David Kucia Competes in U.S. Snowshoe Association Championship

2012 Mar 8

David Kucia of Canton, Conn., a student at Paul Smith's College, recently competed in the U.S. Snowshoe Association national championships.

Kucia finished 13th in the men's 5-kilometer, among 15-to-19-year-olds. Kucia also finished 2nd in the 4 x 2.5-kilometer relay (mixed open division).

Kucia attended Canton 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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