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Mountain Sports

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Discover the World of Mountain Sports at Westminster University

Where a vibrant academic community meets mountain adventures.

 

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Westminster's student-athletes are part of varsity-level athletics teams that offer a platform to showcase competitive abilities while gaining a world-class education. Along with training at facilities and locations along the Wasatch Front, students can access scholarships, sports psychology sessions, and more.

Are you passionate about snowboarding or skiing or ready to push the limits in climbing or mountain biking? Westminster can offer expert coaching, scholarship support, and high-level competition while getting a degree.

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Freeski

Competing as a freeski student-athlete at Westminster combines the thrill of mountain sports with rigorous academic pursuits, fostering a well-rounded education and career readiness that prepares athletes for a future beyond university life. Freeski student-athletes train at Woodward Park City with specialized coaching sessions that hone their skills through on-the-snow training, dryland and trampoline workouts, and sports psychology sessions. They also compete in the nation’s only varsity-level U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association team.

Westminster’s freeski team has limited rosters and scholarship opportunities. Contact the Freeski and Snowboard Program Director, Sara Beaudry-Wiltse, by email (sbeaudry@westminsteru.edu) for more information.

 

FREESKI COACHES

 
Erin Nicholson

Eric Nicholson

Bachelor's Degree in Business and Marketing
Westminster University

Private Pilots License
Vermont Technical College

Eric's Instagram

  • Varsity tennis in high school, USTA 4.0 level player as of 2023
  • Vermont high school Swim Meet Champion in 100 Freestyle
  • Completed the Antelope Island 50k ultramarathon run in 6 hours 36 minutes in 2021
  • Finished 8th out of 30 riders in the Pocatello 50k Fall Ultra mountain bike race in 2022
  • Filmed a full street and backcountry ski film part in addition to coaching 5 days a week in the winter of 2023/23.
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Kiley Matthews

Kiley Matthews

Bachelor's Degree in Integrated Studies with an Emphasis in Human Biology
Utah State University

Kiley's Instagram

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Luke O'Brien

Luke O'Brien

Bachelor's Degree in Sports Management
Westminster University

Luke's Instagram

  • Superunknown finalist
  • 3rd place USASA nationals slopestyle (16-18 age group) 
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Snowboarder doing a trick on a rail

snowbarders performing tricks on the snowy rails

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Snowboard

Being a snowboard student-athlete means not choosing between honing your skills and getting an education. Along with training sessions at Woodward Park City with specialized coaching sessions, you’ll hone their skills through on-the-snow training, dryland and trampoline workouts, and sports psychology sessions. Push your limits, prepare for your future career, and compete in the nation's only U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association varsity snowboard program.

Westminster’s snowboard team has limited rosters and scholarship opportunities. Contact the Freeski and Snowboard Program Director, Sara Beaudry-Wiltse, by email (sbeaudry@westminsteru.edu) for more information.

Rob Roethler
Professional rider for Burton
Rob's Instagram

Emma Crosby
Professional rider for Salomon
Emma's Instagram

Brolin Maweje
Professional rider for Burton
Brolin's Instagram

Female standing in front of a lodge on a snowy mountain

SNOWBOARD COACHES

 
Jackson Kelley

Jackson Kelley

Bachelor's Degree in Marketing
Westminster University

Jackson's Instagram

  • 4th place in the Junior Freeride Tour World Championship in 2018
  • 4 year member of the Westminster Snowboard Team
  • Head Coach for the Westminster Snowboard Team
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Addie Gardner

Addie Gardner

Bachelor's Degree in International Business and Sociology Minor
Westminster University

Addie's Instagram

  • US Snowboard Team Alumni
  • 2019 North American Champion
  • 2024 3x USCSA national champion 
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Ben Bogart

Ben Bogart

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alpine skiier

men's alpine team

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Alpine Skiing

As a Westminster alpine skier, you won't have to choose between elite competition and getting a head start on your career. You'll join like-minded student-athletes and compete in the NCAA DII Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA) in slalom and giant slalom, finetuning your racing in world-class terrain that the Wasatch Front offers. Competition runs from fall to spring, wrapping up the year at the annual NCAA Skiing Championships.

