January saw the start of the 2017 ski season and the Saint Anselm’s Ski Team has been busy at work. The men and women have performed at with consistency for the first month of the season.

A typical weekend for the ski team consists of packing up the van with ski’s, poles, and equipment and heading out on at least an hour long road trip. When they arrive the Hawks unpack, settle in, and prepare for a weekend of competition.

The men and women each sit 6th in their respective divisions. The men placed fourth on both days at Okemo Mountain, 7th and 6th at West Mountain, 6th both days at Whiteface Mountain, and 6th and 5th at Crotched Mountain. The women have been extremely consistent and placed 6th in each of their eight competitions.

Hawks hosted the Saint Anselm Carnival this past weekend at Crotched Mountain in Bennington, NH. The Hawks were led by senior members for both the men and women. Jill Murray placed 7th in the women’s giant slalom, sealing her fourth straight top-20 showing of the season. Alex Gowen placed 13th in the men’s giant slalom. It was Gowen’s fourth top-15 finish of the 2017 season.  Murray and Gowen performed admirably for the Hawks in their last giant slalom races of their careers.

The Hawks started their new season with a new coach. Margot Adams Cosentino took over as head coach of the Saint Anselm ski team in December of 2016. This is her first season with the team but she is no stranger to the sport. Cosentino was a member of the ski team at Saint Michael’s College for two seasons. From 2010-2016 she served as the varsity ski coach of Timberlane Regional High School where she led her boys to a third place finish at the state meet in 2016.

This will be the last ski season for seniors Emily Mason, Jill Murray, Alex Gowen, and Stephen McLeod. They have all skied for the Hawks and have been great representatives of the team for the past four years.

The hard work of these Hawks can be seen both on the hill and in the classroom. Each senior has earned a spot on the Dean’s List at least once in their years on the hilltop.

Recent snowfall added a fresh layer of powder to the mountain and will make for some great skiing as the team approaches its final weekend of racing.

The Hawks will travel to Blackwater/Proctor Ski Area in Andover, NH, on Feb. 11 for their final two-day event of the season before they head to Queensbury, NY for the USCSA Eastern Regional Championship.