University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame
A four-time All-American and the 2001 NCAA Champion in the Giant Slalom, Erica MacConnell was one of top skiers in UVM history. MacConnell was the 2001 J. Edward Donnelly Award winner, which is given to the school’s top male and female student-athletes.
As a freshman MacConell earned a third place finish in the GS at the NCAA Championship meet and followed that up as a sophomore by finishing second in the GS and 10th in the slalom at NCAA’s. Her sophomore season she posted four first plae finishes in EISA competition, including a win in the GS at the Eastern Championships at Middlebury. Even though she spent half of the season competing with a broken wrist, MacConnell still had a good junior year. She finished out the carnival season by placing second in the slalom and third in the GS at the EISA Championships and then went on to finish ninth in the GS and 13th in the slalom at NCAA’s.
In 12 carnival races as a senior heading into the NCAA’s at Middlebury, MacConnell won four and finished in the top two in 10 of the 12 events. She followed that up by winning the NCAA individual title in the GS and finished a strong fourth in the slalom.
The third UVM skier to win a women’s national title in Giant Slalom, MacConnell is one of two Catamounts to win All-America honors as an alpine skier four consecutive seasons, joining Hall of Famer Tor Melander ’83. MacConnell competed in the United States National Championships in March of her senior year in Montana, where she finished 11th in the Giant Slalom and 15th in the Slalom.
