LAKE PLACID, New York - The University of Maine at Farmington freeski team took home fourth place on Thursday in the USCSA Slopestyle National Championship.
The event began with qualifying heats that included 43 competitors. The top 14 scores from the qualifying round advanced into the finals. From Farmington, senior
Arden Weaver (Surry, Maine) and junior
Maxwell Hamilton (Brunswick, Maine) both advanced into the finals after strong runs during the qualifying round.
Hamilton had the third-best qualifying round score of any skier, totaling an 85.33 in his best run. In the qualifying round, Weaver scored a 67 and was tied for 10th entering the finals.
In the finals, Weaver put together his best run of the day, scoring an 80 to move up to fourth place in the event. Hamilton finished with a score of 63 during the finals, dropping to 10th place overall.
Clay Gregg (Mapleton, Maine),
Max Labonte (Livermore, Maine), and
Dylan Gagnon (Hudson, N.H.) all competed during the qualifying heats but were unable to crack the top 14 and advance to the finals.
Gregg finished 24th overall, scoring 46.33 points. Labonte was just two places back, scoring 43.67 points to place 26th. Gagnon finished 41st overall after scoring 19.67 points in his best run.
Bram Hikmate of Westminster University took home gold, scoring a 94.33 in his best run to narrowly beat his teammate Casper van den Brink-Lemley, who scored 92.33 points. Westminster's top three finishers placed first through third to earn the team championship with ease.
