Paul Smith’s College Student Athletes Named to USA Nordic Combined Roster at Upcoming Winter World University Games

Park City, Utah –USA Nordic has announced its team for the 2023 World University Games in Lake Placid, NY and it includes two Paul Smith’s College athletes.  Aidan Ripp and Timothy Ziegler will represent the United States in the Nordic Combined event, which is a combination of ski jumping and classic cross-country disciplines.  

Aidan Ripp has competed in several Continental Cups for the United States in Nordic Combined, including last year’s pre-Olympics event in Beijing.  In that competition he had top-25 finishes to earn valuable Continental Cup (COC) points.  He is the USCSA National Ski Champion from 2022 and led the Paul Smith’s College men’s team to their first-ever National Championship in that division.  He also competed in the US Olympic Trials in Lake Placid, NY where he finished in 11^th place.  In addition to competing for the men’s USA Nordic team in the World University Games, Aidan is a 4.0 student.    

Timothy Ziegler joins Ripp at the upcoming games, having battled through an injury last year to get himself in true competitive form.  A junior at Paul Smith’s College, Ziegler has had considerable experience and success as a USA Junior athlete in Nordic Combined over the years.  He has spent the last year recovering from an injury that occurred during pre-jumps at the US Olympic Trials last December.  After all the adversity, “Timo” has done tremendously well, and was named to the USA Nordic team for Nordic Combined for the World University Games.   

“Congratulations to Paul Smith’s students, Aidan Ripp and Timothy Ziegler for earning a chance to compete at the upcoming World University Games in Lake Place,” said Dan Kelting, Interim President at Paul Smith’s College. “Although Paul Smith’s is honored to be hosting student athletes from across the globe, we will be rooting for our hometown heroes.”

 “It is incredibly exciting to have Aidan and Timothy named to the USA Nordic team for the World University Games in Lake Placid,” said Paul Smith’s Biathlon Coach, Matthew Dougherty. “Both Aidan and Timo have been working hard for two years to qualify for this event and represent both the USA and Paul Smith’s College.  They both represent the model student-athlete so well as dedicated athletes training year-round.”

Paul Smith’s Coach Matthew Dougherty was also named to the coaching staff for U.S. Biathlon for the upcoming Winter World University Games.

In March 2018, New York State announced that Lake Placid would host the games.  Since then, Paul Smith’s College has been looking ahead to the future and leveraging the games with the natural beauty of the area, its unique learning style, and the ability for certain athletes to be able to compete in the sport they love while also attending college. 

“When the games were announced for Lake Placid, we started dreaming of how we could help Paul Smith’s College athletes compete, forging partnerships with USA Nordic and US Biathlon.  It is exceptional to see the vision come to fruition with athletes from Paul Smith’s competing in the World University Games,” added Coach Matthew Dougherty.    

Aidan Ripp’s athlete profile can be found here.

Timothy Ziegler’s athlete profile can be found here.  

At Paul Smith’s College, it’s about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith’s provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. We can draw on industries and resources available in our backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provides experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at www.paulsmiths.edu.