This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A world title might be out of reach, but Noelle Pikus-Pace is in strong contention for the podium at the world championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
The Orem native and Eagle Mountain resident was sitting in second place Thursday at the halfway mark of the women's skeleton competition, a full second behind Great Britain's Shelley Rudman. That's a lot of time to make up, but Pikus-Pace will take her best shot in the final two runs of the competition on Friday.
"I feel good about where I'm sitting and hopefully I can come back tomorrow with two better runs," Pikus-Pace said. "I made some mistakes that I don't usually make and I'm not very happy with today's runs. I felt sluggish and I just wasn't my best, and I feel like there's more in the bag."
Pikus-Pace posted a two-run total of 2 minutes, 20.03 seconds, one second behind Rudman and 0.15 seconds ahead of Great Britain's Elizabeth Yarnold.
However it comes out, Pikus-Pace is sure to feel satisfied with her first season back on the international tour after a 2 1/2-year retirement.
"Hopefully I can get some good sleep ... and come back feeling refreshed," Pikus-Pace said. "I've always liked the four heat format, and I'm looking forward to getting closer to the lead, if not moving up. … I know I can do better."