Aspen Valley Ski/Snowboard Club Nordic athletes Michael Otte and Jenny Hamilton have been selected as forerunners at the 2002 Olympics.

The two elite cross country skiers will represent the Rocky Mountain Division, joining other top junior Nordic skiers from around the United States as forerunners at Olympic Nordic events now taking place at Soldier Hollow, just outside Heber City, Utah.

Otte and Hamilton were chosen based on their outstanding performances in the Rocky Mountain Division and at the 2001 Junior Olympics held last March in Marquette, Mich. Last year’s performance in Marquette established Hamilton as one of the top female junior skiers in the country as she placed fifth in the sprint race, third in the 5K skate race and seventh in the 5K classic race.

Likewise, Otte placed sixth in the 15K skate race to earn Junior All-American status.

As members of this elite group of junior athletes, Hamilton and Otte will have full access to the courses and facilities at the race venue.

“It will be like being one of the big guns,” Otte said of the opportunity.

“This is a once in a lifetime experience,” added Hamilton. “It will be a chance to meet and maybe ski with the best females in the U.S., like Nina Kemmpel and Wendy Wagner. I can’t wait.”

Otte, a former AVSC athlete, now attends Clarkson College in upstate New York. Jenny Hamilton is a current AVSC racer and junior at Aspen High School.