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MEN'S ALPINE LEARN MORE ABOUT
WOMEN'S ALPINE

LEARN MORE ABOUT MEN'S ALPINE
LEARN MORE ABOUT WOMEN'S ALPINE

woman's alpine team

ALPINE COACHES

 
Chris Hendrickson

Chris Hendrickson

Bachelor's Degree in Leisure Studies
University of Utah

  • Head coach for the Westminster alpine ski teams
  • Under Hendrickson, the ski program has seen unprecedented success. He guided the women’s squad to back-to-back USCSA National Championships in 2009 and 2010. The men finished second in each of those seasons. In 2011, Hendrickson led the Griffins into the RMISA as a provisional member. The RMISA is considered the toughest conference in all of the NCAA and features national powers like Colorado and Utah.
  • That first year in the RMISA, Hendrickson helped the women to a first-place finish in the alpine events at the RMISA Championships, while the men and women combined to place fourth in the alpine section of the race.
  • Hendrickson joined the Griffins after serving a stint as a 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, Nevada. In 13 seasons at the Sierra Nevada, his teams won 13 consecutive USCSA men’s national championships, and the women’s teams won 10 national championships.
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male on a mountain bike going down the mountain

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Mountain Biking

Westminster University's new men's and women's mountain biking teams will hit the trail in the 2025–26 academic year. These varsity-level programs will join USA Cycling, participating in the Collegiate Division and the Intermountain Conference Division, with annual mountain biking competitions. Along with scholarship opportunities, mountain biking student-athletes will have access to training along the Wasatch Front and beyond, taking advantage of the diverse and competitive terrain Westminster's backyard has to offer.

Mountain Biking COACHES

 
Nic Sims

Nic Sims

  • Coach and board president for the Park City Schools Mountain Bike Team
  • Cofounder and partner of SIMBOL Communications
  • 20 years in the cycling industry
  • 8 years coaching the Park City High School Mountain Bike Team
  • Partnership Manager for NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association)
  • 2022 NICA Legacy Award Recipient
  • More than two decades of experience working with leading cycling industry companies at Specialized Bicycles and Scott Sports
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female climbing up the indoor climbing wall

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Climbing

Westminster University will launch a new varsity-level climbing program, set to begin in the 2025–26 academic year. The men's and women's climbing teams will join the USA Climbing Collegiate Division and the Rocky Mountain Division, competing in annual bouldering and sport climbing competitions. Student-athletes will have access to scholarship opportunities and comprehensive training with indoor facilities and nearby world-class climbing along the Wasatch Front.

Contact Shay Wyatt (swyatt@westminsteru.edu) or Shelley Jarrad (sjarrard@westminsteru.edu) for more information.

 

CLIMBING COACHES

 
Keely Carolan

Keely Carolan

three skiiers posing with their gear

Upcoming Events

 

 

There are no upcoming events at this time.

Contact Westminster Mountain Sports

Ready to participate in Westminster University’s competitive mountain sports teams? Submit an Athletics Recruiting Form.

Olympians at Westminster

Westminster's longstanding Olympic legacy highlights the student-athletes who have, and continue to, excel in the classroom and participate in games around the world. The university’s partnership with U.S. Ski and Snowboard, prime access to various facilities and ski resorts, and supportive faculty proudly nurture Westminster’s Olympians.

DISCOVER WESTMINSTER'S OLYMPIC LEGACY

 

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News and Stories

Mountain Sports Program Expands With Nic Sims Named Head Men's and Women's Mountain Biking Coach

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Westminster University adds three new competitive sports teams to its Mountain Sports program, part of Westminster’s ongoing commitment to hands-on education and outdoor learning.

Westminster University Celebrates Mountain Sports Program with Kick-Off Event

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Converse Hall

Westminster’s the Place for Mountain Sports

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Westminster University to Launch Climbing and Mountain Biking Teams

Read The Story

 

Outdoor Program and Club Opportunities

Interested in mountain sports but not ready to join an athletics team? Westminster’s Outdoor Program has plenty of opportunities to help students develop leadership, technical skills, self-awareness, character, and stewardship. Students can also join the Ski and Snowboard Club to join others in growing the ski and snowboard community and working to share the shred.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUTDOOR PROGRAMS LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SKI AND SNOWBOARD CLUB