Men's Skiing Places Fifth In Slalom At USCSA National Championships

SLALOM RESULTS (TEAM) | SLALOM RESULTS (INDIVIDUAL)

WINTER PARK, Colo. -- The Babson College men's alpine ski team closed out its brilliant 2009 season with a fantastic performance in the slalom portion of the United States Collegiate Ski Association (USCSA) National Championships on Saturday, as the Beavers placed fifth out of 20 teams. As a result, Babson finished sixth overall in the combined standings - matching the best finish in program history.

Babson's outstanding depth paid huge dividends on Saturday, as tough conditions resulted in 36 skiers failing to finish and six more getting disqualified. With sophomore star Keith Vella (Sussex, N.J.) being one of the 24 competitors to not complete their first run, the Beavers still managed to finish fifth overall thanks to a trio of top 21 finishes.

Senior co-captains John Roche (Hingham, Mass.) and Kevin Fusick (North Granby, Conn.) closed out their respective careers in stellar fashion, as both finished in the top 20. Roche placed 18th overall with a two-run total time of 1:44.82, while Fusick was close behind in 19th with a combined time of 1:45.75. Sophomore Max Winthrop (Avon, Conn.) rounded out the team's scoring three with another excellent effort, finishing 21st in 1:46.49, and junior Connor Lemenze (Stratton Mountain, Vt.) came in 52nd with a total time of 2:04.23.

Roche 13th in the combined standings at nationals, and as a result was named USCSA All-America Second Team. It was the second All-America award of his career after he earned national Second Team honors in the giant slalom last winter.