  BaseballMen's BasketballWomen's BasketballMen's Cross CountryWomen's Cross CountryField HockeyFootballGolfMen's LacrosseWomen's LacrosseRowingAlpine SkiingNordic SkiingMen's SoccerWomen's SoccerSoftballMen's SquashWomen's SquashSwimming and DivingMen's TennisWomen's TennisMen's Track and FieldWomen's Track and FieldVolleyball
|
Newbie’s guide to the NCAA Alpine skiing championships
,
What's at stakeTaking in an NCAA championship apine ski race offers the chance to see tomorrow's Olympic and World Cup team hopefuls ski for the title of All-American (top-10 finishers) or, better yet, NCAA champion. It's also one the few times you'll see athletes from NESCAC schools like Bates and Middlebury compete with athletes, often from abroad, from larger, athletic scholarship-awarding Division-I schools such as the University of Denver and University of Utah.
All the more reason Bates takes pride in its alpine All-Americans: Sean Clark '97, Kyle Hildebrand '02 and Kim Rogers '03. Where to watchSunday River comprises eight peaks and has multiple base areas, so you need to know that the two NCAA Alpine races — Slalom and Giant Slalom — take place at Locke Mountain and finish near the Barker Lodge. The Giant Slalom begins near the summit and uses two trails, T2 and Monday Mourning, and finishes near Barker Lodge. The Slalom uses Monday Mourning and finishes a bit higher than the GS. Key point: It's free! You needn't purchase a lift ticket to enjoy the show, though Sunday River offers reduced-price lift tickets for parents and siblings of NCAA skiers. Most fans watch near the finish area. "You can hike a short distance up Monday Mourning and watch from the finish area," says Rogan Connell, head coach of the Bates alpine team. "From there, you can see most of T2 and almost all of Monday Mourning. Event staff are usually very helpful in explaining where you can and can't go." Some fans will hike even farther up the hill to watch the action. Less inclined for an incline? "You can watch from the deck of lodge," Connell says. How to watchIt's the fastest one down, obviously. As you watch the Slalom (a shorter race than the Giant Slalom, with gates closer together), you'll see skiers really whack the gates as they go by. That's because they're trying for the most direct route down the hill, Connell says. "They're trying to ski right through the gate." Athletes are seeded based on their performance in the West or East region, and the sequence of skiers down the mountain alternates East-West. Printed programs will list the start order. Each skier's time will be displayed on a large scoreboard near the finish, Connell explains, as a public-address announcer keeps fans up to speed. "The announcer is very good at updating individual and team standings," Connell says. Each event has two runs. The order of the second run is just a reverse of the order of finishers in the first run. This ensures a bit of suspence since the leaders ski last. New for 2009In team scoring, a key change for 2009 — a weighted scoring system — is designed to reward aggressive skiing by giving more points for finishing near the top. "There's more of a risk-reward factor now," says Connell, who sits on the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Skiing Committee. "It should also benefits schools that have fewer than the maximum number of athletes competing." Schools can qualify up to three skiers in any event and a maximum of 12 overall. |
