Suffield Resident Places Second In National Luge Competition

class of 2011 graduate finished second in the women's division of the National Guard Luge Start Championships on Friday.

Sweeney, a member of the junior national luge team, finished her run with a time of 2.784 seconds. She earned second-place honors in the luge season's kickoff event held at the USA Luge training facility, part of the Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid, NY. Sweeney will spend part of the luge season with the national adult team, the highest level of luge competition in the country, according to USA Luge's Web site.

USA Luge member and 2002 Olympian Ashley Walden, of Westborough, MA, earned the top women's spot with a combined time of 2.693 seconds. Erin Hamlin, the 2009 world champion from Remsen, NY, took the third slot with a time of 2.797 seconds.

The 2011-2012 luge season kicked off Monday. A USA team race-off takes place on Oct. 29 and 30 in Lake Placid and world championship action begins in Igls, Austria on Nov. 26 and 27.