Jayden Buckrell, UNH, 2025 NCAA Slalom Champion. Photo courtesy of Stephen R Cloutier.
The 2026 collegiate ski season kicks off Friday, January 16, 2026, as all 13 Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association teams head to Sugarloaf Mountain for the Colby Carnival. After a thrilling season last year, in which Dartmouth came just short of an NCAA Championship following a dominant regular season, the excitement promises to continue.
This season sees the schools head to five different states across six weekends of racing followed by a trip west to Bozeman, Montana for the NCAA Championships at Bridger Bowl. Will Dartmouth continue its run of dominance? Will the University of Vermont answer back? Or will a new team emerge at the top of the pack? This season will be filled with intriguing storylines.
Read on to discover the top athletes to watch across all 13 EISA teams as racing kicks off this Friday at Sugarloaf Mountain.
Bates
Best Returners: Juliette Hoder (Jr.) and Evan Gramas (So.)
Newcomer to watch: William Hostetter
The Bobcats graduated a talented senior class, including Nic Hotermans and Kyle Kagan, but head coach Kurt Simard has reloaded with eight promising first-year athletes. On the men’s side, William Hostetter and Kyle Robin both enter with fewer than 50 points in each event, while Maine native and CVA alum Caleb Stefanakos and Alex Roguet add depth to the squad.
For the women, Regan Clute joins with 41 Slalom points and Sydney Kuder brings 42 GS points. Caroline Johnson and Meadow Brunelli also join, eager to contribute to the team’s success. Returning junior Juliette Hoder will be a standout in Slalom; she finished in the top 20 in all but two Slalom races last season and previously qualified for the NCAA Championships, aiming to return to the national stage this year.
Boston College
Best Returners: Jasmine Whittaker (Sr.) and Bode Flanigan (Sr.)
Newcomer to watch: Colin Hanna
Bode Flanigan made history for Boston College last season with a third-place finish in the Slalom at the NCAA Championships, capping a stellar year in which he finished outside the top 10 in Slalom only once. On the women’s side, Jasmine Whittaker will lead the team, coming off her best finish of eighth in the Dartmouth Slalom last season. The Eagles will also welcome a talented group of newcomers, including Sun Valley’s Colin Hanna, who joins after a two-year stint on the US Ski Team.
Colby
Best Returners: Carissa Cassidy (Sr.) and Harrison Digangi (Jr.)
Newcomer to watch: Kate McKenney
Carissa Cassidy was unstoppable late last season, winning the final three Slalom races and capturing the EISA Slalom title, rivaling some of the best performances in league history. She carried that momentum to the NCAA Championships at Dartmouth, winning the first run before a small mistake in the second run dropped her to ninth, still earning her second-team All-American honors. Cassidy will be joined by key returners including Althea Noyes, who has shown flashes of early-season speed, Finn Boissonnault, returning from injury, and Charlotte Lambert.
On the men’s side, Harrison Digangi returns after a stellar season capped with a first-team All-American finish at the NCAA Championships. Topher Davenport, who impressed in Slalom last year, looks to build on that speed in his senior season. The Mules also welcome six new skiers this year, led by Kate McKenney on the women’s side and Brady Malboeuf on the men’s side.
Colby-Sawyer
Best Returners: Jacklyn Tracy (Sr.) Jackson Musial (Sr.)
Newcomer to watch: Sam Clausen
Jackson Musial was an electrifying presence in Slalom last season for the Chargers, finishing in the top 30 three times. He looks to take his performance to the next level in his senior season. Musial will be joined by a talented first-year class of six, highlighted by Sam Clausen, Campbell Prichard, and the team’s first European athlete in recent memory, Niklas Ramno from Sweden. On the women’s side, Jacklyn Tracy, Maren Elvidge, and Molly Dishong return to provide leadership and experience.
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Dartmouth
Best Returners: Zoe Zimmerman (Sr.) and Benny Brown (Jr.)
Newcomer to watch: Beatrice May
Few adjectives can capture the dominance Dartmouth displayed last season. The squad won all six carnivals and finished third at the NCAA Championships, leading the East in the final race of the season. This year, Dartmouth adds two first-years, Beatrice May and Sawyer Reed, and welcomes back Thomas Woolson to Hanover as the men’s head coach. Woolson is expected to make an immediate impact given the talent at his disposal.
On the men’s side, Benny Brown was a constant force in GS last season, finishing on the podium in all but one race and standing out as the only winner outside of Middlebury’s Bradshaw Underhill. Dan Gillis and Oscar Zimmer, who both finished in the top 10 in Slalom and GS last year, return for one final season. On the women’s side, Zoe Zimmerman, who ended the year second in the Slalom standings, leads a strong group joined by Emma Resnick, Isabelle Washburn and Carly Elsinger, all of whom are threats to reach the top step of the podium in at least one discipline.
Harvard
Best Returners: Skylar Sheppard (So.) and Duncan Armstrong (So.)
Newcomer to watch: Tristan Leightell
The Crimson look poised for a strong season as veteran coach Scott MacPherson returns most of last year’s squad. Skylar Sheppard comes back from injury after an impressive start to her collegiate career, having finished 13th, 8th, 7th, and 6th in the four Slalom races before her injury. Duncan Armstrong and Luke Kearing will also be key contributors for the team. Armstrong finished in the top 30 in 10 of 12 races last season, reaching as high as fifth, while Kearing found his stride late in the year, placing eighth at the Middlebury Slalom.
Middlebury
Best Returners: Kjersti Moritz (So.) and Nicholas Unkovskoy (Jr.)
