career points (61 goals, 60 assists) . ... Finalist for the 2010 Hobey Baker Award . ... Named to USA Hockey’s initial list of 90 prospective team members over the summer.
Shani Davis
Sport: Long-track speedskating (1,000 meters, 1,500).
Date of birth: Aug. 13, 1982.
Wisconsin tie: Has lived and trained off and on in Milwaukee; considers the Pettit National Ice Center his home rink.
Fast facts: One of America’s most accomplished long-track speedskaters, Davis is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, winning the 1,000 meters in 2006 in Turin and repeating four years later in Vancouver . ... Also a two-time silver medal winner in the 1,500 . ... He is the former world record-holder at both distances and is the all-time World Cup points leader . ... Won the world sprint title in 2009 and world allround titles in 2005 and ’06 . ... Competing in his fourth Olympics as a long-track skater; also made one short-track Olympic team.
Brianna Decker
Sport: Hockey.
Date of birth: May 13, 1991.
Wisconsin tie: From Dousman, University of Wisconsin.
Fast facts: The forward helped Team USA win the silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics . ... She has competed in the IIHF Women’s World Championships six times, winning gold five times. In 2017 she scored 12 points in the tournament and was named MVP . ... Helped the Boston Pride win the 2016 Isobel Cup in the inaugural season of the National Women’s Hockey League . ... At Wisconsin, she won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award and was WCHA player of the year.
Meghan Duggan
Sport: Hockey.
Date of birth: Sept. 3, 1987.
Wisconsin tie: University of Wisconsin. Fast facts: Duggan has a wealth of international experience, having represented the U.S. at two Olympic Games (silver in 2010 and ’14) and eight IIHF Women’s World Championships (gold seven times, silver once) . ... At the ’14 Sochi Games, she served as team captain and contributed one goal and one assist in five games . ... She also has competed in 10 Four Nations Cups . ... The 5-foot-10 forward was born in Danvers, Mass.
Nita Englund
Sport: Ski jumping.
Date of birth: June 10, 1992.
Wisconsin tie: Grew up in Florence.
Fast facts: First tried the sport after watching her brother, Daniel, ski jump . ... Best finish at the World Championships is fifth (team normal hill) . ... Finished eighth (team normal hill) at the 2017 World Championships . ... Finished 10th in the 2015 FIS World Cup standings . ... Lives and trains in Slovenia . ... Earned her first Continental Cup podium finish in March 2014 . ... Missed the 2012 season with an injury . ... Has a twin sister, Anna.
Becca Hamilton
Sport: Curling (second).
Date of birth: July 12, 1990.
Wisconsin tie: From McFarland.
Fast facts: First-time Olympian finished fifth at the World Women’s Championships in 2017 and 10th in 2015 . ... Winner of both the 2018 U.S. Olympic team trials and the Olympic mixed doubles trials (with her brother Matt) . ... 2014 U.S. women’s national champion and twotime U.S. junior champion . ... Works for Dick’s Sporting Goods as part of its Team USA Olympic Contenders Program . ... Coached by Al Hackner.
Matt Hamilton
Sport: Curling (second).
Date of birth: Feb. 19, 1989.
Wisconsin tie: From McFarland.
Fast facts: First-time Olympian competed in three World Men’s Championships and won the bronze medal in 2016. Also finished fourth in 2017 and fifth in 2015. ... Competed in two World Junior Championships, winning gold in 2008 and bronze in ‘09 . ... U.S. national champion in 2015 and runner-up in ’14 . ... Two-time U.S. junior champion . ... Member of 2008 USA Curling team of the year . ... Coached by Phill Drobnick and Jake Higgs.
Brian Hansen
Sport: Long-track speedskating (1,500 meters, mass start).
Date of birth: Sept. 3, 1990.
Wisconsin tie: Has trained extensively at Pettit National Ice Center.
Fast facts: Qualified for third Olympic team . ... Won silver in team pursuit at the 2010 Vancouver Games; also finished 18th in the 1,500 . ... Finished seventh in the 1,500, seventh in team pursuit and ninth in the 1,000 at the 2014 Sochi Games . ... Won team pursuit silver at the 2012 World Single-Distance Championships . ... Nine-time World Cup individual medalist . ... Member of the U.S. longtrack World Cup team from 2009-‘14 . ... Six-time Junior World Championships medalist.
Amanda Kessel
Sport: Hockey.
Date of birth: Aug. 28, 1991.
Wisconsin tie: From Madison.
Fast facts: Helped Team USA win the silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Games. Scored three goals and had three assists in five games . ... Has played in three IIHF Women’s World Championships, winning gold in 2013 and ’17 and silver in 2012. In 2013, she scored the game-winning goal in the gold medal game against Canada. ... Also has played in three Four Nations Cups and two IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championships, winning gold both times . ... University of Minnesota graduate.
Hilary Knight
Sport: Hockey.
Date of birth: July 12, 1989.
Wisconsin tie: University of Wisconsin. Fast facts: Helped Team USA win silver at the 2010 Vancouver Games and the 2014 Sochi Games . ... Nine-time participant in IIHF World Championships, winning gold seven times and silver twice. Two-time tournament MVP . ... Badgers’ all-time leader in goals (143), game-winning goals (30), power-play goals (37) and short-handed goals (8) . ... Cousin Chip Knight is a three-time Olympic skier . ... In 2016, helped Boston Pride earn first-ever Isobel Cup in the inaugural season of the National Women’s Hockey League . ... Hometown is Sun Valley, Idaho.
Emery Lehman
Sport: Long-track speedskating (5,000 meters, team pursuit).
Date of birth: June 13, 1996.
Wisconsin tie: Has trained extensively at the Pettit National Ice Center. Attends Marquette University.
