MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury College alpine skier Rob Cone, a Killington resident, has been named the National Men’s Alpine Skier of the Year by the United States Collegiate Skiing Coaches Association. Cone had a stellar sophomore season at Middlebury in 2015, winning the NCAA championship in the giant slalom after posting outstanding results on the carnival circuit.
Cone, who earned the GS Leader Award from the EISA and was a first-team All-American selection, won the first three giant slalom events of the season, and then placed second and third in two others. His slalom results were also impressive, with three second-place efforts and one third. Cone finished the carnival season ranked first in the east in the GS and second in the slalom.
At the NCAA championships in Lake Placid, N.Y., Cone became the first Middlebury men’s individual skiing champion since Robert MacLeod earned the slalom title in 1989. Cone’s finish helped Middlebury win the team national title in the GS event.