Featured Image: Credit: Eli Rehmer/Utah Athletics

The Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA) Teams competed in the RMISA Alpine Qualifier Event and the University of Colorado Invitational this past weekend. In Steamboat Springs, the Alpine racers fought for their spot on the leaderboard in two days of giant slalom and one day of slalom. 

The University of Colorado Ski Team won their own Spencer James Nelson Memorial Invitational, the Buffaloe’s first full-meet victory in five years. Also, their SJN Memorial Invitational win was the first since the team’s perfect season in 2015.

Although CU achieved the overall team victory, athletes from other Universities rose to the occasion with several wins. 

For the men, the University of Utah had two victories by Oliver Parazette and Mikkel Solbakken, and the University of Denver had one 1st-place finish from Cooper Cornelius. 

For the women, Madison Hoffman of the University of Utah won on the first day. University of Colorado, Magdalena Luczak achieved the top of the podium on the second day, and Nora Brand of the University of Denver earned first place on the final day. 

Day One- RMISA Qualifier Event 

On February 1st, the men and women competed in giant slalom at Mount Warner, Steamboat Springs, in an RMISA Qualifier race. The race was not part of a meet, so team scores were not recorded. However, the individual results count for the athletes towards their NCAA Championship qualification. 

Day one was exhilarating for the University of Utah, with victories in both fields. 

Utah’s Madison Hoffman dominated both runs, winning the combined time by +0.25 ahead of Luczak (CU). This was a strong collegiate season debut for Hoffman after dedicating time at the beginning of the season to the World Cup circuit. 

The Buffalo, Luczak, was bashing gates and looking for the fastest line down the GS track but was merely off Hoffman’s time. Luczak has just returned to the collegiate circuit after taking 2023 to focus on racing for Poland on the international circuit. She started the year with three top-30 results on the World Cup circuit, and with this strong return to the collegiate circuit, she strives to reenact an individual National Championship victory like she achieved in 2022.

Mikkel Solbakken put down a stellar first run, so when he lost a little time on his second run, he still was able to pull off a win for the Utes. It was Solbakken’s first victory on the collegiate circuit. 

Westminster University also had two athletes on the podium at the RMISA Qualifier, Hannah Saethereng (3rd place) and Loic Chable (2nd place). 

Leon Nikic, skiing for the University of Alaska Anchorage, had two solid runs and secured himself a 3rd-place finish, three-tenths behind Solbakken’s winning time. 

Kalia Lafreniere, a Freshman at the University of Utah, was the youngest racer to break into the top 10 for men or women. The 2004 athlete was the youngest racer by almost two years and achieved a top-10 finish at the RMISA qualifier. It marked the Canadian’s first top-10 result as a collegiate ski racer. 

Day Two- Spencer James Nelson Memorial Invitational Giant Slalom

On the second day of racing, the field got another chance at competing in giant slalom on the Mount Warner track. It was the second RMISA Invitational of the season, and the men and women were filled with eagerness to attack the course. 

Women

On the second day, Luczak (CU) and Hoffman (UU) stood on top of the podium again, achieving 1st and 2nd place. This time Luczak pulled ahead of the field by just +0.04 over Hoffman. The day was a showdown for Luczak and Hoffman, with Luczak winning the first run by over five-tenths and Hoffman coming back with a winning second run. It was a nail-biter, but the day ended with a leading Buffalo, which was exciting for CU’s home Invitational. 

University of Denver, Sara Rask rounded out the podium, her fifth giant slalom podium on the collegiate circuit. Rask has earned herself multiple awards as a Pioneer and achieved 2nd place in the giant slalom at her first NCAA Championship race in Lake Placid, New York.

Men

After being +0.53 off the winning time in the RMISA Qualifier, earning a 6th-place result, Cooper Cornelius was prepared to gun it for the podium. The University of Denver and Stifel US Ski Team athlete raced to victory, dominating by -0.79 over the field. After being named the 2022 DU Alpine Rookie of the Year, he has continued to rack up achievements for the Pioneers and was named to the Stifel US Ski Team C Team before the 2023/24 season. 

His fellow Pioneer, Trey Seymour, finished the day in 2nd place. In the RMISA Qualifier, he was barely pushed off the podium by +0.04 behind Leon Nikic. It was Seymour’s second podium finish on the collegiate circuit, with his first being 3rd place on the same GS hill. 

Leon Nikic rounded out the podium, +0.95 behind Cornelius’s winning time. In the giant slalom races at the University of Utah Invitational, he earned two 2nd-place results. 

Day Three- Spencer James Nelson Memorial Invitational Slalom

On the concluding day of the Spencer James Nelson Memorial Invitational, the fields competed in thrilling slalom races at Howelsen Hill, Steamboat Springs. 

Women

University of Denver Pioneer Nora Brand stepped onto the top of the podium on the final day of racing. It was Brand’s fourth win of her collegiate career. She started the season winning the slalom at the University of Utah Invitational and came into the University of Colorado Invitational with heat. She has earned six top-10 results at the beginning of the season and aims to keep it up through the next invitational in Loveland. 

Luczak achieved her third podium for the weekend, finishing the day in 2nd place, merely +0.14 off the winning time. The Buffalo had a stunning performance in Steamboat and will be taking that momentum into the University of Denver Invitational. 

Kaja Norbye, University of Utah, ended the day with a 3rd-place finish. It was her 3rd podium and 6th top-5 2024 result on the collegiate circuit. She reigned victorious in the slalom at her home Invitational. 

Men

University of Utah, Oliver Parazette, claimed the top podium spot on the last day of racing, +0.37 ahead of Nikic in 2nd place. In the first few races, Parazette earned himself three top-10 finishes, but this was his first time achieving a 2024 podium and the first win of his collegiate career. 

The University of Alaska Anchorage senior, Leon Nikic, is sending it this season, finishing 6 out of the 7 2024 university races on the podium. He has won two collegiate Invitationals but has yet to win one this season. He will be striving for a win at the University of Denver Invitational. 

Rounding out the podium, Jeremie Lagier of Westminster University finished the day +0.82 behind the lead, marking his 4th podium on the collegiate circuit.  

The men and women racers head to Loveland Ski Area next to compete in the University of Denver Invitational today and tomorrow (February 5th and 6th).