Two Michigan Tech Alpine Ski Team athletes qualified for the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) National Championships under the midwest Great Lakes division at Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, NY – the site of the 1980 Winter Olympics. During the week of Mar. 9, skiers Jack Schjolberg and Connor Truman competed in freestyle and alpine events respectively. Schjolberg placed 12th in Big Air (second Team All American), 28th in Rail Jam, 12th in Skier Cross, and 27th in Slope Style. Truman placed 68th in the Individual Combined, which includes slalom and giant slalom with 1091.47 points. He placed 36th in Slalom, Second overall in Dual Paneled Slalom. Members traveling in support were Emma Clark, Emma Borgula, Simon Barto, and their trip’s designated coach, Vice President Nick Peterson.
For Truman, a Mechanical Engineering with a minor in manufacturing senior, qualifying carries additional meaning. “The past three years we’ve almost qualified for nationals, and this year we made it,” he said. Truman adds that “there’s 15 different teams competing. People come here from as far as California and Washington. There’s a couple big schools, including varsity teams, some of the fastest Alpine skiers from Rocky Mountain College and Babson, and our rival team at Northern. There’s around 600 athletes here.” Unlike the Nordic varsity team, Truman comments that “we are a club team, we are self-supported, the members pay large dues and we don’t have a coach at races. We have Larry and we’re very grateful for him when we’re at home, but he does not travel with us.” Truman adds that leading up to the nationals, their team has trained as often as there is snow and a courseup to three times a week at Mont Ripley, highlighting the assistance from Copper Country Skisports Club (CCSC) for helping setting and tearing down the gates and setting a suitable course to ski down.
“This is the culmination of our season,” Schjolberg remarked, thanking his parents, Coach Larry Heathman for his support, CCSC, and the Parents’ Fund for the travel grant. Schjolberg, a third year Forestry major with a minor in Business, is “an avid recreational skier” with over 16 years of experience. He mentioned that “for any given freestyle event there’s 50 to 70 people competing.”
Other than competing at nationals, the Michigan Tech Alpine Ski Team travels four weekends for races throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the UP, as well as hosting the Blue Key Winter Carnival event with 100 student athletes. For more information visit alpineski.mtu.edu or email alpineskiteam@mtu.edu
