When freeski athlete Casper Lemley puts on University of Westminster purple and excel in intercollegiate competition this season, he will do so by taking advantage of all the resources offered to his fellow Griffin student-athletes, for example on the basketball or football teams.

Lemley has full access to the school’s varsity weight room, as well as the athletic department’s professional coaching staff, sports psychology sessions and, yes, scholarship money.

He is a full-fledged varsity athlete from Westminster.

“Freestyle skiing is such a physically demanding sport, so it’s amazing to be able to get worked on by our athletic trainers and have gym sessions with our team,” he said. “It’s been really good for my skiing – and representing Westminster.”

The Bozeman, Mont., native is part of the Salt Lake City school’s growing roster. Mountain sports program — a collection of college teams fully sponsored by the Griffins athletic department.

The Westminster men’s and women’s alpine ski teams compete in the NCAA DII Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association. The freeski and snowboard teams, meanwhile, will compete for titles against other colleges in the US Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association.

And now Westminster’s mountain sports program expands to include competitive rock climbing and mountain biking – signaling the school’s commitment to supporting intercollegiate athletic competition commensurate with Utah’s outdoor sports culture.

“Expanding our outdoor or mountain sports program opportunities aligns with our institutional priorities, student interests, and the many recreational opportunities and educational sites located near our campus,” noted Shay Wyatt, Westminster athletic director in an email.

“Increasing our athletics and recreational sports program opportunities enhances the overall Westminster student experience, provides students with more competitive opportunities at the college level, and supports our university’s student recruitment and retention efforts . »

Promote collegiate outdoor sports competition

Westminster’s alpine ski and snowboard teams have competed for over a decade and attract winning talent from around the world.

“Through the success of these two programs we have developed excellent opportunities for snow athletes at the University of Westminster,” said Sara Beaudry-Wiltseprogram director of the Griffins freeski and snowboard teams.

Responding to numerous calls for the expansion of the sport in Westminster, the school organized the freeski team and begins competitions this school year.

Today, Westminster is looking for coaches and athletes to fill out its premier climbing and mountain biking rosters. Both teams will begin competing in the 2025-2026 academic year.

“It was exciting to have these opportunities to not only bring new athletes to Westminster, but also to be able to provide these opportunities to athletes who are already at Westminster,” Beaudry-Wiltse said.

“It’s the power of place. Our campus is about 30 minutes from nine different ski resorts, so we have incredible opportunities because of where we are located to attract many fantastic athletes – and we will continue to do so.

The area’s outdoor sports opportunities, she added, attract a special class of college athletes who want to compete at a high level while pursuing a high-quality education. “Westminster are in a fantastic position to be able to do it – and no one else around us is really doing it.”

Griffin athletes competing in the mountain sports program’s disciplines demonstrate the growing interest in outdoor sporting events that fans typically associate with the Olympics.

“When we attend nationals, there are over 3,000 athletes competing in multiple disciplines like freeskiing, snowboarding and Nordic skiing, and representing hundreds of different schools,” Beaudry-Wiltse said. “It’s a fantastic collegiate event with lots of diversity and energy from schools across the country.”

Beaudry-Wiltse added that Westminster’s athletic community is excited to see mountain biking and climbing join the fold. “We will be able to encourage each other and defend each other. »

For a freeskier of Lemley’s level, Westminster proves to be the ideal place to compete and represent the school while pursuing a degree in finance.

“I really like the environment here,” he said. “I enjoy the smaller campus and having more one-on-one relationships with professors, which is really important to my education.”

Being a student-athlete and competing for his school against others in an adrenaline-filled stunt sport like freesking “has been amazing,” he said, “And it’s nice to be included in something greater than oneself.”

Beaudry-Wiltse is confident that Westminster will continue its emergence as a powerhouse in intercollegiate outdoor sports.

“Our trophy is big and we always need a bigger one.”