Fomer Aggie Standout Azevedo On U.S. Bobsled Team

Fomer Aggie Standout Azevedo On U.S. Bobsled Team
Former hurdles record-holder will participate in next month's Olympics in Vancouver

Emily Azevedo, who held the 100 hurdles record while at UC Davis, has been named to the U.S. Bobsledding team.

Jan. 17, 2010

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DAVIS, Calif. - Former UC Davis track and field standout Emily Azevedo, less than four years after taking up bobsledding, was named this weekend to the U.S. team that will participate in the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

Azevedo, who graduated from UC Davis in 2005 after setting a then-school record in the 100-meter hurdles, will participate as brakewoman with driver Bree Schaaf of Bremerton, Wash., in the third of three bobsleds from the United States which have qualified for the Games.

Azevedo, who is from Chico, is a relative newcomer to bobsledding, only taking up the sport in 2006 after following the sport at that year's Olympics in Torino, Italy. Since then, she has participated as a brakewoman for several international competitions, including World Cup and World Championship competitions.

Among her career highlights was earning a national championship with Schaaf in 2009. She also won a silver medal during the 2008-09 America's Cup.

Azevedo still ranks second on the Aggies' all-time hurdles leaders list with a time of 14.23 seconds and is also ranked on the program's indoor top-five charts for the 60-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles.

Shauna Rohbock (Park City, Utah) and Michelle Rzepka (Novi, Mich.) will represent the United States in USA I, while Erin Pac (Farmington, Conn.) and Elana Meyers (Douglasville, Ga.) will compete in USA II.

Azevedo is one of two members of the UC Davis Athletics community who will be at next month's Games. Jill Radzinski, an assistant athletics trainer, is serving as an athletics trainer with the U.S. Women's Hockey Team. Radzinski has been with the team since September.

The bobsledding competition begins on Feb. 23.

Courtesy UC Davis