Fast facts: Made the 2014 Olympic team as a 17-year-old. Finished 10th in the 10,000 and 16th in the 5,000 . ... Competed in the World Junior Championships in 2014 and ’15, reaching the podium four times . ... Finished 20th in the 5,000 at the 2013 World Single-Distance Championships . ... Studying civil engineering at Marquette . ... Played hockey and lacrosse in high school . ... Coaches youth speedskaters at the Pettit Center.
Ben Loomis
Sport: Nordic Combined.
Date of birth: June 9, 1998.
Wisconsin tie: From Eau Claire.
Fast facts: 2016 graduate of The Winter Sports School in Park City, Utah . ... Competed in the 2017 World Championships, finishing eighth in the team normal hill / 4x5K . ... Three-time participant in the FIS Junior World Championships . ... Moved to Park City at age 15 to find a more adaptive school and higher-quality training . ... Named the 2016 USSA Nordic Combined athlete of the year . ... Has a brother, Adam, who also is a member of Team USA.
Joanne Reid
Sport: Biathlon.
Date of birth: June 28, 1992.
Wisconsin tie: Born in Madison.
Fast facts: Reid is the daughter of 1980 Olympic speedskating bronze medalist Beth (Heiden) Reid and the niece of speedskating legend Eric Heiden . ... She was an NCAA champion cross-country skier at the University of Colorado before taking up biathlon in 2015 . ... Finished 38th in pursuit, 49th in sprint and 56th in individual at the 2017 World Championships . ... Has an undergraduate degree in applied mathematics and a graduate degree in engineering.
Alex Rigsby
Sport: Hockey.
Date of birth: Jan. 3, 1992.
Wisconsin connection: From Delafield, University of Wisconsin.
Fast facts: As a member of the U.S. women’s national team, she has competed in four IIHF Women’s World Championships, winning gold all four times (2013, ’15, ’16, ’17) . ... Was on roster on 2013 but did not play . ... Also played in five Four Nations Cups . ... Won gold twice at worlds as member of U.S. U-18 team . ... Left Wisconsin ranked first in career saves (2,530) and second in career victories (83) and career shutouts (23) . ... Her earliest memory of the Olympics was watching the 2002 Salt Lake City opening ceremony.
Nina Roth
Sport: Curling (skip).
Date of birth: July 21, 1988.
Wisconsin tie: From McFarland.
Fast facts: First-time Olympian finished fifth in the World Championships in 2017 and fifth in 2010 . ... Two-time U.S. women’s national champion and two-time U.S. junior women’s national champion . ... Runner-up at the 2016 World Mixed Doubles team trials . ... Finished fourth at the 2010 U.S. Olympic trials . ... Has a nursing degree from Edgewood College and works as a nurse in the Madison area . ... Coached by Al Hackner.
John Shuster
Sport: Curling (skip).
Date of birth: Nov. 3, 1982.
Wisconsin tie: From Superior.
Fast facts: Made fourth Olympic team. Won the bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Games and finished 10th in 2010 and ninth in 2014 . ... Six-time participant in World Championships, winning bronze in 2016 . ... Won the gold medal at the 2007 World University Games . ... Six-time U.S. national champion (2003, ’05, ’06, ’09, ’15, ’17) . ... Two-time Continental Cup champion . ... Curls out of Duluth (Minn.) Curling Club . ... Coached by Phill Drobnick.
Mitch Whitmore
Sport: Long-track speedskating (500 meters, 1,000).
Date of birth: Dec. 18, 1989.
Wisconsin tie: From Waukesha.
Fast facts: Sprinting specialist made his third Olympic team . ... Finished 27th in the 500 meters at the 2014 Sochi Games and 37th at the 2010 Vancouver Games . ... Holds the U.S. record in the 500 (34.19) and recently skated 34.90 at the Pettit National Ice Center to break the 12-yearold rink record held by Canadian legend Jeremy Wotherspoon . ... Finished fourth in the 500 at the 2017 World Single-Distance Championships . ... Played soccer, baseball and tennis and ran track and cross-country before focusing on skating.
REPRESENTING TEAM CANADA Emily Clark
Sport: Hockey.
Date of birth: Nov. 28, 1995.
Wisconsin tie: University of Wisconsin. Fast facts: Forward appeared in 39 games for Wisconsin in 2016-’17, scoring 46 points with 20 goals and 26 assists . ... Led all UW skaters with a +48 plus / minus rating . ... In first appearance with Canada’s national women’s team in 2014, she won gold at the Four Nations Cup . ... At the 2016 IIHF World Championships, she scored two goals in five games . ... Started playing hockey at age 3 . ... Also played lacrosse in high school . ... From Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Ann-Renee Desbiens
Sport: Hockey.
Date of birth: April 10, 1994.
Wisconsin tie: University of Wisconsin. Fast facts: Goaltender participated in the 2015 IIHF Women’s World Championship for Team Canada . ... First Canadian selected in the 2016 National Women’s Hockey League draft, taken in the first round by the Boston Pride . ... Holds the NCAA record for career shutouts . ... Broke UW shutout record held by Jessie Vetter, setting NCAA record with 543:53 consecutive shutout minutes . ... 2016 WCHA player of the year . ... 2017 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner.
Sarah Nurse
Sport: Hockey.
Date of birth: Jan. 4, 1995. Wisconsin tie: University of Wisconsin. Fast facts: Made debut with Canada’s national women’s team at the 2015 Four Nations Cup . ... During the 2016 NCAA Frozen Four, Nurse fractured her wrist, underwent surgery and was unable to hold a stick for three months . ... As a senior at UW in 2016-’17, she served as alternate captain and was a second team All-American . ... Cousin Darnell Nurse plays for the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers . ... Hometown is Hamilton, Ontario.