As the long winter months approach, many students prepare for hibernation, coming out only to eat and go to class. Meanwhile, even as many people shiver, the Penn State ski team prepares for another successful season. Many students think the ski team is simply a club, but that's only part of it.
Students can join for recreational skiing, but the team also races competitively.
Penn State is a member of the Allegheny Ski Conference of the United States Collegiate Ski Association. The team has qualified for nationals for the past 14 years and last year, it won the conference championship. About 70 people join the team every year and almost 75 percent of them try out for the competitive ski teams, Hetrick said. There are two racing teams, with five men and five women, plus one alternate on each team. During the regular season, the squads have a set schedule of meets, which take place throughout the mid-Atlantic region.