Middlebury College

Leslie Smith, a member of the Class of 1983, was Middlebury’s first four-time All-American. She finished second twice in the giant slalom at the AIWA National Championships (1980, 1982), and placed fourth in the slalom in 1981. Smith was a three-time All-East selection who won 10 carnival events throughout her career. She placed in the top five during 82 percent of her collegiate races, earning top-three finishes 65 percent of the time. During her last year, she was one of five skiers to represent the United States at the 1983 World University Games in Bulgaria.

Prior to attending Middlebury, Smith won a Europa Cup Giant Slalom race in St. Gervais, France, catapulting her onto the world stage and the U.S. Ski Team at the age of 15, where she competed for five years. At age 17, she competed for the United States in the 1976 Winter Oympics in Innsbruck, Austria, racing in both the downhill and giant slalom competitions. Deferring her Middlebury College entrance, she continued to compete and became an overall Can-Am Champion in 1978.