Gustavus Adolphus senior Jens Brabbit (Winona, Minn./Cotter) has qualified to participate in the 2011 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Collegiate Skiing Championships. The Championships will be held March 9-12 at Stowe Mountain Resort (Alpine) and Trapp Family Resort (Nordic) in Stowe, Vermont. The University of Vermont will host the 2011 NCAA Championships.
Brabbit is one of only eight male nordic skiers from Division III schools to qualify for the NCAA Skiing Championships. He is fifth athlete from Gustavus to qualify for the NCAA Championships and the second to qualify in back-to-back years. Brabbit enters the event as the eighth ranked skier in the Central Region. He scored an average of 148.22 in the classic and 149.15 in the freestyle for an overall average of 148.68 in both freestyle and classic races.
“This year was definitely a roller coaster of emotions,” stated Brabbit. “I am extremely proud to qualify for the NCAA Championships this season after being out with pneumonia for a while. I had always envisioned finishing up my collegiate career at the national championships and am extremely happy that it will end this way. Without the support of family, friends, Jed, and the Gustavus community it would not have happened. It’s definitely was a team effort!”
Jens will compete against a field of 39 nordic skiers from three regions across the country. From the Central Region, eight athletes will be taking part in the event. Three from Northern Michigan University, three from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, one from Michigan Tech University and Brabbit from Gustavus.
Nordic events will take place on March 9 and 11 at the Trapp Family Resort. The men’s 10 km freestyle race will be conducted on March 9 and the men’s 20 km classic race will be held on March 11.