Host, Nevada Ski Team | Photo courtesy of University of Nevada Athletics
Nevada Invitational — Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe
Slalom Recap | Jan. 31 – Feb. 1, 2026
The RMISA returned to Lake Tahoe for the first time since 2010 as the University of Nevada hosted the Nevada Invitational at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe. The opening two days featured slalom racing, beginning with a non-scored RMISA qualifier on Saturday before shifting to the scored Nevada Invitational slalom on Sunday.
The contrast between the two days was sharp: a wide-open, balanced qualifier followed by a scored race where Utah capitalized decisively once team points were on the line.
Saturday, Jan. 31 — RMISA Slalom Individual NCAA Qualifier (Non-Scored)
With no team points awarded, Saturday’s slalom produced broad conference representation and little separation between programs.
Women’s Slalom — Top Five
- 1st 🇺🇸 Liv Moritz (USA, 2004) — Denver
- 2nd 🇫🇷 Louison Accambray (FRA, 2001) — Colorado
- 3rd 🇸🇪 Melanie Dahlberg (SWE, 2002) — Utah
- 4th 🇸🇪 Sara Rask (SWE, 2000) — Denver
- 5th 🇺🇸 Erica Lynch (USA, 2003) — Nevada
Denver placed two skiers inside the top four, while Colorado and Utah both reached the podium in a tightly packed field.
Men’s Slalom — Top Five
- 1st 🇬🇧 Lucas Ellis (GBR, 2004) — Colorado Mountain College
- 2nd 🇳🇴 Johs Braathen Herland (NOR, 2003) — Utah
- 3rd 🇪🇸 Alejandro Puente Tasias (ESP, 1994) — Westminster
- 4th 🇧🇷 Christian Soevik (BRA, 2001, Head) — Denver
- 5th 🇨🇭 Loic Spiegelberg (SUI, 2004) — Montana State
Five different programs filled the top five, underscoring the open nature of the qualifier.
Sunday, Feb. 1 — Nevada Invitational Slalom (Scored)
Sunday marked the first scored race of the Nevada Invitational, and the standings shifted immediately as Utah asserted control in both races.
Women’s Slalom — Top Five
- 1st 🇸🇪 Melanie Dahlberg (SWE, 2002) — Utah
- 2nd 🇳🇴 Christina Jacobsen (NOR, 2004) — Utah
- 3rd 🇫🇷 Louison Accambray (FRA, 2001) — Colorado
- 4th 🇺🇸 Stella Buchheister (USA, 2006) — Denver
- 5th 🇺🇸 Tea Kiesel (USA, 2003) — Montana State
Utah went 1–2 at the top, while Accambray earned her sixth straight podium to open the season.
Men’s Slalom — Top Five
- 1st 🇳🇴 Johs Braathen Herland (NOR, 2003) — Utah
- 2nd 🇬🇧 Lucas Ellis (GBR, 2004) — Colorado Mountain College
- 3rd 🇪🇸 Alejandro Puente Tasias (ESP, 1994) — Westminster
- 4th 🇮🇹 Fabio Allasina (ITA, 2004) — Colorado
- 5th 🇳🇴 Torius Hepsoee (NOR, 2004) — Montana State
Herland completed a Utah sweep of the slalom victories, with multiple programs again represented across the top five.
Feb. 1 — Team Scores After Slalom
Nevada Invitational Team Standings After Slalom (Men + Women Combined)
- 1st Utah — 170 pts
- 2nd Denver — 142 pts
- 3rd Montana State — 115 pts
- T4th Colorado — 109 pts
- T4th Colorado Mountain College — 109 pts
- 6th Nevada — 97 pts
- 7th Westminster — 94 pts
- 8th Alaska Anchorage — 70 pts
Giant Slalom — Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe
Monday, Feb. 2 — RMISA Giant Slalom Individual NCAA Qualifier (Non-Scored)
The alpine schedule shifted to giant slalom on Monday with an RMISA qualifier. As with the slalom qualifier earlier in the week, no team points were awarded, but the results offered a clear preview of the form heading into the decisive scored GS.
