LYME CENTER, N.H. - Saint Michael's College Alpine skiing senior Helene Kristoffersen (Rælingen, Norway/Dønski VGS) and sophomore Aidan Robin (Stowe, Vt./Burke Mountain Academy) both placed among the top 20 during the NCAA Championship slalom on Wednesday at the Dartmouth Skiway. The four-day event features the top NCAA Division I, II and III Alpine and Nordic skiing student-athletes.
 
CHAMPIONSHIP FACTS

• Through one day of competition, Saint Michael's as a college stands 14th among 18 schools that had Alpine entrants despite only two student-athletes competing, with 24 points. The school is just short of 13th-place University of Nevada (27.5) and 12th-place Westminster (Utah) University (29). Westminster had five Alpine competitors.
• Robin singlehandedly scored his men's team's 13 points, while Kristoffersen netted 11 for the women, better than such schools as Williams College, which scored six between a pair of women.
• Fifteenth-year head coach Gus MacLeod '02 sent at least one qualifier to the NCAA Championship for the 12th time, all since 2012. Purple Knights have combined for 32 NCAA appearances and 12 All-America performances under MacLeod's direction. In the history of Saint Michael's Athletics, no coach has represented the College at NCAA Championships or NCAA Tournaments as often as MacLeod.

MEN'S LEADERS

• Sophomore Aidan Robin (Stowe, Vt./Burke Mountain Academy), 18th in slalom, 1:29.03 two-run combined time
  • 9th finisher from East
  • Started in No. 21 bib among 34 competitors; 10th starter from the East
  • Sat 19th following opening run (43.20), 12th among East skiers
  • 1st career NCAA Championship appearance

WOMEN'S LEADERS

• Senior Helene Kristoffersen (Rælingen, Norway/Dønski VGS), 20th in slalom, 1:35.73 two-run combined time
  • 9th among East skiers
  • Started in No. 21 bib among 34 competitors; 12th starter from the East
  • 19th following opening run (46.38), 9th among East skiers
  • 4th-best slalom performance by a Purple Knight woman at an NCAA Championship; 4 of the top 5 placements belong to Kristoffersen
  • 4th career NCAA Championship appearance
  • 3rd Purple Knight skier to appear at four NCAAs, joining Alpine brethren Keith Farnand '00 and Guillaume Grand '19
  • 1st Purple Knight female skier to appear at four NCAAs

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S EVENT

• Kristoffersen and Robin compete in the NCAA Championship giant slalom on Friday at 9 a.m.
• Nordic skiing senior Declan Hutchinson (Duluth, Minn./Marshall School) and sophomore Oliver Miatke (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) begin competition at the NCAA Championship on Thursday with the 7.5K classic at 12 p.m.