Snow stars set gold standard

A gold medal haul by champion skier and Ben Lexcen Scholar Scott Kneller helped UNSW top the medal tally at the recent Australian University Snowsports Championships.

UNSW won a total of eight gold medals and 12 medals overall, beating the University of Sydney on five gold.

Scott was the outstanding individual performer of the competition, winning five gold and two silver medals. He was named the overall Male Alpine and Freestyle Champion.

"It was a great competition. It was my first year so I was a little unsure of what to expect," he said.

Scott, 20, is studying a combined Bachelor of Commerce/Engineering degree. He has a UNSW Ben Lexcen Sports Scholarship, which provides support for elite athletes to combine their studies with training and competition schedules.

His focus has now turned to qualifying for selection in Skier Cross for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Skier Cross is a relatively new competition where four skiers compete against each other in a race akin to motocross.

"I have been training harder than ever to secure a position in the Olympic team with six world cup competitions remaining until the Olympics," he said.

Other UNSW gold medal winners at the championships were d'Arcy Baxter, Callum Watson, Ewan Watson and Massimo Belgiorno-Nettis.

Get the full competition results at UNSW Sport and Recreation.

Read the full profile of Scott at the Australian School of Business website.

Find out more about scholarships available through UNSW's Elite Athletes and Performers Entry Program.

Media contact: Helen Bryson, UNSW Sport and Recreation | 9385 5725 | h.bryson@unsw.edu.au