Westminster women win national ski title

WINTER PARK, Colo. — The Griffins of Westminster, in their first year presenting a men's and women's ski team in national competition, beat out 20 other schools on Friday to win the women's United States Collegiate Ski Association championship.

The men's team goes into the final event, the slalom, today in second place behind Sierra Nevada College.

"I think it says a lot about our skiers, to come out and win their first year. I'd say it was like baking a cake today. We had all the ingredients," said Chris Hendrickson, the Griffins' head ski coach.

Hendrickson came to Westminster last year from Sierra Nevada to begin building a men's and women's ski program.

In third place was Colby-Sawyer College from New Hampshire.

Sierra Nevada women's teams had won 16 of the last 19 national championships.

Kendall Brown led the Griffins with a second-place finish and a time of one minute, 22.6 seconds. She was also second in the giant slalom event on Wednesday. Wiktoria Glowczynski finished third overall with a time of 1:24.84 and Perrine Voisin was seventh at 1:26.58.

The men's team suffered a setback on Thursday when a controversial decision stopped two of Westminster's top skiers from racing because they had competed in the World University Games.

"The other members on the men's team stepped up and filled in. We're in second, even without our two best skiers," said Hendrickson.

Zach Collins of Salt Lake City finished fifth overall in the GS.

Sierra Nevada leads the men's event.