The Middlebury alpine team opened the NCAA Championships competing in the giant slalom (GS) on Wednesday. The Panthers sit in ninth place out of 22 teams with 51 points. Colorado leads the field with 139.5 points, while Denver is second with 117.5 points and Utah rounds out the top-three spots (115.0 points). The alpine squad is idle on Thursday while the nordic team kicks off action, returning to the slopes on Friday for the slalom beginning with the men's first run at 9:00 a.m.
 
WOMEN'S HIGHLIGHTS

• Alexandra Cossette started the day off for Middlebury, wearing bib #21 in the field of 34 athletes. Cossette had the 13th-fastest time on the first run (1:08.38), moving up one spot with a second-run clocking of 1:07.70 to finish in 12th overall (2:16.08).
• In her NCAA debut, Sophia Tozzi finished in 21st place, completing her two trips down the mountain in 2:17.42 to record 10 points for the team. 
• Sofia Yubero shaved nearly three seconds off her second-run time, combining for 2:17.99 to place 22nd. 

MEN'S HIGHLIGHTS

• Skiing in bib #25 in a field of 34, Bradshaw Underhill tied for 18th place on the first run with a time of 1:05.92. 
• He recorded the 10th-quickest clocking on the second trip down the mountain (1:03.11), combining for a time of 2:09.03 which was good for 18th.  

NOTES

• Colorado won the men's GS crown with 94.5 points, while Utah earned the women's title (73.0).
• The Middlebury women finished in sixth in the GS out of 13 squads, tallying 38 points.

 
The nordic squad begins competition on Thursday, with the men's 10K individual freestyle at 10:00 a.m. The women's 5K individual freestyle begins at noon, with both events taking place at Mount Van Hoevenberg.