Newcomer to watch: Julian Arthur
Middlebury will have a new face at the helm this season, though it is not an unfamiliar one. Abigail Copeland steps in as the Panthers’ head coach, and her squad looks poised to be formidable. Kjersti Moritz, last year’s top American in Slalom at the Junior World Championships, will balance the Nor-Am and World Cup schedules again this season, but she has already proven she is a threat for the top step of the podium at any race she enters. Sophia Tozzi also returns for her senior season, bringing three top-eight finishes in Slalom from last year and adding experience to the women’s team.
On the men’s side, Middlebury will compete without Bradshaw Underhill, who captured both the Slalom and GS titles before graduating last spring. Nicholas Unkovskoy returns after three podium finishes last season, providing a strong foundation for the men’s squad. A talented first-year class, including Julian Arthur, Thomas Carnahan, Alex Huber, Reagan Harrison, and Sophia Palmquist, will look to make an immediate impact.
Plymouth State
Best Returners: Megan Heckey (So.) and Alvin Guteland Beiming (So.)
Newcomer to watch: Charles Howe
Trevor Hamilton’s Plymouth State Panthers reloaded over the summer, welcoming a talented class of 13 first-year skiers. Alvin Guteland Beiming returns for his first full season after an early injury at the World University Games cut his debut season short. He will be joined on the men’s side by first-years Charles Howe and Emilie Prouvost, both eager to make an immediate impact. On the women’s side, sophomore Megan Heckey brings speed in Slalom, supported by first-years Märta Hahlin and Erin Husken, who are expected to contribute right away. Olivia Andersson will be a contender in GS, with Laurence Bouchard and Marlene Sophie Krohn close behind. With talent across the board, the Panthers aim to gain valuable experience for their young roster while making a statement this season.
Saint Lawrence
Best Returners: Audrey Higgins-Lopez (Sr.) and Alec Nolan (Sr.)
Newcomer to watch: Mollie McTigue
The Saints aim to build on a standout 2025 season, highlighted by Kove Villeneuve’s second-place finish at the Saint Michael’s Carnival, the best result by a Saint Lawrence skier since 2019. Villeneuve, who also qualified for the NCAA Championships, graduated in the spring, but the team in Canton remains strong. Audrey Higgins-Lopez has shown podium potential in the past, and the squad will add first-year Mollie McTigue from Steamboat Mountain School.
On the men’s side, Alec Nolan returns for his senior season after finishing in the top 30 in Slalom four times last year. Junior Charlie Welch also had a strong season with five top-30 finishes in GS, while Kaiden Villeneuve continues to make his mark with multiple top-30 results.
Saint Michael’s
Best Returners: Isabella Knutsen (So.) and Aidan Robin (Jr.)
Newcomer to watch: Julianne Brochu
Gus MacLeod’s squad has been a force in the East over the past few seasons, although this year they will compete without Helene Kristofferson, the athlete who had been at the center of their success. Despite her absence, the team still boasts a strong roster, including talented first-years Julianne Brochu from the Northwood School and Louise Hagman. Aidan Robin and Lawton Jones were consistent top-30 performers last season and will aim to take the next step this year, with Robin’s best finish being sixth and Jones’s best finish eleventh. Other key members, including Oscar Preisler and Isabella Knutsen, will also look to maintain the Purple Knights’ run of strong results.
University of New Hampshire
Best Returners: Hedda Martelleur (Jr.) and Jayden Buckrell (So.)
Newcomer to watch: Celine Sommerová
The Wildcats capped an exceptional 2025 season when Jayden Buckrell became the first National Champion from the East since Mathias Tefre in 2023. Buckrell, who finished second in the Slalom standings behind Bradshaw Underhill, will aim to replicate his success in his second year in Durham. He is far from the only podium contender, as Hedda Martelleur and Tilde Kandell were both electric last season and will return for 2026. Key contributors also include Hunter Roach, Isac Hedström, and Dasha Romanov. Adding to the team’s depth, a talented first-year class joins the squad, led by Celine Sommerová from the Czech National Team.
University of Vermont
Best Returners: Cydnie Timmerman (Sr.) and Magnus Berge Styren (Jr.)
Newcomer to watch: Kendahl Roufa
After an off year only by the Catamounts’ extremely high standards, the University of Vermont is focused on returning to the top and contending for another national championship with a talented roster. The team will compete without Justine Clement and Mackenzie Wood, both of whom earned multiple podiums last season, but they welcome a strong first-year class and return several key skiers. Cydnie Timmerman was a dominant force in Slalom last year, recording four top-five finishes and never placing lower than ninth in the event. She will be joined by Magnus Berge Styren, a former EISA Rookie of the Year, who earned two podiums last season. The incoming class features Kendahl Roufa, who finished third in the 2024 Slalom Nor-Am standings, and Sara Stiel from Burke Mountain Academy. Additional newcomers include Sebastian Weiss from Germany and native Vermonter Cailin Apple, both adding depth and talent to the squad.
Williams
Best Returners: Chloe Lathrop (Jr.) and Cooper Iacobelli (Sr.)
Newcomer to watch: Ashley Anderson
Amber McHugh’s Williams Ephs welcome a talented first-year class this season, highlighted by Ashley Anderson from Ski and Snowboard Club Vail and Chas Benyik from the Stratton Mountain School. Several new names will make an immediate impact in the purple and gold. Cooper Iacobelli, who recorded four top-30 finishes in GS last year, will be one to watch, as will Chloe Lathrop, who earned two top-10 finishes in Slalom and one in GS. Key contributors returning to the roster include Taylor Dulaney and Eliza Sullivan, with Sullivan finishing in the top 30 in all but one race last season.
About the Author: Caleb Horsch
