{"id":45807,"date":"2026-02-03T14:09:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T20:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/?p=45807"},"modified":"2026-03-31T14:36:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T19:36:54","slug":"meet-unds-olympian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/2026\/02\/meet-unds-olympian\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet UND\u2019s Olympian"},"content":{"rendered":"

As she prepares for the 2026 Winter Olympics, U.S. Ski Team member Paige Jones praises the school where she’s pursuing her online degree: UND \u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

\"ski
Team USA ski jumper, and UND student Paige Jones, competes in Lake Placid, NY as part of the FIS World Cup. Photo by EXPA Pictures.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Editor\u2019s note:<\/strong>\u00a0In the\u00a0UND LEADS Strategic Plan,<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0the\u00a0\u201cLearning\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>core value includes calls to \u201ccreate more pathways to certificate or degree attainment for students of all ages, incomes and backgrounds\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The following story, which was first published in UND Today on Feb. 3, profiles Paige Jones, the UND distance student who competed for Team USA as a ski jumper in the XXV Winter Olympics. As Jones says in the story, \u201cI explored a lot of other programs, but ultimately landed on UND for their online biomedical engineering program. When I transferred, I met with all the biomedical engineering professors. They were excited to have me and saw how my sports background added perspective.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

* * * *<\/p>\n

Among the approximately 3,000 athletes who\u2019ll take part in the Feb. 6 opening ceremony for the XXV Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, is one with a very current North Dakota connection.<\/p>\n

Specifically, she\u2019s a student at UND.<\/p>\n

Paige Jones, a distance student majoring in Biomedical Engineering<\/strong><\/a>, will compete for Team USA in the sport of ski jumping \u2013 making her lifelong dream a reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels a bit unreal \u2014 I don\u2019t think it will feel real until I\u2019m in Italy,\u201d she said to UND Today, in an interview before her arrival at the games. \u201cI\u2019ve spent the better part of the last decade with this one goal in mind, and for it to now become reality it so exciting. I\u2019m so proud of the past versions of myself for getting me to where I am today, and I hope to make the most of this opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The road to Milano-Cortina<\/h2>\n

A native of Park City, Utah \u2013 a city of about 8,000 nestled in the Wasatch Mountains — Jones is no stranger to the games. Her hometown played host to alpine skiing, snowboarding, bobsled, luge, skeleton and ski jumping events during the 2002 Winter Olympics \u2013 hosted in nearby Salt Lake City.<\/p>\n

Jones was introduced to the sport through a school program at the age of 9 at the Utah Olympic Park, the host of the ski jumping competition at the 2002 games. The Park is expected to reprise this role when the region hosts the 2034 Winter Olympics.<\/p>\n

After a successful junior career, Jones first competed internationally as a 16-year-old in 2018. Two years later, she made her first start on the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) World Cup circuit as a member of the U.S. Ski Team.<\/p>\n

Jones missed out on qualifying for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to an ankle injury. That made this qualification campaign a redemption of sorts, aided by the added experience she now has under her belt.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I had gone in 2022, I would have just been going for the experience,\u201d she said. \u201cWhereas with my level right now, I\u2019m actually going to the Olympics to compete. I want to be fighting for a top 15 or 20.\u201d<\/p>\n

A balancing act<\/h2>\n

Balancing a rigorous competition and training schedule with equally rigorous academics can be a challenge, Jones said \u2013 especially as she added studying for and taking the Dental School Admission Test to her load this past summer. However, Jones added that academics provide a welcome break from sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always think of school as balance to my life as an athlete,\u201d she said. \u201cIt gives me something to think about when I\u2019m not on the hill. I don\u2019t want to be ruminating about ski jumping all the time \u2013 it\u2019s so easy to get in your head, especially when the jump only lasts about five seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"paige
Paige Jones<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jones also appreciates regular interaction with her Biomedical Engineering cohort.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of the online students are synchronous, so I can attend class via Zoom, participate and ask questions,\u201d she said. \u201cAlso, for our innovation based learning projects, we are required to meet as a team for an hour once a week. Last semester I had two projects, so that\u2019s two times a week where I\u2019m meeting with a group and working things out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones has praised<\/strong> <\/a>UND’s welcoming and accommodating academic environment — essential for her demanding travel and competition schedule, which takes her across Europe and East Asia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI explored a lot of other programs, but ultimately landed on UND for their online biomedical engineering program,\u201d she said. “When I transferred, I met with all the biomedical engineering professors. They were excited to have me and saw how my sports background added perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, Jones has presented her research at academic conferences — including the 2024 National Conference on Undergraduate Research — as pictured at left.<\/p>\n

Jones, who is slated to graduate in Spring of 2027, plans to pursue dentistry.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a lot of correlation between biomedical engineering and dentistry,\u201d she said. “Biomedical engineering is kind of where the mechanical and biological worlds meet, and dentistry sees a lot of that. The more time I spend in engineering, the more I realize I want to be on the clinic side of things interacting with people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Practice (and competition) makes perfect<\/h2>\n

In the sport of ski jumping, athletes compete on both normal and large hills \u2013 measured by the hill\u2019s \u201cK-point\u201d or target landing zone. The normal hill\u2019s K-point is set at 90 meters, while the large hill is 120 meters.<\/p>\n

