LAKE PLACID, N.Y. -- Tucker West and Summer Britcher successfully defended their crowns at USA Luge's annual indoor start championships Friday night, and Matt Mortensen and Jayson Terdiman combined to take the doubles title.
West won the men's competition for the sixth time, edging runner-up Chris Mazdzer.
Britcher got her second straight title in the women's event, setting ramp records at USA Luge's training facility on the way to holding off runner-up Grace Weinberg and reigning world women's sprint champion Erin Hamlin.
The U.S. teams leave later this month for the start of on-ice training in Lillehammer, Norway. They'll have preseason events in Whistler, British Columbia, and Calgary, Alberta, in October, before returning to Lake Placid Oct. 21-29 for training and the U.S. national championships.