Men’s skiers, snowboarders silver medalists in USCSA Slopestyle, overall

Sunday, March 8

Lake Plaid, NY

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Liberty University Club Sports

USCSA Nationals

Senior snowboarder Christian Bassoo grabs some air during Friday's Slopestyle competition. (Photos by Andrew Smith)

Men’s skiers, snowboarders silver medalists in USCSA Slopestyle, overall

3/15/2026 8:35:00 PM | Ski & Snowboard

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The Flames and Lady Flames wrapped up national competition with their skiers landing solid jumps in the Big Air finals.

Men's and women's ski and snowboard team USCSA — The Flames' men's skiers and snowboarders finished second in the combined team standings with the Lady Flames landing fifth and sixth.

On the final three days of competition at the USCSA National Championships on Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, N.Y., Liberty University's men's ski & snowboard teams added more hardware to their trophy cases with second-place team showings to Westminster (Utah) University by its men's skiers in Thursday's Slopestyle and Saturday's Big Air competitions. and snowboarders in Friday's Slopestyle event.

Overall, it was Liberty's second-strongest showing to the 2024 USCSA National Championships, also at Lake Placid, when the Flames and Lady Flames won their first-ever men's team and individual gold medals and overall men's and women's, ski & snowboard combined freestyle team championship.

This week, the Flames' snowboard team finished tied with Westminster for the Freestyle Combined title based on its gold medal in Boarder Cross and silver medals in Rail Jam and Slopestyle, with the Griffins winning the tiebreaker based on individual place points.

Meanwhile, Liberty's men's ski team also landed in second to Westminster in Freestyle Combined based on its silver medals in Slopestyle and Big Air and bronze showing in Rail Jam for 7 points compared to the Griffins (3), third-place Fairfield (Conn.) University (10), and the University of Maine at Farmington (11).

"I'm extremely proud of this group," Flames Head Coach Tyler Sherbine said. "This is an extremely young team with a vast amount of potential. The progression I've seen in these riders in seven months, thanks to (the Liberty Mountain) Snowflex (Centre) is unheard of. I am grateful to be able to coach a group like this, and I'm very happy with the culture that is in place here. This team is truly special, and our success is just a product of that."

The Flames totaled 27 points in the Big Air competition to finish behind only Westminster, which swept the podium individually for 6 points, and ahead of Fairfield (38), the United States Military Academy (46), the University of Maine at Farmington (49) and six other teams.

Sophomore Jack Swartzentruber led the way for the Flames by placing seventh with an 84-point best jump, followed by sophomore Eli Malek (ninth, 79), senior Cameron Brandenburg (11th, 70.33), junior Blake Stillman (18th, 47.33), and sophomore Jacob Van Rossum (20th, 47). Swartzentruber and Malek tied for fifth in the individual Freestyle Combined standings

"Big Air was awesome today," Sherbine said. "It was a really stacked competition, and we ended up in second, and second overall in men's snowboard and men's ski. It was an amazing year."

Freshman Syrus Castanaga-Accera earned an individual silver medal in men's snowboard Slopestyle with his best run of 86.33 in the finals after scoring a 75.33 in qualifying. Anthony Turco won with a 93.67 run after qualifying with a score of 84.67 to pace Westminster's 1-3-4 finish for an 8-point team total that put it well in front of the Flames (25), the University of Maine Farmington (34), Lees-McRae (N.C.) College (48), and Appalachian State (N.C.) University (56).

Julian Cook, who qualified with the best score in the preliminary runs of 87.67, settled for 11th place after a 19-point finals run, beating out only fellow freshman Chase Roberts, who qualified with a 61-point score but had a 15.33 run in the finals.

"For the snowboaders, we will be returning all but one rider to the hill next year," Sherbine said. "This group is set to make waves for the next several years."

For the Flames skiers, who were outscored by Westminster, 6-30, Swartzentruber finished seventh with his 70.67 finals run followed by Malek (ninth, 68), Brandenburg (14th, 62.33), sophomore Jack Albee (15th, 62), and Stillman (19th, 58).

"We will also be returning all but one freestyle skierto the hill with the addition of a very talented male recruit," Sherbine said.

Liberty's women's snowboarders finished fifth in Slopestyle with 48 points, behind Westminster (8), UCLA (29), Lees-McRae (36), and San Diego State University (41). Graduate Maddie Morgan, who qualified for the finals with a 67.67 run, landed in 10th place with her finals run of 26. Freshman Hailey Lemke (16th, 50) and junior Izzy Melvin (22nd, 41.67) also represented the Lady Flames.

The women's skiers placed seventh in Slopestyle with 62 points to trail The Claremont (Calif.) Colleges (30), Westminster (31), UCLA (35), Lafayette (Pa.) College (35), Rocky Mountain (Mont.) College (35), and James Madison University (59).

Freshmen Kennedy Denecker (17th, 32.67), Cecilia Tinney (21st, 31), and Dana Osborne (24th, 27.33) competed for the Lady Flames.

The Lady Flames also placed seventh in Saturday's Big Air competition with 54 points behind Westminster (19), UCLA (27), Rocky Mountain (29), Claremont (40), JMU (51), and San Diego State (52). Osborne (17th, 48), Tinney (18th, 38.33), and Denecker (19th, 37.67) landed successful jumps.

Complete results are available online.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer

Gallery: (3-15-2026) Ski and snowboard at nationals