Some things are just meant to be, and in the case of Lea Vanderlinden, one would be hard-pressed to argue.

In a race-off between herself and teammate Kate Hansen just a week ago, the 19-year-old U.S. Luge competitor from Heber City punched her golden ticket to race in her first senior World Cup race on the track she grew up learning on.

“Before (the race), I just wanted to throw down two really good runs,” said Vanderlinden in a conference call with the media Tuesday. “I knew I could do it because I’ve been sliding really consistently.

“I hadn’t beaten (Hansen) in a while and she’s really fast.”

Her runs were more than solid.

She defeated Hansen on the first run and finished tied with her in the second. Her runs were good enough to get her on the sled and on the ice participating in this week’s World Cup events at the Utah Olympic Park.

“When I finished, I was like, ‘Oh my god, I actually won,'” she said. “I was so excited and just couldn’t believe it. It was just amazing. I went into it just like any other race; just hoped for the best and what happens, happens.”

Vanderlinden is no stranger to turning heads.

The Wasatch High School graduate has a trio of silver medals the 2008 junior luge circuit.

She earned the overall 2008 Youth A World Cup silver medal, the Verizon U.S. Junior national championship silver medal and Verizon U.S. Youth A national championship silver medal.

Vanderlinden said she first saw a luge race on TV when she was younger and knew it was something that she wanted to try. She became involved with the USA Luge Slider Search, a nationwide athlete recruitment tour for young aspiring lugers ages 11 to 14.

“I’ve been working my way up since then,” she said.

She was able to work through Wasatch in High School to train at a world-class track just a few minutes from her home.

She is currently attending Utah Valley University online.

Vanderlinden’s clutch victory will only help the 5-foot-11 the shortest member of her family luger later on down the road.

“This is my favorite track in the world,” she said. “I’m just really excited that I feel so confident on this track.”

Vanderlinden qualified for the World Cup Friday by taking 12th in the Nation’s Cup race Thursday at the Utah Olympic Park; a race that determines who was able to compete on the senior run Friday afternoon.

Other Utahns returning to their home track are Preston Griffall, Trent Matheson and Zac Clark.

Griffall is returning to home ice after joining the Utah National Guard earlier this year.

He joined a program specially designed for athletes and was gone from early May to late September.

Griffall attended basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, graduated in late July and flew to Fort Jackson in South Carolina to continue training in his specialized job skill, human resources.

“I got some structure,” he said.

After the races at the UOP this weekend, the lugers will get a welcome break for the holidays before heading back across the pond to race in Germany following the new year.