Plymouth State Skier fares well at US Alpine Championships

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior skier Whitney Swaffield had solid finishes against the top racers in the country during the United States Ski Association’s National Alpine Championships last week at Alyeska Resort in Alaska.Swaffield completed both runs in both the slalom and giant slalom races, placing 47th out of 57 competitors in the slalom and 38th out of 60 in the GS. The top several finishers in both races were members of the U.S. National Team, including U.S. “A” Team member Julia Mancuso, who was runner-up in both races. U.S. “B” Team members Lindsey Kildow and Libby Ludlow finished first in the slalom and GS, respectively.Another New Hampshire racer, Franconia’s Bode Miller, recovered from a fall and finished 54th out of 75 in the men’s slalom and 35th out of 81 in the men’s GS.Swaffield earned in invitation to the prestigious event based on her outstanding performance at the U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association’s (USCSA) National Championships two weeks ago at Sugerloaf Mountain in Maine. The top American female and male finishers at the USCSA Nationals, which were Swaffield and Sierra Nevada College’s Dana Greenwood, earned a spot in the USSA Nationals.A seven-time collegiate All-American, Swaffield finished sixth in the GS and 13th in the slalom at the USCSA Nationals at Sugarloaf, which gave her fifth place in the women’s individual alpine event. The top four women were Europeans, which made Swaffield the top American and earning her the berth in the USSA race.