Daines Honors Montanans of the Month: 2026 Winter Paralympians Katie Verderber, Jack Berry, and Michael Kneeland

• March 27, 2026

U.S. SENATE - U.S. Senator Steve Daines recognized Katie Verderber, Jack Berry, and Michael Kneeland as Montanans of the Month for representing the Treasure State in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Paralympic Games.

Through his "Montanan of the Month" initiative, each month Daines highlights a Montanan by submitting a statement of recognition in the recipient's honor into the Congressional Record, the document that reflects the official proceedings of Congress.

Daines welcomes anyone to nominate fellow Montanans for Daines' "Montanan of the Month" program by calling his office at 202-224-2651 or filling out the submission form on his website HERE.

The following is the tribute Daines submitted to the Congressional Record to honor Montana natives Katie Verderber, Jack Berry, and Michael Kneeland:

TRIBUTE TO TEAM USA'S KATIE VERDERBER, JACK BERRY, AND MICHAEL KNEELAND

Mr. Daines, Mr. President, today I have the honor to recognize Katie Verderber, Jack Berry, and Michael Kneeland as Montanans of the Month.

These three Montanans represented the United States at the 2026 Winter Paralympics and have shown outstanding dedication to respective sports. They are some of the finest that the Treasure State has to offer.

Katie Verderber, a native of Valier, Montana, competed on the Wheelchair Curling team for Team USA. Verderber received her undergraduate degree from the University of Montana and was a Judge Advocate General (JAG) in the United States Army. She was deployed in Afghanistan in 2019, where she suffered a spinal injury and medically retired. She returned home to Montana and took up wheelchair curling in 2024 and the following year was named to the U.S. Paralympic Team for the Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Jack Berry, a native from Missoula, Montana, is a Para Nordic Skier for Team USA. Berry's Paralympic journey began at 10 years old following a life-altering diagnosis of osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer. During his cancer treatment recovery, Berry found inspiration from Paralympic Nordic skier Dan Cnossen, and made a breakthrough on the international stage in 2024 and 2025.

Michael Kneeland, a native of Bozeman, Montana, competed on both the Para Nordic Ski Team and the Para Biathlon Ski Team for Team USA. Kneeland received his undergraduate degree from Montana State University and began skiing at age 17, attributing Bozeman's outdoor culture and proximity to mountain terrain to his love for the sport. Kneeland entered the international stage in 2024 in Italy, and later competed for Team USA at the Milano Cortina Games.

It is my distinct honor to recognize Katie Verderber, Jack Berry, and Michael Kneeland as Montanans of the Month for their hard work, dedication to their country and teams, and their representation of Montana on the highest level of competition in the world, the Paralympic Games.

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