Ashley Wagner And Alex Rigsby Headline Team USA Contenders Roster For Dick's Sporting Goods

The sporting goods retail sponsor is supporting a number of winter athletes on their quest to be part of Team USA

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Sep 19, 2017, 09:41 ET

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DICK'S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS), the official sporting goods retail sponsor of Team USA, announced today its roster of winter U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Contenders that are being supported by the Company through flexible employment or sponsorship agreements.

Headlining the roster of 41 U.S. Winter Olympic and Paralympic Contenders are Team USA hopefuls figure skater Ashley Wagner and women's hockey goalie Alex Rigsby. In addition to serving as an ambassador for the Contenders program, Rigsby is employed as a DICK'S Store Associate as she trains for Team USA in the lead up to the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. Rigsby credits the Contender program as the first job that has provided the flexibility to accommodate her intense training schedule, and hopes the program can generate awareness of the financial need of many U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls.

"This program provides an amazing opportunity to athletes like me who need assistance to fund our dreams of playing for Team USA," said Rigsby. "I've really enjoyed working at DICK'S Sporting Goods and helping customers select the gear they need to enjoy the sports they love. It's been a really rewarding experience."

The Contenders are offered flexible work schedules and competitive compensation, allowing them to devote the necessary time for training to be part of Team USA at future Olympic or Paralympic Games. For the winter 2017-2018 season, 41 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls from ten different sports are participating in the program, currently working in 24 stores across 17 states.

"As a longtime supporter of athletes at all levels, DICK'S is extremely proud to support U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls in a way that makes a truly meaningful difference in their ability to pursue their Team USA dreams," said Scott Hudler, Senior Vice President and CMO, DICK'S Sporting Goods. "We know that flexibility in work schedule that gives our Contenders the time and funding to train and compete is critical to their ability to represent our country at the highest level, and we are incredibly happy to be able to provide that."

DICK'S announced the Contenders program in February 2015, and to-date has employed or sponsored over 300 Contenders training to make Team USA. In 2016, more than 15 percent of athletes enrolled in the Company's program went on to represent Team USA at the Olympic or Paralympic Games in Rio. Those 42 athletes brought home a total of 23 Olympic and Paralympic medals (11 gold, 8 silver and 4 bronze).

"DICK'S Sporting Goods' commitment to Team USA through their sponsorship of the USOC and the Contenders program is making a real impact for those striving to achieve their Olympic and Paralympic dreams," said Lisa Baird, USOC Chief Marketing Officer. "We are thrilled that this program continues to grow and we are proud that DICK'S is a part of the USOC family of partners."

A current roster of the Team USA Contenders working at DICK'S Sporting Goods stores across the nation includes the following winter-sport athletes:

First Name	Last Name	Sport	Hometown	Store Location
Hakeem	Abdul-Saboor	Bobsled	Powhatan, VA	Burlington, VT
Adrian	Adams	Bobsled	Reidsville, NC	Burlington, VT
Sarah	Anderson	Curling	Broomall, PA	Roseville, MN
Taylor	Anderson	Curling	Broomall, PA	Roseville, MN
Cory Morgan	Christensen	Curling	Duluth, MN	Duluth, MN
Franchon	Crews	Bobsled	Baltimore, MD	Glen Burnie, MD
Caleb	Clawson	Curling	Clarksville, MD	Columbia, MD
Hunter	Clawson	Curling	Clarksville, MD	Columbia, MD
Brittani	Coury	Para Snowboard	Durango, CO	Farmington, NM
Kelly	Curtis	Skeleton	Princeton, NJ	Metaire, LA
Christopher	Douglas	Sled Hockey	St. Cloud, FL	Orlando, FL
Korey E	Dropkin	Curling	Duluth, MN	Duluth, MN
Quinn	Evenson	Curling	Fairbanks, AK	Duluth, MN
John	Fennell	Luge	Denver, CO	Plattsburgh, NY
Cherrelle	Garrett	Bobsled	Hayward, CA	Hayward, CA
Nathan	Gisleider	Bobsled	Claremore, OK	Woodland Hills, OK
Savannah Jane	Graybill	Skeleton	Denver, PA	Plattsburgh, NY
Kimani	Griffin	Speedskating	Winston-Salem, NC	Midvale, UT
Jenna	Haag	Curling	Milton, WI	Wauwatosa, WI
Rebecca Lynn	Hamilton	Curling	McFarland, WI	East Madison, WI
Thomas	Howell	Curling	Brick, NJ	Wauwatosa, WI
Kristen	Hurley	Skeleton	Columbia, CT	Johnson City, TN
Jessika	Jenson	Snowboard	Idaho Falls, ID	Pocatello, ID
Kehri	Jones	Bobsled	Kileen, TX	Harker Heights, TX
Trent Nolan	Kraychir	Skeleton	Desert Hot Springs, CA	Palm Desert, CA
Stephen	Lawler	Para Alpine Skiing	Burlington, VT	Chapel Hills, CO
Daniel	McCoy	Sled Hockey	Cheswick, PA	Pittsburgh Mills, PA
Mike	Minor	Para Snowboard	Waymart, PA	Scranton, PA
Casey	Mullarkey	Speedskating	Cleveland, OH	Midvale, UT
Brett Andrew	Perry	Speedskating	Midland, MI	Midvale, UT
Alex	Rigsby	Ice Hockey	Delafield, WI	West Madison, WI
Chase	Reichmann	Speedskating	West Allis, WI	Wauwatosa, WI
Brittany	Reinbolt	Bobsled	Searcy, AR	Conway, AR
Kristen	Santos	Speedskating	Fairfield, CT	Midvale, UT
Carlijn Laetitia	Schoutens	Speedskating	Heemstede, Netherlands	Midvale, UT
John T	Shuster	Curling	Chisholm, MN	Duluth, MN
Jerica Lan	Tandiman	Speedskating	Kearns, UT	Midvale, UT
Aaron V	Tran	Speedskating	Seattle, WA	Midvale, UT
Monica	Walker	Curling	Brighton, MA	Woodbury, MN
Soo	Yoo	Speedskating	Seoul, South Korea	Midvale, UT
Jerebelle Tan	Yutangco	Speedskating	Barrington, RI	Midvale, UT

For more on the DICK'S Sporting Goods Contenders program, visit dicks.com/thecontenders.

About DICK'S Sporting Goods
Founded in 1948, DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc. is a leading omni-channel sporting goods retailer offering an extensive assortment of authentic, high-quality sports equipment, apparel, footwear and accessories. As of July 29, 2017, the Company operated more than 700 DICK'S Sporting Goods locations across the United States, serving and inspiring athletes and outdoor enthusiasts to achieve their personal best through a blend of dedicated associates, in-store services and unique specialty shop-in-shops dedicated to Team Sports, Athletic Apparel, Golf, Lodge/Outdoor, Fitness and Footwear. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, DICK'S also owns and operates Golf Galaxy and Field & Stream specialty stores, as well as DICK'S Team Sports HQ, an all-in-one youth sports digital platform offering free league management services, mobile apps for scheduling, communications and live scorekeeping, custom uniforms and FanWear and access to donations and sponsorships. DICK'S offers its products through a content-rich eCommerce platform that is integrated with its store network and provides customers with the convenience and expertise of a 24-hour storefront. For more information, visit the Press Room or Investor Relations pages at dicks.com.

Contact DICK'S Sporting Goods: [email protected]

SOURCE DICK'S Sporting Goods