NESCAC. MAYFLOWER HILL, WATERVILLE, MAINE.
Colby College
Colby is a college of about 2,350 students on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, Maine, an hour from Sugarloaf, where the alpine team trains on Narrow Gauge, the only trail in the region homologated for all four alpine disciplines, out of its own space in the Alfond Competition Center. A one-course January term frees the month the carnival season begins. Aid meets full need without loans, admission is need-aware, and the 8 percent admit rate is the tightest in Maine.
Waterville, ME
- NCAA · Division III institution
- NCAA skiing
- EISA
- Men & women
- Also fields a USCSA club team
Photo: Colby Mariam, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Colby CollegeNCAA D3 · EISA · #11 power rank
- NCAA divisionEISA · NCAA skiing
- D3
- Students (all undergraduate)Fall 2025
- 2,354
- AdmittedClass of 2030
- 8%
- Estimated cost of attendance (low)2026-27
- $97,020
- Home hillCarrabassett Valley, ME
- Sugarloaf
- Drive to SugarloafPublished by Colby Athletics
- 1 hour
- Roster athletes2026-27
- 16
- NCAA power rankscore 42.04
- #11
Why Colby?
Why racerslook at Colby
The strongest alpine results of the Maine NESCAC schools, a mountain built for speed events, and a January that belongs to the athlete.

Narrow Gauge and the Alfond Competition Center
Sugarloaf's Narrow Gauge is homologated for slalom, giant slalom, super-G and downhill, has hosted the U.S. Alpine Championships eight times, and the Alfond Competition Center gives Colby tuning space and a coaches' video room.(colbyathletics.com)

Jan Plan
Colby's January term is a single exploratory course, which the program describes as focused training time during the dedicated one-month term.(colbyathletics.com)

All-American results in 2026
Townsend Mikell took 4th in giant slalom and First Team All-American at the 2026 NCAA Championships, and Carissa Cassidy repeated as a slalom All-American in 5th.(colbyathletics.com)

No loans, and $0 under $75,000
Colby meets 100% of demonstrated need without loans; parents earning $75,000 or less with typical assets pay nothing, and contributions are capped at $10,000, $15,000 and $20,000 up to $200,000.(afa.colby.edu)
About the school
The honest version.
What the school is, what it is known for, and what a family should weigh before committing.
Colby is a private liberal arts college of about 2,350 students on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, a small city in central Maine about an hour north of Portland. Founded in 1813, it has been building aggressively: a large new athletics center, a performing arts center, the first AI institute at a liberal arts college, and a science complex due in 2030. Jan Plan, a one-course January term, is the academic feature that matters most to a racer, because it frees the whole month for NorAm, Eastern Cup and carnival starts. The ski program went varsity in 1987 and races at the NCAA level on the EISA circuit even though the college itself is NESCAC Division III. The alpine team trains at Sugarloaf, an hour from campus, on Narrow Gauge, the only trail in the East homologated for all four disciplines, and has its own space in the Alfond Competition Center at the base. Aid meets full need without loans, and families earning under $75,000 pay nothing. Admission, at 8 percent, is the tightest of the Maine schools.
Know before you commit
- Very selective and need-aware: 8% of applicants were admitted to the Class of 2030, and Colby considers financial need in admission decisions.(afa.colby.edu)
- High sticker price with no merit or athletic scholarships: estimated cost of attendance is $97,020-$98,270 for 2026-27 and all aid is need-based.(afa.colby.edu)
- Remote: Waterville is a small central Maine city, and the training hill at Sugarloaf is an hour's drive each way.(colbyathletics.com)
- Thin women's depth in 2026: at the UVM Carnival giant slalom the women's team had one finisher and placed 10th of 13.(colbyathletics.com)
Feel the campus
From first tracks to final exams.
Credited archive photographs of the campus, the town and the hill; not current team photography.
4 of 4 photos shown
Ski team experience
Mule alpineon the EISA circuit
Colby alpine went varsity in 1987 and races the EISA carnival circuit and the NCAA single-division championship, hosting the Colby Carnival at Sugarloaf. Head coach Eric Harlow, in charge since 2020, runs a fall of five off-snow workouts a week, a November move on snow at Sugarloaf, a Thanksgiving camp, December Eastern Cup FIS races and a January of training inside Jan Plan. In 2026 the program sent a record eight skiers (four alpine, four nordic) to the NCAA Championships.
- Team athletes
- 16
- Men / women
- 9 / 7
- International athletes
- 2
- Varsity since
- 1987
- Conference
- EISA
- Alpine disciplines
- SL + GS
Program overview
Colby alpine went varsity in 1987 and races the EISA carnival circuit and the NCAA single-division championship, hosting the Colby Carnival at Sugarloaf. Head coach Eric Harlow, in charge since 2020, runs a fall of five off-snow workouts a week, a November move on snow at Sugarloaf, a Thanksgiving camp, December Eastern Cup FIS races and a January of training inside Jan Plan. In 2026 the program sent a record eight skiers (four alpine, four nordic) to the NCAA Championships.
