DeHan takes 2nd at Trials
Former county resident competing in skeleton
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com

Former Wharton County resident Chase DeHan prepares for the start of a skeleton race during a recent competition. He finished second in the National B Team Trials last month in Utah.

In his first major competition, former Wharton County resident Chase DeHan placed second in the Skeleton National B Team Trials held in November at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah.

The competition results were based on the combined times of a pair of twoseries races. DeHan, 24, finished second in the first race with a combined time of 1:47.65 (53.59 and 54.07) and third in the second race with a combined time of 1:44.06 (52.64 and 52.42). The team trials are conducted by the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.

Based on his experience level, De- Han, a 2001 graduate of El Campo High School, was pleased with his own effort during the trials.

"I slid for one week last season in a skeleton school, so I've only had maybe 26 runs in my career," he said in an interview with the Federation. "My goal was to be consistent in the race, which I was able to do. My runs were close in time and it worked out. Racing in my first national competition was definitely a good learning experience and each run I take is a learning experience."

He is hoping for the opportunity to get many more runs in this winter, including in competition, in an effort to move up his status on the Federation rolls.

"I'm trying to slide every day right now," he said. "And I've been invited to practice for a week in Calgary (Canada) in January and for a week in Lake Placid in February.

"There is also a real outside chance to compete for a week in Austria in January. The Austrian National Championship is an open competition where anyone can compete."

The biggest opportunity his placement at the B team trials was its automatic qualification for the U.S. Western Regionals, which will be held at the end of the racing season. It also means he is qualified as part of the regional development team and will begin receiving some U.S. Olympic Committee training assistance.

"I have to place in the top four at that competition to attend the A trials next year," he said. "If I do well then, I'll qualify for a lot more competition."

DeHan was able to compete at the B trials in part because of an early Christmas present delivered by his mother, El Campo attorney Dawn Allison, during a Thanksgiving visit. The present was a pair of custom ice spikes.

"I had to have spikes to wear for the competition," he said. "She couldn't stay, but I did have a bunch of friends visiting to watch."

While pursuing his dream of eventually qualifying for the Olympic games, DeHan will be wrapping up a bachelor's degree in economics this spring.

"Classes are going good, but not as well as when I was just concentrating on my studies," he said.

"But my GPA is still over a 3.0. My current schedule is to go to class, workout and then slide. I'm down to working only a couple of nights a week so I can finish up with school. I'll take 16 credit hours next semester and then graduate around May."

He said he's already made arrangements with his professors to accommodate his sliding schedule.

"They're going to work something out for me," he said. "My absences aren't going to be held against me; which is a relief."

Taking the men's competition was Steve Mayer, who won both races with times of 1:42.40 and 1:42.48.

"Steve's an experienced racer," DeHan said.

"He sat out last season, but is getting back into the sport this year. Because he didn't compete last year, he has to go back through the qualifying process. But racing against someone of that caliber really helps my own development. It gives me some idea as to where I stand and where I need to look at being at the end of the season."