Ben Palladino Competes in U.S. Snowshoe Association Championship

2012 Mar 8

Ben Palladino of Tully, N.Y., a student at Paul Smith's College, recently competed in the U.S. Snowshoe Association national championships.

Palladino finished 2nd in the men's 10-kilometer, among 20-to-24-year-olds. Palladino also finished 1st in the 4 x 2.5-kilometer relay (mixed open division).

Palladino attended Tully High School.

Eight student-athletes on the Paul Smith's College snowshoe team, known as the Striders, competed at the championships. The races were held Saturday, Feb. 24, in Frisco, Colo. With a base elevation of 9,200 feet, the race presented a stiff challenge to athletes from the Midwest and east.

The college's two relay teams finished atop the mixed open division in the 4 x 2.5km relay, and six Paul Smith's racers earned top-five finishes in the men and women's 10K races.

The championships capped a successful season for the Striders. In February, Paul Smith's grabbed 13 medals at the Empire State Winter Games, and were crowned International Club champions for the fifth consecutive year at the 103rd International Snowshoe Congress in Gatineau, Quebec.

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