3.10 - [RELEASE] USCSA 43rd Annual Collegiate National Championships Day 3 Recap

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jay Moyer

jmoyer@uscsa.org 

UNITED STATES COLLEGIATE SKI AND SNOWBOARD ASSOCIATION HOSTS 43rd ANNUAL U.S. COLLEGIATE SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS^TM

LAKE PLACID, New York. – MARCH 10th, 2022.  The U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) wrapped up the 3rd day of its 5-day long annual Collegiate National Championships^TM with a men’s and women’s Freeski Slopestyle, women’s Alpine Ski Slalom, and a men’s and women’s Snowboard Slalom race under beautiful sunny skies. 

552 Collegiate athletes representing 57 colleges and universities are competing at the 2022 USCSA Collegiate National Championships^TM. This includes alpine, snowboard, freeski, and nordic teams which qualified through their regional championships. Events include Alpine Giant Slalom, Alpine Slalom, Dual Slalom, Nordic Sprints, Nordic Relays, Nordic Distance, Slopestyle, Skier Cross, Snowboard Cross, Rail Jam, Snowboard Slalom, and Snowboard Giant Slalom. As the events unfold over next week at Lake Placid, please join the USCSA athletes, families and friends in celebrating this pinnacle of collegiate competition by following your favorite athletes either in person or online at www.uscsa.org, where team and Individual results will be posted daily. Check in daily for live Video and Audio feeds online at uscsa.org/broadcast.html.

Sierra Nevada University wrapped up women’s racing on Drapers Drop with another team National Championship. Rocky Mountain College’s women took home second while Castleton University skied into third with impressive racing from their top athletes. After the win, Sierra Nevada University head coach Mihaela Kosi said, “today’s performance means we are bringing home the ladies combined title for Sierra Nevada University’s final USCSA Championship. Each of my girls had to fight hard for the win and I am very proud of them all!” 

Speaking after their third place finish, Castleton University Head Coach Chris Eder said, “our women’s team at Castleton University has dealt with a few bad breaks over the past 12 days with injuries and illnesses. These unfortunate circumstances haven’t stopped our women, as they never stopped believing in their ability. Finishing on the team podium at USCSA Nationals is special for our two senior captains Karoline Rettenbacher and Lena Soehnle, who go out with a bang. Freshman Deena Jacunski raced today as an alternate, as she filled in for an injured athlete, and finished 16th overall with bib 105.  I am so proud of all of them and the effort they brought today and the entire season. Overall, our women are just very grateful to be able to race again on USCSA and compete at the National Championships. The race crew and everyone at Whiteface, NYSEF, and the USCSA volunteers have been top notch! They need to be applauded for their efforts this week.”

At the Snowboard and Freeski venues, Sierra Nevada University continued their strong showing on the men’s side with a team Snowboard Slalom championship, while Lees McRae College women the women’s team Snowboard Slalom event. “This has probably been the greatest day of my life, and I'm no spring chicken,” said Lees McRae head coach Aaron Maas. “To see the look on those girls faces when they realized they were National Champions is something that I will never forget. On behalf of my entire team and I, thanks to you and the entire USCSA organization for making this day possible.” 

At the Slopestyle venue, Liberty University won the Women’s Team National Championship while the University of Colorado Boulder won for the men. “Rocky Mountain College’s local Montana gal throws down at USCSA’s slopestyle,” said Rocky Mountain College’s head coach Jerry Wolf after Larissa Saarel’s individual National Championship in the women’s Slopestyle event. “After run one she was in 6th place. Lar being a Senior, this being her first slopestyle competition ever, and it’s Nationals, she decides to step it up with a run she couldn’t complete earlier in practice. She stuck it and now the rest is history. Awesome day for a 6 seed alpine athlete having fun with teammates and friends in the terrain park.”

All this week the USCSA Broadcast Network will bring audiences over 60 hours of LIVE, multi-camera HD video coverage from all three competition venues at its web portal: uscsa.org/broadcast.htm. Scott "Boss" Hogg returns to lead the USCSA Broadcast Team at alpine, joined by legendary snowboard announcer Mark Oliver aka “The Beav” at snowboard/freestyle, as well as Bob “Coach” Underwood and Jared Newell at nordic. Visit uscsa.org/broadcast.htm for more information, including live-timing, daily schedules, and on-demand archived broadcasts.

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. 

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. USCSA athletes agree that our team orientation fosters a collaborative approach across their collegiate athletic and academic careers, and often this mentality proves indispensable in their adult lives and careers. The organization includes 184 colleges from coast to coast, fielding 5,146 male and female, alpine, freestyle, cross-country, snowboarding and nordic ski jumping athletes in over 300 events annually.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact jmoyer@uscsa.org

Additional Quotes:

Ibon Mintegui, Sierra Nevada University, Men’s Alpine Ski Giant Slalom Champion. “It was an important win for the team and I am stoked to claim the victory.”

Attached Pictures: 

Larissa Saarel, Rocky Mountain College. Photo Credit: John DiGiacomo.

Calvin James, University of Colorado Boulder. Photo Credit: John DiGiacomo.