WILMINGTON, N.Y. – The Vermont State University Castleton men's alpine ski team placed fourth out of 27 on Day 1 of the USCSA National Championships at Whiteface Mountain.

Sophomore Sondre Andersen delivered a strong performance in the giant slalom, finishing fifth overall to lead the Spartans. Andersen sat 10^th after the morning run before posting the eighth-fastest second run to move into fifth place and earn first-team USCSA All-American honors.

Alex Jorge Lopez made one of the biggest jumps of the day. Starting with bib No. 133, Lopez recorded the 33^rd-fastest first run before turning in the 17^th-fastest second run to climb to 22^nd place. Marti Llort also made a significant move up the standings, starting with bib No. 111 and finishing 25^th overall. Nate Hazen began the race with bib No. 78 and finished 27^th as four Spartans placed inside the top 30 of a 140-racer field.

As a team, the Spartans finished just 2.41 seconds off the podium. Clarkson University claimed the national giant slalom team title, while defending champion Rocky Mountain College placed second. Babson College finished third, just ahead of Castleton, while Northern Michigan University rounded out the top five.

The Spartans return to action Friday, March 13, for the slalom portion of the national championships. The first run is scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m.