Campus News

Westminster Ski & Snowboard Team Athletes Named 'Academic All-Americans'

Twenty-one scholars named, more than any school in the association

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Krista DeAngelis, (801) 832-2682

April 8, 2009

SALT LAKE CITY– The U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) recently named 21 Westminster students from the ski and snowboard teams as “Academic All-Americans,” more than any of the 36 schools in the association.

“Academic All-Americans are athletes who have qualified for the USCSA National Championship and have maintained noteworthy GPAs,” explained Laura Sullivan, executive director of USCSA. “To qualify for a ‘First Team’ title, athletes must maintain a 3.8 – 4.0 GPA; ‘Second Team’ is a 3.5 – 3.79 GPA; and a 3.30 – 3.49 for ‘Honorable Mention.’”

In addition to their classroom accomplishments, Westminster’s Ski and Snowboard Teams both had successful inaugural seasons on the slopes, as the women’s alpine ski team and snowboard team came away with the USCSA National Championship. The men’s teams both placed third during nationals.

“Westminster is very pleased with the performance of our ski and snowboard athletes this past season, both athletically and academically,” said Shay Wyatt, athletics director. “Our athletes truly embody the ‘whole person’ concept, and the Academic All-American title just confirms their dedication to their studies as well as their sport.”

The Academic All-Americans for this season are:

First Team:
Kendall Brown, Sage Dunham, Zachary Lancaster, Matiss Madars, Ulrikke Nicolaisen, Kelsey Nilsen and Siri Wieringa

Second Team:
Desiree Deselrod, Ryan Donavan, Lorentz Gedde-Dahl, Ford Herbard, Robin Hill, Mark Speicher and Perrine Voisin.

Honorable Mention:
Hallie Beaver, Mackenzie Burns, Nicholas Cummings, Melissa Gill, Tyler Kjesbo, Gabriel Lepine and Zachary Moon-Collins.

About USCSA:
The United States Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association is the sports federation for collegiate team ski racing and snowboarding in America. The USCSA has alpine, cross country and snowboard collegiate competition programs. With more than 178 colleges from coast to coast, the program hosts some 4,700 men and women, alpine, cross country and snowboarding athletes in over 200 race events annually. Competitions take place across three progressive tiers. Conference qualifiers determine the participants at the six USCSA Regional Championships. The regionals are the last step on the road to the annual U. S. Collegiate Skiing and Snowboard Championships, the showcase event in college ski and snowboard competition. For more information, visit www.uscsa.com.

About Westminster:
Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster is distinguished by its unique environment for learning. Westminster prepares students for success through active and engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake, further enriches the college experience. For more information, visit http://www.westminstercollege.edu or follow WestminsterSLC on Twitter.