- DivisionNCAA Division III institution
- SkiingNCAA skiing · EISA
- Home venuesSugarloaf, Carrabassett Valley (~1h15)
- SidesMen & women
At the 2026 NCAA Championships in Park City, Utah, sophomore Townsend Mikell finished 4th in men's giant slalom on March 11 for First Team All-American, and senior Carissa Cassidy finished 5th in women's slalom on March 13.(colbyathletics.com)
Questions for the coach
No published training week for this program, so these are the questions to ask.
- Jan PlanWhich Jan Plan courses have skiers taken while racing Eastern Cups and the first carnivals, and can Jan Plan be done off campus?
- Need-aware admissionColby considers financial need in admission decisions; how should a family that needs aid time the application and the coach's support?
- Speed eventsDoes the team train super-G or downhill on Narrow Gauge, and how many FIS starts does a first-year get in December?
- The driveHow many days a week does the van make the one-hour trip to Sugarloaf in season, and does the team stay in Carrabassett Valley on blocks?
Coaching staff
- Eric HarlowAlpine
Women
| # | Athlete | Yr · seasons left | SL | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finn Boissonneault USA · 2005 · scorer | JR · ≤2 | 39.70 | 50.42 |
| 2 | Althea Noyes USA · 2005 · scorer | JR · ≤2 | 49.43 | 42.27 |
| 3 | Olivia Levesque CAN · 2006 · scorer · list 8† | FR · ≤4 | 49.17 | 74.38 |
| 4 | Sara Jane Mikell USA · 2006 | FR · ≤4 | 63.75 | 52.53 |
| 5 | Elleanore Pelletier CAN · 2007 | FR · ≤4 | 80.45 | 54.87 |
| 6 | Charlotte Lambert USA · 2006 | JR · ≤2 | 77.12 | 119.34 |
| 7 | Victoria Whiteley USSA licence only* · 2008 | FR · ≤4 | — | 913.60* |
† Not on the current FIS list (licence not renewed yet this season); points are from the athlete’s most recent list.
* USSA national points, shown where the athlete has no FIS points in that discipline. Not directly comparable to FIS points.
Men
| # | Athlete | Yr · seasons left | SL | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Townsend Mikell USA · 2004 · scorer | JR · ≤2 | 35.49 | 31.67 |
| 2 | Nolan Sweeney USA · 2004 · scorer | SR · ≤1 | 76.05 | 33.44 |
| 3 | Harrison Digangi USA · 2002 · scorer | SR · ≤1 | 35.85 | 41.36 |
| 4 | Charles-Antoine GOULETyou CAN · 2005 | — | 36.62 | 48.38 |
| 5 | Gunnar Guilbert USA · 2007 | FR · ≤4 | 47.10 | 39.15 |
| 6 | Lucas Mcdermott USA · 2006 | FR · ≤4 | 45.30 | 54.02 |
| 7 | Winthrop Flaggert USA · 2005 | SO · ≤3 | 45.71 | 49.29 |
| 8 | Curtis Zanni USA · 2006 | SO · ≤3 | 45.78 | 47.40 |
| 9 | John Kelleher USA · 2004 · list 4† | SO · ≤3 | 73.88 | 46.65 |
| 10 | Spencer Richeda USA · 2005 | FR · ≤4 | 60.44 | 60.86 |
† Not on the current FIS list (licence not renewed yet this season); points are from the athlete’s most recent list.
* USSA national points, shown where the athlete has no FIS points in that discipline. Not directly comparable to FIS points.
Names from the school's published 2026-27 roster; FIS points attached by name from the athlete's most recent list. (source)
Team strength
best-three average · scoring line = 3rd best| Side | SL | GS | SG | DH | Athletes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 38.88 line 45.30 | 34.75 line 39.15 | 94.28 line 125.59 | 145.40 line 187.12 | 9 |
| Women | 46.10 line 49.43 | 48.41 line 52.53 | 150.42 line 188.14 | 375.01 line 640.83 | 7 |
Power score 42.04: mean of the men’s and women’s best-three SL and GS averages, ranked #11 in its group.
Where Charles-Antoine fits today
Not a selection or admission prediction.
- SLScorer36.62 · 3rd of 10
Scoring line 45.30.
- GSDevelopment48.38 · 7th of 10
Scoring line 39.15: 9.23 points to drop.
- SGScorer76.82 · 2nd of 10
Scoring line 125.59.
- DHNo comparison— · —
Scoring line 187.12.
What it takes to reach the scoring line
No results this season yet. 3 results averaging 39.15 would get there.
- World Cup (min penalty 0): finish within 3.88% of the winner
- NorAm / Europa Cup (min penalty 15): finish within 2.39% of the winner
- National Championships (min penalty 20): finish within 1.9% of the winner
- FIS / University / Junior (min penalty 23): finish within 1.6% of the winner
Percentages use this list’s F-values.
Academics
What you can study.
