Colgate Club Ski Team Shakes Up the National Stage

Colgate University’s Club Alpine Ski Team isn’t just making noise on the slopes, it’s rewriting what’s possible for a club program. In a sport often dominated by varsity teams with deep resources, Colgate has found a formula that blends competitive grit with academic excellence, earning respect across the collegiate skiing landscape.

At the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) National Championships, Colgate delivered one of the strongest performances in program history. The women’s team finished fifth overall for the second straight year - once again the top club program in a field dominated by NCAA varsity teams - while the slalom squad surged to a remarkable second-place podium finish. The men’s team added to the effort with a seventh-place finish, capping a collective showing that turned heads across the collegiate ski world.

For a program operating outside the varsity structure, the results meant more than placements - they reinforced what Colgate skiing has quietly been building for years. 

“We weren’t really expecting it,” said Kate Goodrich. “We knew we were capable of achieving that result, but it was definitely a very nice kind of surprise.” Goodrich placed fourth in the Slalom National Championship.

At nationals, Colgate lined up against programs with larger budgets, full-time training environments, and international pipelines. Yet the Raiders didn’t flinch. 

“The other top teams were probably NCAA varsity teams,” said Rafael Sanchez Lazaro. “It’s pretty uncommon for a club team to do what we did.”

Still, within the program, the approach has never felt like that of an underdog. 

“We treat it like a varsity team,” Cole Sachs said. “We have two very dedicated coaches, we train twice a week, and we leave Friday afternoons and don’t get back until Sunday evening every weekend.”

Head coach Todd Enders has helped shape that mindset over more than two decades with the program. 

“We treat the team very much like it’s a varsity program,” Enders said, pointing to the standards, structure, and accountability that define Colgate’s culture.

Without a home mountain on campus, Colgate’s commitment shows up in the details. Practices take place at Song Mountain, nearly an hour away, where athletes train under the lights on Tuesday and Thursday nights after full days of classes.

“Training at night is different,” Sachs said. “It’s hard to be as confident, but it shows how gritty and resilient we are.”

The schedule only intensifies from there. During peak season, the team spends up to five days a week on snow, balancing travel, academics, and competition. Vans packed with gear double as study halls, and hotel lobbies become ski-tuning workshops. 

“We do homework in the vans and tune skis in the lobby,” Sachs said. “People take turns sharpening and waxing, then switch back to homework.”

That commitment extends to the coaching staff as well. It’s something that doesn’t go unnoticed by the skiers. 

“Our coaches put in all that time for us,” Goodrich said. “They have full-time jobs, and they’re really just doing this because they love us as a team.”

Colgate’s success isn’t just measured in race results. Competing in the USCSA - a league built around team scoring and the student-athlete experience - the Raiders have embraced a model that rewards depth, consistency, and collective accountability.

It’s also a program defined by its academic excellence. This season, Colgate produced three athletic All-Americans while boasting a roster filled with academic All-Americans, underscoring a culture where success in the classroom carries as much weight as performance on the mountain.

“Balance is really important,” Enders said. “Not only can we gain athletic All-Americans, but to have a team that’s largely made up of academic All-Americans is something to be even more proud of.”

That balance has become a cornerstone of the program’s identity and a draw for recruits looking to compete at a high level while pursuing a world-class education.

Within USCSA’s team-based format where five racers compete and the top three scores count, Colgate has found its edge. The Raiders’ depth and reliability have made them one of the most consistent teams in the country, regardless of classification.

Their reputation is growing to match their results. This season, the program earned national recognition not just for its performance, but for its sportsmanship and composure - qualities that have drawn praise from competitors and coaches alike.

For Enders, that respect is as meaningful as any podium. The team’s reputation, he said, has become “a big reward” in itself.

For years, Colgate skiing has operated under the radar, building a tradition of excellence without the spotlight. Now, that’s starting to change.

“The team’s getting a lot of coverage this year,” Sachs said. “But this is nothing new. Colgate’s dynasty for skiing has been an unknown thing that’s actually been going on for a while.”

With national results that place them among the sport’s elite, a culture rooted in hard work and accountability, and a roster that excels both academically and athletically, the Colgate Alpine Ski Team has redefined what a club program can be.

And as their second-place slalom finish showed, they’re not just competing with the best - they’re becoming one of them.