The Hobart and William Smith Alpine skiing teams are off to Lake Placid, New York, to compete in the 2026 USCSA National Championships March 10-14 on Whiteface Mountain. It is the second straight season that both the Statesmen and Herons have qualified for the national championships.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, March 10
Women's Giant Slalom: 9 a.m.
Men's Skier Cross: 9 a.m.
Wednesday, March 11
Men's Giant Slalom: 9 a.m.
Women's Skier Cross: 9 a.m.
Thursday, March 12
Women's Slalom: 9 a.m.
Friday, March 13
Men's Slalom: 9 a.m.
Saturday, March 14
Men's and Women's Dual Slalom: 9 a.m.

ABOUT THE STATESMEN:

Hobart qualified for the championships after winning the Mideast Conference Regional Championships. The Statesmen finished first in both the giant slalom and slalom on Bristol Mountain, bringing their season total to nine wins. Hobart finished first in all but two races this season and were crowned the Mideast Conference Regular Season Champions.

The Statesmen are led by sophomore Will Patton who has collected four first-place finishes and two second-place finishes. At the Mideast Conference Regional Championships, Patton led Hobart to victory with a fourth-place finish in the slalom (1:51.88) and a win in the giant slalom (1:44.82). Patton was also named to the Mideast Conference First Team for the second time of his career.

Junior Ethan Hine and first-year Zachary Wargo have also made significant contributions this season for the Statesmen. Hine has tallied eight top-five finishes this season, including a second-place finish in the giant slalom (1:47.82) at the Mideast Conference Regional Championships. Wargo finished sixth in the giant slalom (1:51.76) at Bristol Mountain and will look to make waves at his first collegiate national championship. Hine and Wargo were also named to the Mideast Conference First Team following their impressive seasons.

At last year's national championships, Hobart finished fifth out of 27 teams. The Statesmen took third in the skier cross, sixth in the giant slalom and fifth in the slalom to claim fifth place overall. Patton raced to All-American status in all three events and finished fourth out of 143 racers, while Hine finished 11th and was named an All-American in the giant slalom and slalom.

ABOUT THE HERONS:

William Smith returns to the USCSA National Championships after finishing third at the Mideast Conference Championships. The Herons finished second in the giant slalom and fifth in the slalom on Bristol Mountain to punch their ticket to Whiteface Mountain.

The Herons are led by first-year Aspen McAuley's 10 first place finishes this season. She finished first in the giant slalom (1:48.84) at the Mideast Conference Regional Championships and has led William Smith in both the giant slalom and slalom all season. McAuley was named the Mideast Fastest Female Skier and was named to the Mideast Conference First Team following her dominant rookie season.

Senior Katherine Broderick and junior Emily Cain have also been significant contributors for William Smith this season. Broderick has tallied five top 10 finishes, including an 11th place finish in the slalom (1:59.07) at the Mideast Conference Regional Championships. Cain has chipped in seven top 20 finishes this season, including 19th place finishes in both the giant slalom (2:02.42) and the slalom (2:12.68) at the Mideast Conference Regional Championships. Senior Julia Bragg shined for the Herons with four top-15 finishes this season, highlighted by a 12th place finish in the giant slalom (1:58.54) on Bristol Mountain.
 
At last year's national championships, William Smith was 14th out of 27 teams. The Herons raced to a 16th place finish in the giant slalom, a sixth place finish in skier cross and a 12th place finish in the slalom to secure a tie for 14th place with Oregon. Marjorie Plants '25 led William Smith with a 43rd place finish out of 136 racers, while Cain secured 63rd overall.