Colby runs two semesters around Jan Plan, a January term in which students take one exploratory course, so the month the EISA season opens is lighter than a normal semester. The college lists 46 majors and 37 minors, including new programs in public health, marine science and data science, with a science complex due in 2030.
- 2,354Students (all undergraduate)
- 46Majors
8 featured fields · full catalog
- Computer ScienceQuantitativeOne of 46 majors listed on the Colby majors page.
- EconomicsSocial scienceA STEM-designated major (CIP 45.0603, Econometrics and Quantitative Economics).
- GovernmentSocial scienceColby's political science department, with fellowships and student research programs.
- Biology: NeuroscienceScienceA neuroscience track within the biology major, alongside Cell and Molecular Biology and Ecology and Evolution.
- Computational BiologyScienceA standalone major in the biology department.
- Environmental StudiesEnvironmentA department with its own program page and the Perkins Arboretum on campus.
- Public HealthHealthOne of the new programs Colby cites in its Class of 2030 announcement.
- Data ScienceQuantitativeA new program named alongside public health and marine science.
Source: colby.edu
Admissions
Your path here.
- Testing
- test-optional(afa.colby.edu)
- Application deadline
- January 4 (regular decision and ED II); November 15 (ED I)(afa.colby.edu)
- Apply free through the Common App, Coalition Application or QuestBridge; no writing supplement is required
- Have your school send the transcript, secondary school report, one counselor recommendation and two teacher recommendations
- Submit test scores (self-reported is fine) or notify admissions that you are not submitting
- Early decision applicants add the Early Decision Agreement; aid applicants file the CSS Profile and FAFSA by the same deadline
Test scores
What admitted students scored.
Test-optional · admitted submitters, Class of 2030
- SAT total1430 – 1520
- ACT composite33 – 34
Middle 50%: a quarter scored below the low figure and a quarter above the high one. Source: news.colby.edu
Acceptance rate
How selective it is.
- Admitted
- Not admitted
Colby admitted 8 percent of 21,065 applicants to the Class of 2030, is test-optional, and is need-aware. NESCAC coaches can advocate for a recruit but cannot offer, promise or guarantee admission.
Source: news.colby.edu
Cost & financial aid
What a year costs.
2026-27 published figures.
| Tuition and fees | $75,790 |
|---|---|
| Food and housing | $19,480 |
| Personal and books (estimate) | $1,700 |
| COOT orientation fee (first-years) | $500 |
| Estimated cost of attendance (low) | $97,020 |
| Estimated cost of attendance (high) | $98,270 |
Travel is estimated at $50 to $1,300 depending on home address; health insurance is billed unless waived. Colby meets 100% of demonstrated need without loans, guarantees a $0 parent contribution under $75,000 with typical assets, and caps contributions at $10,000, $15,000 and $20,000 for incomes up to $100,000, $150,000 and $200,000. Admission is need-aware, there are no merit or athletic scholarships, and students who skip the aid application at admission wait two years for institutional aid.(afa.colby.edu)
Financial aid informationLocation
Campus, hill, airport.
The campus sits on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, a small city in central Maine; Colby also runs an Island Campus on the coast.
Student life
Beyond the hill.
COOT before classes
Every first-year starts with a Colby Outdoor Orientation Trip over Labor Day weekend, from Appalachian Trail backpacking and sea kayaking to yoga on campus; the fee is $500.(life.colby.edu)
Outing Club and Aidan's Wall
The Colby Outing Club is the largest club on campus with more than 300 members a year and trips every weekend, and Aidan's Climbing Wall sits inside the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center.(life.colby.edu)
DavisConnects
Since 2017 DavisConnects has provided more than $11 million for internships, research and global experiences, guaranteed regardless of ability to pay.(news.colby.edu)
Athlete voices
Real stories.
“For Townsend to ski the way he did in his home state, in front of his family and friends was truly something special.”
Eric Harlow, head alpine coach · source “Outside of the amazing academics, I was drawn to the ways students are able to serve and lead, particularly through programs like Colby Cares about Kids and Colby EMS.”
Stella Nehro '30, early-decision admit · source
Alumni & outcomes
What came next.
- Alpine All-American honors since 2003 (through 2025)(colbyathletics.com)
- 29
- Alpine All-Americans at the 2026 NCAA Championships(colbyathletics.com)
- 2
- All-American awards across Colby athletics in 2025-26, a school record(colbyathletics.com)
- 30
- DavisConnects funding for internships, research and travel since 2017(news.colby.edu)
- $11M+
Sources, rights and updates
Where this comes from.
Every figure carries its reporting period and a link. Rosters and points come from official rosters and FIS or USCSA results. Photographs are Wikimedia Commons archive images under open licences, credited on each image.
- colby.eduopens in a new tab
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- life.colby.eduopens in a new tab
- colbyathletics.comopens in a new tab
- eisaskiing.orgopens in a new tab
- nescac.comopens in a new tab
27 source pages across 7 sites
Your future in skiing starts here
