Beyond the Podium Proves Its Medals

SLCC's most successful Olympic cohort triumphs at the Milan Cortina Games.

With 15 current and former students competing across speedskating, short track, and freestyle skiing, SLCC's new Beyond the Podium program was well represented at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. It was also extremely successful — across all competitions, the athletes earned 15 top-10 finishes, including three silver medals and two bronze.

Three speed skaters are rounding a bend wearing blue and white USA skin suits. They're all wearing white helmets with the US flag displayed on the forehead. — Ethan Cepuran, Casey Dawson, and Emery Lehman secured a silver medal in the speedskating team pursuit, proving that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts by earning a podium place together. *(Credit: US Speedskating)*

A speed skater with a gap off the front of a chasing group, tucked in an aero position and wearing a dark blue USA skin suit with a white helmet showing the number two. — Mia Manganello's steadfast focus and consistency paid off with a bronze medal in the unpredictable speedskating mass start. Teammate (and fellow Beyond the Podium student-athlete) Greta Meyers helped Manganello get position to launch a counter move in the final 500 meters, establishing a gap with the field that led to a podium spot. *(Credit: US Speedskating)*

A speed skater cornering hard, leaning over and dragging her inside hand on the ice. She's wearing a blue and white team USA skinsuit with a stylized wolf head painted on her helmet. — Corinne Stoddard displayed resilience, rising above extreme misfortune early in the games to earn a bronze medal in the short track 1,500 meters by controlling the race from the lead position into the final laps. *(Credit: US Speedskating)*

Success Beyond the Podium

While these results capture only a moment in each athlete's larger journey, they reflect a remarkable blend of dedication, resilience, and long-term growth. For some athletes, this year marked the start of a promising competitive future; for others, it represented the conclusion of years spent balancing training, education, and personal development.

Regardless of where each student-athlete is in their journey, SLCC remains committed to supporting them through Beyond the Podium, which combines high-performance consultation with flexible education, tuition waivers, and career preparation.

Milan Cortina 2026 was the most successful Olympic showing in SLCC's history, and it was only possible due to the dedication and grit of the athletes and the generous support of Jeff and Helen Cardon and Renaissance Financial.

We're Fans, Too!

SLCC's role isn't relegated to training, education, and career planning — we also watch the competitions! As part of the broader Beyond the Podium program, SLCC set up Olympics watch stations across several campuses, letting students keep tabs on everything happening at the games.

Our 2026 fandom culminated in a gathering of community supporters and SLCC faculty and staff at the Edison House, where we hosted a watch party for the men's and women's team pursuit finals (the women notched fourth, just missing the podium) and the ski big air finals, where Konnor Ralph continued his strong showings in earlier domestic competitions by placing fifth.

Tagged: Olympics , Beyond the Podium , Milan Cortina , Winter Games , US Speedskating , USA Ski and Snowboard