3.10 - [RELEASE] USCSA 40th Annual National Championships Day 5 Recap

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jay Moyer

jmoyer@uscsa.com

LAKE PLACID, New York. – MARCH 10th, 2018.  The U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) concluded its 5-day long annual Collegiate National Championships^TM today with a men’s and women’s Dual Alpine Slalom, men’s and women’s Snowboard Giant Slalom, and the Nordic Team Relay.

527 collegiate athletes representing 65 universities across 6 regions will compete over the 5-day period. This championship represents the best collegiate athletes from around the country. USCSA has member schools in every geographic region of the United States. Events include Alpine Giant Slalom, Alpine Slalom, Nordic Sprints, Nordic Relays, Nordic Distance, Slopestyle, Skier Cross, Snowboard Cross, Snowboard Slalom, Snowboard Giant Slalom, and a Rail Jam.  For a complete schedule of events, news, and results, and list of schools, please go to the official USCSA website at www.uscsa.com.

Nordic skiers finished the week off with the team relay. Showing the depth of their team, St Olaf College won both the men’s and women’s team Collegiate National Championships^TM. Speaking about their win, St Olaf teammates Matt Lynch, Spencer Warejoncas and Tyler Radtke said that “winning the relay was our main goal as a team going into the week. We wanted to relax on our first legs and then attack after that. We worked our plan well and pushed as hard as we could to take the win! A great day for the Oles!”

Snowboarders ended the week a Giant Slalom race down Drapers Drop. Winning both the men’s and women’s team Collegiate National Championships^TM, Westminster College completed their sweep on the week by winning every event’s team championship. Olivia Shively from Westminster College followed up her Snowboard Slalom victory on Thursday with a women’s individual Giant Slalom National Championship. After the race, she said, “both events went really well for me and I'm stoked on my finishes!”

The annual bracketed Dual Slalom wrapped up the exciting week of competition for Alpine skiers on the Lower Throughway trail at Whiteface. Sierra Nevada College had their best result ever in the event, winning both the men’s and women’s team’s Collegiate National Championships^TM. After the finals, the Sierra Nevada College Alpine teams said, “SNC is really happy with today’s result in the dual slalom! We all worked together and it really paid off. We did our best this week and we had a lot of fun and that is what is most important. Our team is  amazed at all the incredible skiing that we have been able to watch during this week from the competitive teams. The SNC alpine team would like thank our new and amazing coach Elias Stuerz. He has been working really hard for our team and without him this journey would not have been possible. We would also like to thank USCSA for a great week and all the effort they put in to make this possible for us. Last but not least, we would like to thank Sierra Nevada College, our president Alan Walker, Uros Kogal and everyone that gave our team the possibility to do well.”

USCSA is the only ski and snowboard league where colleges and universities compete and qualify for post-season competition as a team. This emphasis on team performance is a departure from the typical individual or world cup scoring format often found in skiing. Allowing entire teams to qualify for the USCSA Collegiate National Championships^TM also allows for a greater number of competitors to attend the event, with over 210 alpine athletes, 210 freeski and snowboard athletes, and 100 nordic athletes competing this week in Lake Placid. Teams began their quest to qualify for the U.S. Collegiate Skiing and Snowboarding National Championships^TM in their local conference competitions, held across 11 conferences spanning the nation, this January. Top teams from each conference attend one of 6 regional championships, which decide who ultimately qualifies to participate in events at the Collegiate National Championship. Results from all events can be found at www.uscsa.com.

As the events unfold over next week in Lake Placid, please join the USCSA athletes, families and friends in celebrating this pinnacle of collegiate competition by following competitions either in person or online at www.uscsa.com. Team and Individual results will be posted daily online at the USCSA website. Check in daily for Live Video and Audio Feeds online at http://www.uscsa.com/broadcast

The USCSA is the sports federation for collegiate team ski racing and Snowboarding in America. The USCSA believes that student-athletes of all levels and abilities should have access to quality and exciting venues of competition. Team performance is emphasized within the USCSA, a departure from the typical individual or world cup scoring format often found in skiing. USCSA athletes agree that this team orientation fosters a team approach across their collegiate athletic and academic careers, and often the mentality proves indispensable in their adult lives and careers. The organization includes 180 colleges from coast to coast, fielding over 5,000 male and female, Alpine, Freeski, cross-country, Snowboarding and Nordic ski jumping athletes in over 300 events annually.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Jay Moyer at jmoyer@uscsa.com

Additional Athlete Quote:

Frederick McCarthy, Second Snowboard Giant Slalom, Sierra Nevada College: “I thought the GS was a fun race! I was definitely sore and tired from the previous four days of competition but the course was set well. It really aloud the boys to open it up and go fast with a steep technical section at the bottom.  I don't think anyone could touch Miles Silverman today but it was fun to try!”

Photo Information:

All pictures credited to Linsey Fagan. Athlete name and school is included in the file name for select pictures.