A panel of five judges assesses each jump. Landing exactly on the K-point earns competitors a base score of 60, with judges adding (or subtracting) points for distance, style and wind conditions.<\/p>\n

Jones said ski jumping is heavily impacted by weather conditions \u2013 which can sometimes change mid-event. When athletes face a tail wind for instance, judges often add points to a jump as it shortens their flight. Conversely, a headwind adds lift \u2013 resulting in points deducted.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny ski jumping event is a bit of a luck of the draw situation, because you never know what external factors like wind you\u2019re going to deal with,\u201d she said. \u201cIf it starts snowing, that slows down the track, which usually requires us to carry more speed to go the same distance. There\u2019s always a bit of variable around that if it starts snowing in the middle of the round.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones has previously competed at the Predazzo Ski Jumping Arena — located about four hours northeast of Milan in the Italian Dolomites \u2013 and host of ski jumping and Nordic combined events at the games.<\/p>\n

Although she considers herself a normal hill specialist, Jones said she feels comfortable on Predazzo\u2019s large hill as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a top 20 result on the 90-meter (normal) hill,\u201d she said. \u201cEach hill has its own rhythm to it. The hills I like the most are older style ones \u2013 where the in-run is steeper, the transition at the bottom is quicker and the flight curve is higher, so you\u2019re flying higher off the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones said she feels confident in her training and preparation leading up to the games. Ski jumpers, she added, tend to train more intensely in the offseason and focus on maintaining their strength and power during the season.<\/p>\n

\"\"
U.S. Ski Team member Paige Jones. EXPA Pictures.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMy physical training is structured around peaking at the Olympics, which I successfully trial ran last year at World Championships,\u201d she said. \u201cI’ve been working with my sport psychologist as well to ensure I’ll be on my best game mentally, given the added pressure of competing on the world’s biggest stage. The competition format of the Olympics isn\u2019t any different from other World Cup events. So far this year, I’ve had multiple top 15 jumps and many top 20 results, so I feel confident in my ability to make the finals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones\u2019 first event at the Olympics is the normal hill, set for Saturday, Feb. 7, at 11:45 a.m. Central Time, followed by the large hill on Sunday, Feb. 15 \u2013 also at 11:45 a.m. Central Time.<\/p>\n

Outside of competing, Jones said she is eager to meet fellow athletes from across the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur circuit is very tight knit since we spend six consecutive months together during the season — so meeting other athletes in other sports or from other countries will be really fun,\u201d she said. \u201cI remember from the Youth Olympic Games in 2020, that the best way to break the ice with other athletes was pin trading, so you can expect me to be all over the pin-trade game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another highlight of the games for Jones will be sharing the experience with her fianc\u00e9, who is competing for Team USA in luge.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve actually never seen him compete internationally, so I\u2019ll finally get the chance,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

UND’s Olympic delegation<\/h2>\n

In addition to Jones, seven UND alumni will be representing their countries and the University at the Olympics \u2013 either as competitors, media or members of the Presidential delegation.<\/p>\n

UND alumni at the 2026 Winter Olympics<\/strong><\/p>\n

Brock Nelson, \u201912. Team USA hockey.<\/p>\n

Jake Sanderson, \u201922. Team USA hockey.<\/p>\n

T.J. Oshie, \u201908. Former UND hockey standout who played in over 1,000 NHL games, won the 2018 Stanley Cup as a member of the Washington Capitals and competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Oshie will serve as a studio analyst for NBC Sports\u2019 coverage of the Olympic hockey tournament.<\/p>\n

Jocelyn and Monique Lamoreux, \u201913. Members of the gold medal winning 2018 Team USA women\u2019s Olympic hockey team, the twin sisters and Grand Forks natives will represent Team USA in the opening ceremony as members of the Presidential delegation.<\/p>\n

Michelle Karvinen, \u201914. Team Finland hockey.<\/p>\n

Susana Tapani, \u201914. Team Finland hockey.<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

>>\u00a0<\/strong>Questions or comments\u00a0<\/strong>about the\u00a0UND LEADS Strategic Plan<\/a>?<\/strong>\u00a0Your thoughts are welcome! Please contact\u00a0Ryan Zerr<\/a><\/strong>, associate vice president for Strategy & Implementation, or\u00a0Anna Marie Kinney<\/strong><\/a>, coordinator of the University Writing Program, the co-chairs of the UND LEADS Implementation Committee. You also may offer your thoughts by visiting the\u00a0UND LEADS Strategic Plan home page<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and clicking on the \u201cProvide your feedback\u201d link.<\/em><\/p>\n

Thank you for your support of the UND LEADS Strategic Plan!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LEARNING strategic priority: \u2018Create more pathways to certificate or degree attainment for students of all ages, incomes and backgrounds\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":45822,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[19,1124,1125],"class_list":["post-45807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-around-und","tag-engineering","tag-equity","tag-learning"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMeet UND\u2019s Olympian - UND Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As she prepares for the 2026 Winter Olympics, U.S. Ski Team member Paige Jones praises the school where she's pursuing her online degree: UND\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/2026\/02\/meet-unds-olympian\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Meet UND\u2019s Olympian - 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