For most freshman athletes, their first season tends to be a time of transition, when they are asked to play a limited role on the team while learning from the upperclassmen.
Nothing could be farther from the truth when describing the rookie season of skier Jen Collins '99.
Not only has she proven to be the top individual performer on the Dartmouth ski team, she has also established herself as one of the top collegiate skiers in the country.
"Jen has been an incredible asset to the team in both skiing ability and personality," Captain Nora Stowell '96 said.
"She's the most unself-centered person I know, for being such an amazing skier. Jen just has a unique way of doing things. She shows everyone that you can be a great ski racer and have fun at the same time," Stowell said.
Collins has won nine out of the 10 races she has entered this season. The only thing that kept Collins from a perfect season was a crash during the giant slalom race at the St. Lawrence Carnival.
When asked what kind of impact Collins' success has had on the team Stowell replied, "Her performance has had a tremendous impact on the rest of the team. When she skis fast, the rest of us want to ski fast."
"She pushes the whole momentum upward," Stowell added. "Even the guys learn from her. And that's never happened before on the Dartmouth team."
While Dartmouth students are being consumed by the pressures of finals next weekend, Collins and the rest of the Dartmouth ski team will be facing a different kind of pressure as they will take on the best collegiate skiers from around the country at the NCAA championships in Bozeman, Montana.
