The Dartmouth team celebrates senior Oscar Zimmer after his NCAA Slalom championship win at Utah Olympic Park. (Stephen R. Cloutier)
Day 3 of NCAA Slalom at Utah Olympic Park delivered yet another beautiful day in Park City. Sunny skies and warmer temperatures set the stage, with crews preparing the hill early by bringing out nearly 2,500 lbs of salt in anticipation of the conditions.
Utah Olympic Park is a relentless track. The course keeps coming at you with a solid pitch through the middle before rolling right into an even steeper pitch into the finish. It’s a hill that rewards familiarity — having a home hill advantage, or at least previous experience on the slope, can make a big difference.
Despite the preparations, the wind had other plans. Officials ultimately weren’t able to throw any of the salt, as the gusts prevented it from working effectively on the surface. This led to spring-like conditions, with the course beginning to groove out much quicker than racers would have liked.
The key today was to stay on the attack while making sure to put your skis in the groove, rather than fighting it the whole way down. Those who adapted to the developing ruts and changing surface found the most success on another exciting day of NCAA competition in Park City.
Lamontagne Wins NCAA Slalom Title, Secures Back-to-Back Championships
Montana State senior Justine Lamontagne threw down an incredible performance to take the NCAA Slalom title, marking back-to-back wins this week. Fresh off competing for Canada at the 2026 Olympic Games, Lamontagne showed her experience and composure on the demanding Utah Olympic Park track, ultimately winning by 1.99 seconds over the rest of the field.
Her first run was a full attack, taking advantage of her early start position and the firmer snow before the course began to groove out. She set the tone immediately with a fast, confident run on the relentless pitch.
The second run was a different challenge. With the flip, Lamontagne started 30th, and the course had developed deep grooves. She got rocked around a bit by the ruts near the top but stayed composed and skied a strong run all the way to the finish.
At the bottom, she crossed the line in disbelief, clearly stoked with the result. Lamontagne was also quick to celebrate her teammates’ performances, sharing how excited she was for the team.
Her victory also continues an impressive trend in NCAA women’s alpine racing — the fourth straight year an athlete has swept both alpine titles at the championships. Lamontagne joins a strong list of recent sweep winners: Sara Rask (DU) in 2025, Magdalena Łuczak (CU) in 2024, and Madison Hoffman (Utah) in 2023. The last time the titles were split was in 2022, when Katie Hensien (DU) won slalom and Łuczak (CU) took the giant slalom.
After the race, Lamontagne reflected on the day and the conditions:
“It was such a fun day out here. We had the sun and everything — it was really, really fun, but the conditions were challenging. I had bib two on the first run, which helped for a really good first run. The second run was more of a fight, but I’m really proud of how I skied. It’s really cool to be a dual-time national champion.”
Podium Round Out: Hunt and Accambray Deliver Strong Finishes
After the race, Hunt reflected on the moment and closing out her collegiate career at home:
“My mindset was just to go for it. I knew I had good skiing in me, so I tried to quiet my thoughts and just let myself ski. Having so many people here supporting me — old coaches, friends, and family — made it really special. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my college career.”
In third place, Louison Accambray of the University of Colorado put together two solid runs to earn her podium spot. Sitting sixth after the first run, she knew she needed to make up time. Accambray came out attacking in the second run, doing a much better job staying in the groove and minimizing mistakes compared to her first run. Her consistent skiing paid off, landing her on the podium and collecting valuable points for CU.
After the race, Accambray spoke about the pressure of NCAA’s and the pride she felt for her team:
“The pressure is something else. We have a lot of pressure because we don’t just want to do well for ourselves—we want to do well for the whole team because we love each other and we’re a big family. The conditions were tough and it was a real fight today. A DNF can happen really easily, but we all fought for it and I’m so proud of this team. We weren’t selfish at all—we just fought for each other.”
