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2012 SYNOPSIS: The C of I alpine ski team will have smaller rosters this season and will have to battle a lack of snow in the Intermountain West that has hampered training. However, with the nucleus of both teams returning, both the men’s and women’s alpine squads have the potential to contend for a Northwest Collegiate Ski Conference title and berths to the USCSA National Championships.

LAST YEAR / SKIERS LOST: All in all, the 2011 was a successful campaign for the Coyote skiers – as the Lady Yotes claimed the NWCSC team title and earned a tenth-place finish at the USCSA National Championships, while the Coyote men finished third in the NWCSC race. Nationals was successful for many of the alpine racers, who doubled with the Coyote Freestyle teams, which combined for five team national titles. The Coyote men will have to replace their top skier from 2011 in Scotty Daletas, who earned All-NWCSC honors, while the Lady Yotes must All-NWCSC performers Lara Mann and Gabrielle Gould, along with four-year starter, Katie Kernan.

ABOUT THE COYOTES: The Coyote men in 2012 have no margin for error, according to head coach, Ron Bonneau, as the squad will start the year with five members. “We have five guys and five spots – so they’re going to have to make it happen. As long as they keep their senses, don’t get over-anxious, and not press, we have the talent to compete for a NWCSC title.” Top returners include juniors Greg Wanta (La Grande, Ore. / La Grande HS) and Zach Tomlinson (Tahoe City, Calif. / North Tahoe HS), both whom just missed out on All-NWCSC honors last season. Tomlinson earned All-America honors as part of the three-time USCSA Champion C of I Freestyle Team last season. Senior Elliott Gould (Bradford, Vt. / St. Johnsbury Acad.) will serve as the team captain, while sophomore Charles Griffen (Potomac, Md. / St. Andrews Episcopal HS) looks to rebounds after missing 2011 due to injury. The wild-card will be talented freshman Zach Shenk (Sandy, Utah / Skyline HS), as he makes the transition to collegiate racing.

ABOUT THE LADY YOTES: The Lady Yotes are poised to repeat as NWCSC champions – returning their top-two performers from 2011. Kelley Fitzpatrick (Sun Valley, Idaho / McNary HS) was the 2011 NWCSC individual champion and won a USCSA national title in the Skier-X, while Nina Hirner (Sun Valley, Idaho / Wood River HS) recorded four Top-5 finishes last season and earned All-America honors in the alpine combined. Returners Catlin Skufca (Wilmington, N.Y. / Lake Placid Central School), Kare Tonning (Rothesay, N.B. / Carrabassett Valley Acad.), and Jennifer Jensen (Yuba City, Calif. / Visions in Education HS) are all consistent in both disciplines, while sophomores Caysea Benner (Etna, N.H. / Kimball Union Acad.) and Hillary Sapp (Gardnerville, Nev. / Douglas HS) look to add depth to the team. “We are really going to lean on Fitzpatrick to take the lead this year, especially since it is her senior year,” said Bonneau. “We hope that she’ll be able to follow up her outstanding 2011 season. As important will be the development of our sophomore group (Hirner, Benner, Jensen, Sapp), which has a chance this season to make their mark.”

RANKED NO. 9: The Lady Yotes, coming off a tenth-place finish at the USCSA Championships last season, are ranked No. 9 in the U.S. Skiing and Snowboard College Top-10 preseason poll. Rocky Mountain (Mont.) leads the poll, followed by Sierra Nevada (Nev.), St. Olaf (Minn.), Massachusetts, and Whitman (Wash.).

SURVEYING THE NWCSC: On the men’s side, a tight race is expected between defending champion, British Columbia, along with Whitman, Washington, Idaho, and the Coyotes. UBC’s Mike Bisnaire is the top returner, after placing in the Top-5 at the USCSA National Championships. The women’s race looks to be a four-way battle between the Lady Yotes, who have won seven of the last eight titles, UBC, Whitman, and Idaho. UBC is paced by Emma Beattie, who earned All-America honors, as did Torey Anderson of Whitman, and Idaho’s Lindsey Anderson. The nine teams in the conference will compete in eight qualifying races – each consisting of two timed runs (with the top three times in each run counting for the team score), with four giant slalom and four slalom events.

THE SNOW ISSUE: Currently, the biggest issue for half of the NWCSC is the ability to train – as snow levels across the West are well below average. The southern schools (C of I, Oregon, Oregon State) have had issues in practicing – in fact, the Yotes have yet to have a training session on snow this season. The season-opening race at Hoodoo Ski Area in Oregon was cancelled due to lack of snow, while next weekend’s race at Brundage Mountain also in jeopardy due to lack of snow. The conference built in a make-up date on Jan. 28-29, which will be put to use – most likely in a northern venue, before the lone secure date at Mount Spokane (which has above average snow). The regular-season ends at Bogus Basin on Feb. 11-12 – but that date is also in jeopardy, as the resort has yet to open. The 2012 USCSA Regional Championships are scheduled for Steamboat Springs in Colorado, with the National Championships set for Sunday River Resort in Maine.

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.