NEW LONDON, N.H.- The 2022 Colby-Sawyer men's and women's alpine ski teams look to get back in the starting gate January 14^th -15^th for the first time after a 1-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
PRE-PANDEMIC
 
Both the men and women had their last run before the cancellation of the 2021 season on February 28^th - 29^th of 2020 at the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) Championship, hosted by Middlebury College, in which the Chargers finished in 15^th place overall. 

The men's top performer at the time was senior captain Cody Wilson (Canyondam, Calif.) who placed 30^th with a final run time of 1:41.40. On the women's side, senior captain Courtney Couture (Lyme, N.H.) finished in 39^th place with a final time of 1:48.38. 
 
THE "LOCKE" WAY
 
May 19^th, 2021 tabbed the official start date of the Chargers new head coach, Andy Locke, who was a member of the Pat's Peak Ski Club in New Hampshire, spending the last six years as program director.

Head Coach Locke is very excited to get this season started, stating that "after a year without racing, these athletes can't wait to compete.  The team is working really hard and coming into form – I can't wait to see what this group can do". 
 
THE RETURNERS
 
This season, the team welcomes back eleven returning skiers - six from the men's team roster and five from the women.
These eleven returners include junior Becca Divine (Eden Prairie, Minn.), senior Ashley Humphreys (Lyndeborough, N.H.), senior Hayley Kingman (South Glens Falls, N.Y.), sophomore Abigail Larrabee (Durham, Calif.), junior Caity Regrut (Telluride, CO.), senior Cam Carey (Newton, N.H.), senior William Habig (Alexandria, N.H.), junior Finn Husband (Elk Rapids, Mich.), senior Giovanni Lazzari (Mount Vernon, N.H.), sophomore Jared Marshall (Denmark, ME) and sophomore Chesley Smith (Stowe, VT).

New to the team is first year dual student athlete Courtney Larson (Auburn, ME). 
 
KEEP AN EYE OUT
 
The men's team is expected to be led by senior Giovanni Lazzari (Mount Vernon, N.H.). The upperclassman posted a season best 33^rd in the GS at the Harvard Carnival on January 17^th, 2020 following up with a 39^th in the GS at the Williams Carnival on February 14^th 2020. 

The expected top performer for the women's team is senior Ashley Humphreys (Lyndeborough, NH). Humphreys was a top six racer for the Chargers in 2020 and posted six top 50 finishes. She came away with a season best with a 37^th place finish in the SL at Stowe Mountain in the University of Vermont Invitational on January 24^th, 2020.

WHAT TO KNOW
 
The Chargers have six regular season carnivals scheduled, including races at Sugarloaf Mountain, hosted by Colby College, the Saint Michael's Carnival at Smuggler's Notch in  Jeffersonville VT., the University of Vermont Carnival at Stowe, the Dartmouth Carnival at the Dartmouth Skiway in Lyme, N.H and the Middlebury College Carnival at the Middlebury Snowbowl in Hancock, VT

The EISA championship, hosted by the University of New Hampshire, will take place Friday, February 25^th and Saturday, February 26^th at Cannon Mountain in Franconia, N.H. 

The 2022 season debut begins on January 14^th at the Colby Carnival in Carrabasset Valley, Maine on Sugarloaf Mountain. 

(Story By Brendan Sullivan)