The Sacramento State Racquetball Club and the Ski and Snowboard Club both attended nationals this spring, competing strongly on the courts and in record-setting fashion on the slopes.

These sport clubs are two of the seven clubs that competed in their respective national competitions throughout the spring semester. The other five clubs which represented Sac State on the national stage were bass fishing, gymnastics, men’s volleyball, wakeboarding and wrestling.

Racquetball Club President Damon Tregear did not attend nationals at Arizona State, but he highlighted the performances of his teammates who did attend.

“Each of our three competing members, Andrew Meyer – D1, Paul Correa-Sorrich – D2 and Geraldine Villa – D1 women’s, had a W-L record of 1-2,” Tregear said.

The racquetball club has had a good season so far and is looking to finish a strong spring circuit.

“Our season is still underway, with one tournament remaining in Pleasanton, California on April 29. In the two previous tournaments we have placed in second, so with a first or second [place] in this next tournament, it’ll be a great season,” Tregear said.

After its last tournament, the racquetball club plans to take a break from official team practices but will continue to work as individuals in the offseason.

Similar to the racquetball club, the ski and snowboard club has had great outings this season.

This past season brought what every person in the ski and snowboard community was waiting for—snow. However, this blessing sometimes did not have the best timing, from a competition stand point. The ski and snowboard club’s scheduled competitions were when most of the heavy storms hit, forcing them to be cancelled.

The cancelled competitions gave the club more time for practicing, both at Northstar Resort and in the backyard of the team cabin. With the extra time off from competitions, teammates set up a small terrain park at the team seasonal facility in North Lake Tahoe, giving them extra practice time.

As a result of this extra practice, the men’s snowboard team became the highest ranked in California. Ski and Snowboard Club President Richard Orth was extremely proud of his club’s success at nationals in Lake Placid, New York.

“Our club finished with its best team result in our club’s history, placing fourth out of 19 teams from all over the country,” Orth said. “The score is a combined total based off three of our men’s individual performances in all four events. The events were: Rail Jam (fourth), Slope Style (sixth), Boardercross (third), and Giant Slalom (fifht).”

In the Rail Jam competition, both Orth, and Tayler Groll advanced to the finals. Groll placed 16 out of 32 in the women’s event, and Orth placed 15 out of 49.

For the combined overall individual national ranking, Groll placed 14 out of 38 and Orth placed 13 out of 56 college riders from around the country. In addition to posting its best-ever finish, it was a year of many other firsts for the club.

“Our men’s team also took our first ever podium, taking third as a team in Boardercross,” Orth said. “Andrew Noseworthy had a specifically strong performance, leading the team by placing 12 out of 53. We brought home a silver plate as a trophy for this—also our first ever as a team.”

This is the type of season, in terms of weather and performance, that the club hopes to repeat next year.