USCSA: The Other Way to Race in College
Yes, the Catamounts, Buffaloes and Panthers are fierce collegiate ski racing teams. But there are plenty more opportunities to race in college beyond the University of Vermont, the University of Colorado or Middlebury. Those NCAA racing programs are highly competitive and crammed with top American and international skiers fighting for spots at each race. For athletes who want to ski in college, but may not have the points profile to race in EISA or RMISA, there’s USCSA racing.
The MacConnell Division is part of the Eastern USCSA conference. Schools such as Brown University opt to have their teams in this division instead of EISA, creating the chance for athletes to attend top colleges without the pressure of NCAA racing. The MacConnell Division also runs FIS and USSA races as part of its regular schedule.
SkiRacing.com traveled to a recent MacConnell Division race at Pat’s Peak in New Hampshire to ask athletes and coaches about what it’s like to race USCSA and what makes the division a great option for college athletics.