Buffaloes complete historic comeback, four Steamboat athletes get to race at home again during NCAA Skiing Championships
Steamboat Pilot & Today
Tom Skulski/Steamboat Pilot & Today
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — The Colorado Buffaloes overcame a 51-point deficit to the University of Utah on Saturday to earn CU’s 21st skiing national championship title in the second-largest comeback on day four in NCAA skiing history.
The Utes had won the previous four NCAA Skiing Championships but were unable to hold onto the lead in this weekend’s 20-kilometer classic races at the Howelsen Ski Area. CU finished the week with 569.5 points, outsourcing Utah by two.
Finishing third was the University of Denver, a team that had former Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club skier Trey Seymour on its roster. Seymour, a senior at DU, said this week came to an exciting conclusion and offered emotions he was not used to in competition.
“It was a pressure and intensity I have never felt before,” Seymour said. “I wasn’t just racing for myself. I was racing for the whole team. To be able to still put down some solid skiing under that pressure felt good. It felt good to get through the event and try my hardest even though the results were not as strong as I would have hoped.”
In total, four former SSWSC athletes competed this week, all in Alpine events. Seymour and Bode Flanigan of Boston College finished 20th and 32nd, respectively, in Wednesday’s men’s giant slalom race at Steamboat Resort.
Elsie Halvorsen of Harvard and Hannah Soria of Colby College competed in the women’s giant slalom to take 25th and 27th.
Halvorsen traveled from Massachusetts to Steamboat a few days early for a chance to get used to the softer snow out West. She said getting to compete one last time against athletes she grew up skiing with was one of her greatest joys this week.
“You root for each other a lot more when you’ve seen, for example, a kid you grew up with who had come through injuries and had a hard time but made it back up the other side as well,” Halvorsen said. “It is so fun to watch each other ski and watch each other get better.”
Steamboat’s four skiers continued in competition Friday night with the night slalom race. Halvorsen’s coach, Scott MacPherson, said it was the most fun ski race he had ever been to. Seymour echoed MacPherson’s sentiments, saying he had never competed in front of so many screaming fans.
“It was a lot of fun, especially down at Howelsen for the night race,” Seymour said. “When the whole town comes out, and all your old friends, people you went to high school with and people you haven’t seen in so long are supporting you. It feels pretty good. It was special.”
Flanigan slotted one spot ahead of Seymour in the night slalom with the two finishing in 21st and 22nd. Similarly in the women’s race, Soria took 20th with Halvorsen right behind in 21st.
In December during the Murphy Roberts Holiday Classic, Halvorsen did not finish her first run of the night slalom. She was happy to earn a chance at redemption Friday night and complete both of her runs with a quick pace.
“Both races I skied very solid for myself,” Halvorsen said. “I didn’t do anything exceptional, but I did what I was supposed to do, which was good enough. I just wanted to enjoy my last few turns.”
The NCAA Championships brought an end to the collegiate careers of both Halvorsen and Seymour.
Soria, a junior, and Flanigan, a sophomore, will each have at least one more shot to reach the championships again, which will be hosted by Dartmouth in New Hampshire next season.
For Seymour and Halvorsen, it was a dream come true to compete one last time in Steamboat Springs, and Halvorsen said there is no better place in the country for the NCAA Championships.
“It was perfect,” she said. “I tried not to think about it all season because I knew how special it would be if I were able to (qualify for the championships). I couldn’t have that pressure on myself all season to ski fast enough for it. I am super thankful I was able to be here and I couldn’t have created a better way to finish.”
Results
NCAA Skiing Championships
March 8-9, 2024, at Howelsen Ski Area
Final team scores (Top 10) — 1. Colorado, 569.5; 2. Utah, 567.5; 3. Denver, 491; 4. Dartmouth, 399; 5. Montana State, 329; 6. Vermont, 300; 7. Alaska Anchorage, 274; 8. New Hampshire, 192; 9. Alaska Fairbanks, 175; 10. Middlebury, 159.
Women’s Slalom — 1. Magdalena Luczak, CU, 1:25.43; 2. Madison Hoffman, UU, 1:25.56; 3. Nora Brand, DU, 1:25.91; 4. Ella Bromee, UAA, 1:26.95; 4. Sara Rask, DU, 1:26.95; 6. Mika Anne Reha, MID, 1:26.07; 7. Kristiane Bekkestad, MSU, 1:26.21; 8. Carmen Nielssen, UAA, 1:26.30.
Men’s Slalom — 1. Filip Wahlqvist, CU, 1:19.38; 2. Oscar Zimmer, DAR, 1:19.87; 3. Mikkel Solbakken, UU, 1:19.92; 4. Christian Soevik, DU, 1:20.14; 5. Jeremie Lagier, WMC, 1:20.16; 6. Thomas Hoffman, DU, 1:20.23; 7. Magnus Styren, UVM, 1:20.27; 8. Ryder Sarchett, CU, 1:20.30.
Women’s 20km Classic — 1. Jasmine Drolet, DAR, 1:02.38.2; 2. Haley Brewster, UVM, 1:02.41.5; 3. Sydney Palmer-Leger, UU, 1:02.41.8; 4. Hanna Abrahamsson, CU, 1:02.46.5; 5. Anna-Maria Dietze, CU, 1:02.51.1; 6. Kendall Kramer, UAF, 1:02.51.5; 7. Tilde Baangman, MSU, 1:03.03.8; 8. Mariel Pulles, UAF, 1:03.42.8.
Men’s 20km Classic — 1. Magnus Boee, CU, 55:38.0; 2. Florian Knopf, DU, 55:42.1; 3. Will Koch, CU, 55:55.9; 4. Remi Drolet, HAR, 56:06.1; 5. John Steel Hagenbuch, DAR, 56:06.3; 6. Tom Mancini, UU, 56:21.1; 7. Joe Davies, UU, 56:21.5; 8. Brian Bushey, UU, 56:22.9.
Buffaloes complete historic comeback, four Steamboat athletes get to race at home again during NCAA Skiing Championships
The Colorado Buffaloes overcame a 51-point deficit to the University of Utah on Saturday to earn CU’s 21st skiing national championship title in the second-largest comeback on day four in NCAA skiing history.
