Sydney Staples Season 2015-16

Sophomore (2015): Easily the most improved skier for UNM, and one of the most improved in the nation … one season after registering one top-10 finish, she picked up nine as she qualified for her first NCAA Championships … her 188 points were second-most on the women’s alpine squad … narrowly missed All-America honors, coming in 11th in the NCAA Championships in the giant slalom … was 14th in the slalom at the NCAAs as well … opened her season with a top-10 finish, coming in seventh at the RMISA giant slalom qualifier in Utah … followed that up with another 10th place finish on the same course … had her best meet of the season with two fifth place finishes, in the slalom and the giant slalom at the Colorado/Spencer Nelson Invitational … added a sixth place finish at the Colorado giant slalom qualifier as well … finished eighth in the slalom at the Jade Enterprises/UNM Invitational … had her best finish of the season with a fourth place finishin the slalom at the Alaska-Anchorage Invitational.

Freshman (2014): Completed 22 of her 23 runs on the season … finsihed the year with 10 top-20 finishes and one top-10 finish … had her best finish of her rookie season in the giant slalom at the Montana State Invitational, finishing fourth … finished in the top 20 in every run she had except for one … finsihed 18th in the slalom and 13th in the giant slalom at the Pat Miller Invitational … repeated her giant slalom finish, coming in 13th in the RMISA qualifier in Utah … finished 12th in the slalom and giant slalom at the Colorado/Spencer Nelson Invitational, and then 14th at the RMISA giant slalom qualifier … finished 20th and then 14th in the two slaloms at the Jade Enterprises/New Mexico Invitational … finsihed 16th in the slalom at the RMISA/NCAA West Championships.

Prior to UNM: A graduate of Bountiful High School in Bountiful, Utah…raced for Park City Ski Team…coached by Jesse Hunt, Craig Bowden and Seth McCadam…was the 2010 National Junior Super-Combined Champion at U.S. Nationals in Winter Park, Colo.,…placed third (for her birth year) at the U.S. Nationals Championhip Downhill in Aspen, Colo., in 2011…named to the U.S. Women’s Ski Team in 2011…also played soccer in high school…graduated with honors.

Personal: Born February 16, 1993 in Boston, Mass., to Dona and Mark Staples…nickname is Syd…has four siblings: Kiley, Max, Courtney and Piper…her sister, Kiley, was a member of the U.S. Ski Team from 2006-12 (alpine)…her mother, Dona, was a ballroom dancer at BYU, 1984-86…hobbies include painting, scary movies, being outside and going on adventures…favorite athlete is Anders Johnson…favorite food is anything in the breakfast category…favorite movies are the Harry Potter series…majoring in marketing.

Point Totals (RMISA GS Not Included)
Races: 12
Counters: 8
2014-15 Points: 188
Career Points: 276