3.24 - [RELEASE] USCSA Announces Armed Services Award

Apr 18
2 min read

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laura Sullivan

CUMMINGTON, Massachusetts. – MARCH 24th, 2015. The U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) is excited to announce the creation of a new annual Championship: The Armed Services Award. This award will be presented at the U.S. Collegiate Skiing and Snowboarding National Championship^TM to the highest scoring Armed Service Academy in attendance.

Armed Service Academies have been an integral part of USCSA since the organization was founded. Teams from the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Naval Academy, and the United States Military Academy at West Point have fielded Nordic, Alpine, Freeski, and Snowboard teams in competitions across the country. "Crowning a Champion from our Military Academies is just one small recognition that this organization can do, to show our appreciation and admiration for the sacrifices that our Military personnel make. It's also a great way to increase competition. We've watched these teams duke it out year after year for bragging rights, and it's time that is formally recognized," said Andy Rangen, USCSA President.

“I think its great to be able to represent the Air Force on a national level. It's neat that they created an award for the Services Academies. We probably don't get out to train as much as most of the colleges we compete against at nationals but this award allows us to compete against athletes that have endured similar circumstances. It's also an honor to be the first Service Academy to win this award,” said Felicia Sturgeon, Snowboard Team Captain from the United States Air Force Academy. The award will be presented at future National Championships during the awards banquet.

Teams begin their quest to qualify for the U.S. Collegiate Skiing and Snowboarding National Championship^TM in their local conference competitions – held across 11 conferences spanning the nation. Top teams from each conference attend one of 6 regional championships, which decide who ultimately qualifies to participate in events held this week. Results from all events can be found at www.uscsa.com, and archives of the live video and audio broadcasts can be found at http://broadcast.uscsa.com.

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 178 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 Laura Sullivan at LauraSullivan@uscsa.com