The ski team doesn't normally attract racers with International Ski Federation (FIS) experience. So this winter when freshman Chelsea Stevens burst through the door, literally, it was to her captain's delight.
"On the first day of training camp, ‘Shambles,' as we call her, fell down some stairs, broke through a door and tumbled into a fellow skier," senior captain Lindsay Rutishauser said. "However, since then, Chelsea's fun−loving and energetic zeal for skiing has been intrinsic to our team's success this season."
Stevens, 18, hails from Lebanon, N.H. and began skiing before she was 2. By the time she was 8 years old she was competing in races.
"My mother is an avid skier, so she put me and my sister, Courtney, into racing programs when we were really little," Stevens said. "She did it not because she wanted us to race, but just so that we would be really good skiers with her."
Stevens attended Waterville Valley Academy in Waterville Valley, N.H. from grade school until her sophomore year of high school. From there, she transferred to the Holderness School in New Hampshire and raced for the school's prestigious Eastern Alpine ski team.
"Chelsea came in with an academy background," senior captain Brian Bresee said. "That's rare for us, so we were really excited to get her."
Life on a competitive ski team wasn't easy, however, and Stevens struggled through her junior and senior years.
"The environment there was very cutthroat," Stevens said. "There was no such thing as a team time; you were just on your own."
But at Tufts, Stevens has benefited from the team atmosphere and has found her groove on the course.
"This is the best I've skied in a long time," Stevens said.
After last weekend's results in New Hampshire, she has clinched first place in the season for individual women, ahead of five rival Castleton State skiers. With three first place finishes, and no finish worse than 11th, Stevens has come out as the top woman racer in the Thompson Division.
Stevens credits the team dynamic, which helps alleviate race−day pressure and boost performance, for her successful season.
"Racing for a team time instead of your own [time] takes a lot of pressure off yourself," she said. "At Tufts, all the racers are there to support each other and motivate each other to ski better."
Another factor in Steven's success has been her consistency, something Rutishauser has noticed over the course of the season.
"Her top attribute is her reliability," Rutishauser said. "She's had relatively clean runs all season. It's a huge asset for the team. Most top racers around the league don't have that consistency."
This weekend, Stevens' dependability on the course could be the difference for the women's team in qualifying for nationals, as the Jumbos travel to Stevens' backyard, Waterville Valley, to compete in the regional tournament. Tufts earned a berth in regionals for finishing in the top five within their division.
"Going home for Regionals is definitely interesting for me," Chelsea said. "I don't think I'll be distracted. I have a lot of good memories and relationships there, so that should only motivate me further."
Athletes, by nature, are creatures of habit, namely the preparations and daily routines that often drive their success. Chelsea is wary of the temptation to over−prepare and deviate from the norm in the upcoming five days, but she's confident that her focus will remain the same.
The night before the race, she sharpens and waxes her skis. On race day, she inspects the course herself and then again with the team.
"After that, I go back a second time, alone, to center myself," she said. "I know a lot of people use music to focus, but when I go out, it's just me and the mountain."
Although Stevens is just a freshman, she is already helping out some of her older teammates.
"Even before the races, she puts in hard work," Rutishauer said. She's very helpful in inspecting the course with the girls who are new to racing."
If the team doesn't finish in the top five at the end of the season, Stevens must finish with the top time at Regionals to qualify for Nationals.
"I'd love more than anything for the team to make Nationals," Stevens said. "But I know, if we don't, then, there's one girl from Yale I'll definitely need to beat out. I'm going to try and just ski my best and see what happens."
But regardless of this weekend's results, Chelsea is certain about one thing: She's here to stay.
"When I was choosing a college, skiing didn't really play a part in it," Stevens said. "I wasn't sure if I wanted to race, but this year has been so fun, so there's no doubt I'm doing this for the rest of my time at Tufts."
