3.8 - [RELEASE] USCSA Announces Results and Schedule Changes for the 44th National Championships at Mammoth Mountain

Apr 18
4 min read

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jay Moyer

MAMMOTH LAKES, California. March 8th 2023 - A series of winter storms have impacted Mammoth Mountain over the past five days, with an additional storm forecast later this week. These storms have added to the already unprecedented snowfall that the mountain has received so far this winter. These storms have impacted all USCSA disciplines and have necessitated several scheduling changes.

USCSA President Chris Shumeyko noted that, “this has been an event for the ages. Our entire crew alongside the Mammoth Mountain staff are working tirelessly to give our athletes the best experience possible. We’re incredibly appreciative of the patience and understanding from the athletes, parents, and coaches here at the USCSA National Championships.”

Despite this, USCSA and Mammoth Mountain have been able to host several events over the last two days, including a women’s and men’s Nordic 7.5k classic, men’s snowboard and freeski cross, and a women’s and men’s nordic skate sprint. The weather on Thursday is expected to be manageable which will allow for more events to be completed. Please check https://www.uscsa.org/2023nationals-schedule.html to see the most current schedule, and check frequently for potential additional changes.

Event partners include Mammoth Mountain, Ikon Pass, Borah Teamwear, SYNC Performance, ACL Strong, Curated, Reliable Racing, Vola Racing, Cardo Systems, Atomic, and Swix.

On Tuesday, Nordic athletes competed in a 7.5k classic race under bluebird skies at the Tamarack Cross Country Ski Center. For the men, Paul Smith’s College won the team National Championship, followed by Western Colorado University in second and Clarkson University in third. St. Olaf College won the women’s team National Championship, with the University of Wyoming taking second place and Paul Smith’s College placing third. Lily Hubanks from St. Olaf College won the women’s individual National Championship with Aidan Ripp from Paul Smith’s College winning the men’s championship. After the event, the Colorado Mesa University team said they have “ Never have seen so much snow in our lives, and we’re from Colorado. Huge thanks to all the coordinators and staff who are working to make this happen! This will definitely be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Never thought we’d be able to say that there is too much snow.”

Earlier today, action kicked off for the snowboard and freeski athletes with the men’s skier and snowboard cross. Although the event had to be abridged due to snow and visibility issues, championships were still able to be awarded based on the times athletes ran during the time trial. In the freeski event, the University of Colorado at Boulder won the team National Championship, with the University of Connecticut taking second and the University of California at Davis placing third. Tanner Bence from the University of Wisconsin won the individual National Championship. For snowboarders, the team National Championship was won by University of Nevada at Reno. Lees-McRae College took home second place and Liberty University rounded out the podium in third. The snowboard individual National Championship was won by Hunter Bernard.

“Although weather has impacted our events this week, spirits remain high among our athletes, coaches and volunteers and continue to make sure that every athlete has as memorable and rewarding an experience as possible,” said USCSA Vice President of Sport Doug Grayson. We continue to prioritize safety with every difficult decision we make but hope to continue with this unforgettable National Championships.” said Doug Grayson, Vice President of Sport for USCSA.

USCSA is the only ski and snowboard league where colleges and universities compete and qualify for postseason 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 200 alpine athletes, 200 freeski and snowboard athletes, and 100 nordic athletes competing next week at Mammoth Mountain.

A record breaking 624 athletes representing 69 colleges and universities are competing at the 2023 USCSA Collegiate National Championships^TM. This includes alpine, snowboard, freeski, and nordic teams which qualified through their regional championships, including powerhouses such as Babson College (Alpine), Castleton University (Alpine, Nordic), Clarkson University (Alpine, Nordic), the University of Wyoming (Nordic), Lees-McRae College (Snowboard), Paul Smith’s College (Nordic) Rocky Mountain College (Alpine, Freeski), and St Olaf College (Alpine, Nordic). A full list of qualified institutions is attached.

Throughout the week at Mammoth, the USCSA Broadcast Network will bring audiences LIVE, multi-camera HD video coverage from all three competition venues at its web portal: http://www.uscsa.com/broadcast. Scott "Boss" Hogg returns to lead the USCSA Broadcast Team at alpine, joined by legendary announcers at the alpine, nordic, and snowboard/freeski venues. The 2023 event will now include live coverage of each day’s Awards Ceremonies and the final awards banquet on the USCSA X-TRA Channel. Visit https://www.uscsa.org/broadcast 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 December. 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.org.

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 178 colleges from coast to coast, fielding 4,945 male and female, alpine, freestyle, nordic, and snowboarding athletes in over 300 events annually.

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