Westminster Launches Ski and Snowboard Teams
February 11, 2008
SALT LAKE CITY – Westminster College is pleased to announce the addition of men’s and women’s Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding to its athletic program beginning Fall 2008. This addition will give Westminster a total of 12 teams competing in intercollegiate athletics. Griffins Athletic Director Shay Wyatt announced the hiring of Chris Hendrickson to serve as head coach and architect of the startup program.
"We are very pleased to have Chris join the Westminster Athletics program, “said Wyatt. I believe his experience will enable us to establish a quality men’s and women's Alpine and Snowboarding program. Coach Hendrickson shares the vision we have for our athletic program and has the drive and commitment to reach the goals we have set forth both academically and athletically.”
Hendrickson joins the Griffins after most recently serving a stint as head ski coach at Boise State University. Prior to that he was head coach and athletic director at Sierra Nevada College located in Incline Village, NV. In 13 seasons at Sierra Nevada, his teams won 13 consecutive United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) men’s national championships, and the women’s teams won 10 national championships.
Hendrickson has also spent time with the US Ski Team serving as an assistant coach to the alpine A-Team and served as head alpine coach at Northern Michigan University. He graduated from the University of Utah with a B.S. in Leisure Studies.
Westminster will compete in the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association. The USCSA is the sports federation for collegiate team ski racing and snowboarding in America. More than 178 colleges from coast to coast field some 4,700 men and women alpine, cross country and snowboarding athletes in over 200 race events annually. Competition takes place across three progressive tiers. Conference qualifiers determine the participants at the five USCSA Regional Championships. The Regional’s are the last step on the road to the annual U. S. Collegiate Skiing and Snowboard Championships, the showcase event in college ski and snowboard competition. For more information on the Westminster Ski program visit www.westminstercollege.edu/athletics or call Coach Chris Hendrickson at (801) 832-2349.
Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college distinguished by its unique environment for learning. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster prepares students for success with its emphasis on engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. These are further enriched by the opportunities presented by Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake. For more information visit www.westminstercollege.edu
Jessica Kunzer (jessica@skiutah.com)