Women’s Top 5 NCAA Championship
- 1. Justine Lamontagne— Bib 2 — MSU— 1:33.71
- 2. Mia Hunt- Bib 6- DU- 1:35.70
- 3. Louison Accambray — Bib 10— CU — 1:35.80
- 4. Tea Kiesel — Bib 13 — MSU— 1:35.96
- 5. Carissa Cassidy— Bib 5 — CBC- 1:36.14
Women’s Slalom Takeaways: Big Moves, Tough Breaks
The women’s race saw its share of drama, with several strong contenders running into trouble on the challenging Olympic Park track. Zoe Zimmerman (Dartmouth), who led the East in slalom standings coming into the race, DNF’d on the first run after getting twisted up and booting out of the course. Melanie Dahlberg (Utah) also had an early exit, straddling near the top of the course, costing Utah valuable points on their home hill.
Defending NCAA Slalom Champion Sara Rask (Denver) had a particularly heartbreaking run. She looked a bit off early in the soft, warm snow but began finding speed midway down the track, gaining time through the second half. Unfortunately, she got caught up at the third-to-last gate, forcing her to circle back around it and push hard across the final flat just to finish. The mistake dropped her down the results sheet, ultimately finishing 27th on the day.
One of the biggest highlights came from the Montana State women’s team, who delivered a huge performance. Tea Kiesel skied into 4th place, while freshman Lily Sewell laid down a storming second run, finishing 10th overall after posting the second-fastest second run time. With two athletes in the top five and three women finishing in the top 10, MSU had an outstanding day, winning the women’s team standings by nearly 30 points ahead of Colorado.
Head coach Kris Shampeny was thrilled with the team’s performance:
“Justine’s double win is huge for our program. She is the fourth person to win an NCAA Champs and the first to do it twice. The whole team really stepped up this week and it’s showing in their results. Three women in the top 10 and All-American is impressive. We could not be happier for the whole team.”
Men’s Race Up Next: Grooves, Hikes, and Survival Mode
With the warm conditions deep grooves in the course, the men’s race was bound to bring some added drama. The warm conditions, combined with the steep pitch that pulls hard to the left, made for a challenging setup right from the start. Without any salt able to be applied due to the wind, the course began grooving up even before the first racer left the start, after the forerunners had already worked the snow.
As a result, the men were faced with a demanding and constantly changing track. Several racers throughout the field got caught up in the ruts and were forced to hike back up the course after missing a gate. At the NCAA level, hiking is allowed, and many athletes took advantage of the rule to get back into the course and finish their runs, collecting valuable team points despite the tough conditions.
Zimmer Rises Above the Chaos to Take the Win
Dartmouth senior Oscar Zimmer, who has had a strong season racing in the East, rose to the occasion on a track that proved extremely challenging for much of the field. On a day when deep grooves and warm conditions were catching many racers off guard, Zimmer skied with a calm but attacking approach.
In the first run, he showed strong, composed skiing through the turns while executing with great tactical awareness. His run reflected confidence and a clear understanding of what the course demanded. While several racers struggled to adapt to the developing ruts, Zimmer stayed smooth and consistent, putting himself in a strong position.
Even with a slightly slower second run, his two solid performances combined were enough to hold onto the top spot. Zimmer’s consistency paid off, earning the NCAA slalom victory and bringing valuable points back to Dartmouth on a day when some of his teammates had tougher luck on the course.
After the race, Zimmer reflected on what the moment meant to him as he closed out his collegiate career:
“What a way to end my career in college. I’m super happy. It was my best season yet, and to finish my final year like this makes me really proud.”
Arthur and Herland Round Out the Men’s Slalom Podium
Finishing in second place was Julian Arthur from Middlebury, the Rookie of the Year out East, who continued his impressive season with a standout performance. Arthur moved into the lead when he crossed the finish and ultimately landed in the runner-up spot, just 0.25 seconds off the win. The freshman from Vail, Colorado, skiing for Middlebury, put together two consistent runs on a hill that was challenging much of the field, proving he could handle the pressure on the national stage and securing a podium finish in his first NCAA Championships.
