Saint Michael's College

Tricia Byrnes is the first inductee to be honored for representing the United States in the Olympic Games. She was a standout for the women's snowboarding team at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, where she finished sixth overall in the snowboarding half pipe competition, placing second to gold medallist Kelly Clark among U.S. women in the event. A skier since the age of four, Tricia began snowboarding at the age of 12 and has been a member of the US National Team since 1998. Her career has been star-studded, and includes 16 FIS World Cup victories, five World Cup victories, the 2001 U.S. Grand Prix Halfpipe Championship, four straight top three finishes at the US Championships, and was the gold medallist in snowboarding's debut in the Goodwill Games in 1999. A silver medallist at the 2000 World Championships, she went into the Olympic Games ranked #2 in World Cup standings. Tricia is a popular celebrity of her sport, and has enjoyed international fame as a product spokesperson and television guest. She has also authored on-line columns for CNNSI, ESPN, NBC, and is the editor for Eastern Edge, a magazine devoted to East Coast snowboarding. Training and competing in her sport around the world caused Tricia to extend her degree program at Saint Michael's beyond the traditional four years. She graduated from the College in 1998, with a double major in English and Psychology.