Featured Image: University of Utah Invitational. Credit: Eli Rehmer/Utah Athletics
The Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA) kicked off its 2024 Alpine racing season at Spencer F. Eccles Olympic Mountain Center at the Utah Olympic Park. On the new hill, the women and men geared up for two days of back-to-back slalom events. The first day of racing was the Westminster University Invitational, and the second was the University of Utah Invitational.
On the first day of the event, the athletes had to endure unfavorable weather conditions, with over 50% of the fields not finishing the race. Nevertheless, the weather positively changed the following day, with both fields enjoying partly sunny conditions.
Nora Brand explained, “We had very challenging conditions because it snowed so much yesterday. But the crew worked the whole day on the hill so we could pull off the runs. It was challenging and tough, but in the end, it was a really good race.”
The Women
For the women, several athletes made a big impression in the slaloms during the first event, with exciting victories and multiple podiums. Nora Brand, skiing for the University of Denver, won the first race by -0.88 and earned a 4th-place finish on the second day.
She stated, “It has been super fun to get back into college racing. You really feel the college community, and going back to that compared to the other races that we have done before is absolutely amazing. Super fun to see everyone,” she continued, “My main goal for the season is to get as many points for the team as possible to win NCAAs.”
The winner of the second day was Kaja Norbye from the University of Utah. She started the day with a winning first run but lost time on her second run. Nonetheless, she still clenched onto victory. On the first day, she achieved a 3rd-place finish, which ignited her confidence to find the top of the podium.
Norbye stated after the first day, “Coming back from an injury last year, I was not sure what I would be able to accomplish or where my level is at right now,” she continued, “So it was a very pleasant surprise to be able to perform on a day like today, and a huge confidence boost going into the rest of this week’s races!”
University of Alaska Anchorage athlete Ainsley Proffit had an excellent start by securing 2nd place in both slalom races. Before the previous academic year, she transferred from Colorado Mountain College to Alaska. During the 2022-23 season, she achieved her best finish with a 4th in slalom at the University of Denver Invitational. Thus, these two 2nd-place finishes mark a significant achievement for the start of Proffit’s season.
Kristiane Bekkestad, skiing for Montana State University, had a solid start to the season. Slalom has been the event where Bekkestad has shined on the NCAA circuit. At the NCAA Championships in 2022, she achieved 3rd in the slalom event and, in 2023, placed 5th. She pushed out of the start gate in Utah with tenacity to find the top of the podium. She finished the two days earning a 4th-place and 3rd-place result.
The youngest athlete to push her way into a top-10 finish was U18 athlete Dyllan Guay, skiing for the Park City Ski and Snowboard Team. On the first day of racing, she wore bib-61 and showcased her skiing prowess, clinching the 10th-place position. This accomplishment holds value for the young athlete, as her best FIS result this season was 11th place at Snow King Mountain Resort.
The Men
The slalom days for the men were brimming with excitement and the eagerness to push from the start through the finish line. Freshman Filip Wahlqvist, skiing for the University of Colorado, came into his first Invitational event with a stand-out performance, winning two back-to-back victories in the slaloms.
This performance was a milestone for the University of Colorado, as Wahlqvist became only the fifth skier in the Buff’s history to win his first invitational men’s alpine race.
The University of Colorado Head Coach, Ian Lochhead stated, “Great performance today for Filip, really dominant.”
Leon Nikic, a junior at the University of Alaska Anchorage, was the 2023 NCAA West Regional Champion in giant slalom. He placed 6th in the NCAA National Championships slalom that same season.
On both days, Nikic displayed tenacity to step onto the podium. He succeeded by finishing 2nd place on the first day of slalom but unfortunately did not finish on the second. Nevertheless, after his initial run on the second day, Nikic’s performance appeared promising as he held the 2nd-place position heading into the final run.
Gianluca Böhm was another athlete to excel in the first RMISA Invitational. Böhm is a sophomore at Montana State University. On the first day of slalom, he achieved a 4th-place result, merely missing the podium by +0.04. That ignited the athlete to push even harder on the second day to step on the podium. He secured himself a 2nd-place finish, which was an excellent result for Böhm’s first Invitational of the season.
The Invitational will transition into giant slalom for the next two days (January 19th and 20th). Currently, Utah leads its own meet with 533 points. The athletes have spent the first two days reacquainting themselves with college racing and will now channel that energy into the giant slaloms.
Results from the Westminster Invitational
About the Author: Ellie Hartman