After the race, Arthur reflected on the moment and the inspiration from his teammate:
“It was a really cool feeling to have the freedom to attack the second run without any nerves about holding a position. Having my teammate Nick podium in the GS was really inspiring to me. I grew up looking up to him while he was a PG in Vail and have continued to admire the person and athlete he is. Nick has been an unbelievable captain this season, constantly pushing me and helping me improve in and out of the sport. Seeing his success and knowing the faith he has in me allowed me to ski to the best of my ability today. Having two Midd athletes on the podium this week, especially Nick, made it an extremely enjoyable experience that I’ll hold onto for the rest of my life.”
Middlebury head coach Abby Copeland echoed that pride after seeing two Panthers land on NCAA podiums this week:
“I’m so proud of this team. The carnival season started off a bit rocky for our crew this year, but every weekend we continued to build, progress, push, and support one another out there. To see both Nick and Julian podium at NCAAs feels so good. The momentum was there and they showed up and kept it going. I’m so happy for those guys. There’s no better environment for developing as a ski racer than in college, and these guys are proving that point. I’m absolutely thrilled for them—and for our entire team who helped them get here.”
Rounding out the podium in third place was Johs Herland from the University of Utah, who has had a strong season and also won the NCAA Giant Slalom title on Wednesday earlier this week. Skiing on his home hill, Herland capitalized on the opportunity in the second run. Sitting ninth after the first run, he laid down a much faster second run to move up the leaderboard and secure the final podium spot. Clearly excited at the finish, Herland continued his impressive NCAA week with another big result, delivering under the pressure when it mattered most.
Men’s Top 5 NCAA Championship
- 1. Oscar Zimmer— Bib 6 — Dartmouth— 1:33.77
- 2. Julian Arthur — Bib 7 — MID — 1:34.02
- 3. Johs Herland- Bib 10- UU- 1:34.07
- 4. Pierick Charest — Bib 13— UU— 1:34.09
- 5. Filip Wahlqvist— Bib 9 — CU- 1:34.41
- 5. Feb Allasina- Bib 1- CU- 1:34.41
Men’s Slalom Takeaways: Utah Shines in Tough Conditions
While the sun stayed out and the setting in Park City was beautiful, the men’s slalom presented some extremely challenging conditions. Deep grooves developed early in the course, turning the race into a true tactical battle. Many racers struggled to find the right rhythm, working to place their skis into the established groove rather than fighting against it down the steep, demanding track.
The University of Utah men delivered a strong performance on their home hill, taking advantage of their familiarity with the slope. They placed two athletes inside the top five, carrying the weight of their team on their shoulders and scoring the best result among the men’s teams on the day. The Colorado men also had a solid showing, putting two racers in the top five as well, with two of the Buffalo athletes tying for fifth place.
Another standout moment came from Calum Langmuir of Dartmouth. After having to hike on his first run, Langmuir took full advantage of his start position on the second run and laid down the fastest second run of the race, showing impressive resilience and speed on the challenging track.
Jayden Buckrell from the University of New Hampshire, who won the NCAA Slalom title as a freshman last year, was looking to defend his crown. Buckrell, sitting 3rd after first run, pushed hard in the demanding conditions but made a few too many mistakes in run two while fighting for the top spot, ultimately unable to repeat last year’s championship performance.
Team Standings Tight Heading Into Final Day
After three days of NCAA Championship racing — Giant Slalom, the 7.5k Classic Nordic race, and today’s Slalom — the Colorado Buffaloes sit at the top of the leaderboard with 415 points, holding a narrow 7.5-point lead over the home team, the University of Utah (408.5). Denver University currently sits in third place with 314.5 points.
Everything will come down to the final day of racing tomorrow, when the Nordic teams take to the course for the Mass Start Freestyle Skate. With alpine racing complete, the alpine athletes will now be on the sidelines, cheering loudly to bring their Nordic teammates across the finish line.
Who will take home the NCAA Championship title? Stay tuned.
Looking ahead, next year’s NCAA Championships return to the East Coast, where the UVM Catamounts will host at Stowe.
About the Author: Katie Twible
