(SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Feb. 11, 2015) SUNY Empire State College student Tania Prymak ’14, who earned her associate degree with the college a year ago, is competing at the Winter Universiade Granada 2015, also known as the World University Games, in women’s ski cross.

She was named to the 2015 U.S. Freeskiing FIS World Championship Team and is the current FIS North American Cup holder in her sport.

In ski cross, four to six athletes compete against each other at the same time on a course featuring natural and man-made terrain, the goal is to cross the finish line first.

“International ski cross competition is the most challenging and thrilling part of my life and my athletic goal is to represent my country in the Winter Olympic Games,” said Prymak. “I also know that I have to be prepared for life after ski cross and international competition. SUNY Empire provides me with the flexibility I need to both compete around the world and complete my bachelor’s degree in biology.”

The international event takes place Wednesday through Saturday, Feb. 4-14, Granada, Spain.

Prymak first competes in the qualifying round Friday, Feb. 13, and, should she move on, she will compete in the finals Saturday, Feb. 14. A complete university games schedule, including practice runs, is available at http://www.granada2015.org/images/universiada/calendario/WU2015_Competition_schedule_20141205.pdf.

About Tania Prymak

The 22-year-old resident of Goshen, N.Y. has been competing in ski cross for more than five years. Prymak lives in Europe during the winter in order to compete on FIS World Cup and Europa Cup circuits.

Summer and fall semesters she studies with the college, works as an EMT with the Goshen Volunteer Ambulance Corps and trains for competition.

Prymak is pursuing a B.S. in Science, Math and Technology, with a concentration in biology and learns online. She earned her A.S. in Science, Math and Technology, with a concentration in science studies, from the college in February 2014.

As a child she grew up skiing in northern New Jersey and then attended Burke Mountain Academy, East Burke, V.t., for five years where, she says, she earned a solid base in alpine skiing, which has contributed to her national and international success in ski cross.

About Ski Cross

Ski cross made its Olympic debut as a medal sport at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver-Whistler.

In the United States, ski cross is an unfunded sport governed by the United States Ski and Snowboard Association. Athletes pay all their expenses.  Family, friends and others support Prymak’s efforts.

Those who may wish to assist one this Empire State College student athletes may do so by sending a donation to: Tania Prymak Ski Cross, P.O. Box 256 Campbell Hall, N.Y. 10916.

About SUNY Empire State College

Empire State College, the nontraditional, open college of the SUNY system, educates more than 20,000 students worldwide at eight international sites, more than 35 locations in the state of New York, online, as well as face to face and through a blend of both, at the associate, bachelor’s and master’s levels.

The average age of an undergraduate student at the college is 35 and graduate students’ average age is 40.

Most Empire State College students are working adults. Many are raising families and meeting civic commitments in the communities where they live, while studying part time.

In addition to awarding credit for prior college-level learning, the college pairs each undergraduate student with a faculty mentor who supports that student throughout his or her college career.

Working with their mentors, students design an individual degree program and engage in guided independent study and course work onsite, online or through a combination of both, which provides the flexibility for students to choose where, when and how to learn.

Students have the opportunity to enroll five times during the year.

The college’s 73,000 alumni are active in their communities as entrepreneurs, politicians, business professionals, artists, nonprofit agency employees, teachers, veterans and active military, union members and more.

The college was first established in 1971 by the SUNY Board of Trustees with the encouragement of the late Ernest L. Boyer, chancellor of the SUNY system from 1970 to 1977.

Boyer also served as United States commissioner of education during the administration of President Jimmy Carter and then as president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

More information about the college is available at www.esc.edu.

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Media contact: David Henahan, director of communications

518-587-2100, ext. 2918

David.Henahan@esc.edu

518-321-7038 (after hours and on weekends)