Lees-McRae College Athletics is excited to announce that starting Fall 2024, skiing/snowboarding will become the college's newest varsity sport.
The skiing/snowboarding team has functioned as a club sport since its revival in 2015. It will be the first varsity ski/snowboard team in the Southeast Conference of the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA).
"This new designation is well-deserved. Our ski and snowboard team has more than proved that they are the ones to beat on the national level," President Lee King said. "Through the incredible talents of our student-athletes, the dedication of Coach Aaron Maas, and the strength of our partnership with Beech Mountain Resort, this team has truly put Lees-McRae on the map."
Winter sports have a long history at Lees-McRae. An interest in skiing nationally led to the creation of a formal ski team in 1938—one of the first formal clubs in North Carolina, according to Our State magazine. In 2020, the college solidified a partnership with the local Beech Mountain Resort through the dedication of the Dr. Thomas Brigham Classroom. Located in the Beech Mountain Resort Lodge, the Brigham Classroom is the onsite home of the skiing/snowboarding team and the Outdoor Recreation Management and Ski Industry Business and Instruction academic programs. The Beech Mountain Resort is the official training area of the skiing/snowboarding team.
Aaron Maas, who has served as the part-time ski and snowboard coach since 2015, has been hired as the new full-time coach. Maas is a certified instructor through Professional Ski Instructors of America and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI) and a United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association (USASA) coach. He is a member of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team and has years of experience working as a ski/snowboard instructor at local resorts and Yale. With the conclusion of the most recent competition, the team now has ten national titles and plans to add to that total in the future.
As a member of USCSA, Lees-McRae competes annually against colleges and universities across the country. Earlier this year, the team won national championships in men's boardercross, men's slalom, men's team alpine combined, and women's team alpine combined, beating out teams from schools like James Madison University, Duke University, UNC Charlotte, Amherst College, Boston University, UCLA, San Diego State University, and Yale.
"We'll continue to work hard to represent our school at the highest levels of competition across the nation," Maas said. "I would also like to acknowledge and thank the many others in our community who have supported this team and helped it become one of the top programs in the nation. I couldn't do it by myself."
The college is currently conducting a search for an assistant coach for the team. Those interested in competing on the ski/snowboard team at Lees-McRae should complete the recruiting questionnaire.
For more information on Lees-McRae Athletics, follow the Bobcats on XÂ (@LMCBobcats), on Facebook (Lees-McRae Athletics), and on Instagram (leesmcraeathletics).
