COMING UP: Season Complete

LAST WEEK: at USCSA National Championships, Sunday River Resort, Bethel, Maine – Men’s Freestyle (4th of 13 teams), Women’s Freestyle (5th of 5 teams), Women’s Snowboard (3rd of 9 teams)

BOARDERS CLEAN UP THE HARDWARE IN MAINE: Despite having just two competitors making the trek to the Northeast, The C of I women’s snowboard team earned a spot on the medalist stand, taking third overall in the combined standings.  The Lady Yotes finished third in the Boarder-Cross, in SlopeStyle, and in the Halfpipe – finishing behind the teams from Westminster College and Sierra Nevada College.  McKinley Carbone (Center Ossipee, N.H. / Holderness Prep) had a big trip, earning four first-team All-America honors – taking fourth in the Halfpipe and SlopeStyle, winning the consolation final in the Boarder-Cross, and finishing fifth in the combined standings.  Sarah Silva (Kirkland, Wash. / Juanita HS) earned three All-America honors, earning first-team honors in SlopeStyle with a fifth-place finish, earning second-team honors in the Halfpipe with a seventh-place finish, taking eighth in the combined – good enough for second-team honors.

RANDAZZO HAS QUALITY WEEK: The lone women’s freestyle skier, Trisha Randazzo (Salt Lake City, Utah / Judge Memorial HS), had a good week in Maine – earning three All-America honors.  Randazzo earned first-team honors in the Halfpipe with a third-place finish, earning second-team honors with Top-10 finishes in both SlopeStyle and the combined.  Despite having just one competitor, the Lady Yotes finished fifth overall in the team competition.

ROUGH TRIP FOR THE MEN: It was not a great trip for the Coyote men’s freestyle team, despite a fourth-place overall team finish.  No C of I competitor earned All-America honors – as Coyotes failed to qualify for a second run in both the Halfpipe and SlopeStyle.  Cliff Mailloux (Mountain Top, Pa. / Kings Coll.) was the lone Coyote to make the 32-person final in the Skier-Cross, while finishing 11th overall in the combined.

ABOUT THE COACH: Ron Bonneau is in his 22nd season as head coach for The College of Idaho alpine ski programs.  During his tenure at The C of I, the native of New Hampshire has seen the Coyote men's team qualify for the USCSA championships on 12 occasions, with the women's team making appearances 17 times. His 2004 women's squad finished second in the nation in the slalom and fourth in the alpine combined. The Coyotes have seen much success in the 21st Century, as both the men's and women's programs, under Bonneau's direction, won Northwest Collegiate Ski Conference championships each year from 2004-09, with the Lady Yotes taking home Western Regional championships in 1999, 2003 and 2006. His women's teams have advanced to 13-consecutive USCSA championships, finishing in the Top-9 in nine of the 13 appearances. Last season, the Lady Yotes claimed the NWCSC title.  Bonneau, a graduate of Plymouth State College, replaced Tom Olson as the alpine ski coach in 1991 - and worked with Chris Melgaard on the nordic side to claim the women's nordic championships in 1994 and 1995. During his tenure, he has coached seven national champions, 56 All-Americans, and 76 All-America Scholar-Athletes.  Prior to his time in the Gem State, Bonneau worked at ski resorts in Wachusett, Mass. and Haystack, Vt. Along with his duties with the ski program, he is the director of C of I's outdoor program. Bonneau and wife Michele live in Caldwell.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more on The C of I ski program, head to the official homepage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/skiing.