Women’s Giant Slalom — Top Five
- 1st 🇸🇪 Sara Rask (SWE, 2000) — Denver
- 2nd 🇫🇷 Louison Accambray (FRA, 2001) — Colorado
- 3rd 🇮🇹 Cecilia Pizzinato (ITA, 2004) — Denver
- 4th 🇺🇸 Erica Lynch (USA, 2003) — Nevada
- 5th 🇺🇸 Paige DeHart (USA, 2003) — Colorado
Men’s Giant Slalom — Top Five
- 1st 🇳🇴 Filip Wahlqvist (NOR, 2004) — Colorado
- 2nd 🇳🇴 Johs Braathen Herland (NOR, 2003) — Utah
- 3rd 🇳🇴 Sindre Myklebust (NOR, 2001) — Utah
- 4th 🇺🇸 Justin Bigatel (USA, 2001) — Colorado
- 5th 🇳🇴 Adrian Minde Hunshammer (NOR, 2000) — Denver
Tuesday, Feb. 3 — Nevada Invitational Giant Slalom (Scored)
Team points returned to play on Tuesday, and giant slalom proved decisive in the final shape of the Nevada Invitational. Colorado delivered the strongest single-day performance of the meet, winning both GS races and tightening the overall standings down to the final event.
Women’s Giant Slalom — Top Five
- 1st 🇫🇷 Louison Accambray (FRA, 2001) — Colorado
- 2nd 🇮🇹 Cecilia Pizzinato (ITA, 2004) — Denver
- 3rd 🇺🇸 Tea Kiesel (USA, 2003) — Montana State
- 4th 🇳🇴 Guro Hestad Vognild (NOR, 2000) — Westminster
- 5th 🇸🇪 Melanie Dahlberg (SWE, 2002) — Utah
Accambray capped the meet with her second individual win of the week, while Denver and Montana State each placed athletes on the podium.
Men’s Giant Slalom — Top Five
- 1st 🇳🇴 Filip Wahlqvist (NOR, 2004) — Colorado
- T-2nd 🇮🇹 Feb Allasina (ITA, 2004) — Colorado
- T-2nd 🇺🇸 Justin Bigatel (USA, 2001) — Colorado
- 4th 🇮🇹 Pietro Motterlini (ITA, 2002) — Denver
- 5th 🇳🇴 Sindre Myklebust (NOR, 2001) — Utah
Colorado swept the men’s podium, locking in maximum points on the final day.
Team Scores — Giant Slalom Day (Tuesday, Feb. 3)
Combined men’s + women’s GS
- 1st Colorado — 200
- 2nd Utah — 147
- 3rd Denver — 146
- 4th Nevada — 115
- 5th Montana State — 113
- 6th Colorado Mountain College — 75
- 7th Westminster — 66
- 8th Alaska Anchorage — 45
Combined Team Scores — Slalom + Giant Slalom (Final Standings)
- 1st Utah — 317 pts
- 2nd Colorado — 309 pts
- 3rd Denver — 288 pts
- 4th Montana State — 228.5 pts
- 5th Nevada — 212 pts
- 6th Colorado Mountain College — 184 pts
- 7th Westminster — 160 pts
- 8th Alaska Anchorage — 115.5 pts
Meet Wrap
The Nevada Invitational ultimately came down to balance across both disciplines. Utah built its advantage during Sunday’s slalom races, then backed it up with enough depth in Tuesday’s giant slalom to hold off Colorado’s late push. While the Buffaloes delivered the meet’s most dominant single-day performance with GS wins on both the men’s and women’s sides, Utah’s consistency across all four scored races proved decisive.
Denver rounded out the podium with steady contributions in both slalom and GS, while Montana State and Nevada remained in the hunt through strong individual performances. In the end, the Alpine Meet at Mt. Rose rewarded programs that combined performance in slalom with depth in giant slalom — a formula that carried Utah to the team title in the Wolf Pack’s return to hosting collegiate racing in Tahoe.
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