Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Utah skiing aims to reclaim the national championship after narrowly losing to Colorado last year.
- The team is motivated by last season's two-point deficit and strengthened by new talent.
- Utah competes in New Hampshire, seeking its 17th NCAA title, with confidence and preparation.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah has made it a habit of winning national championships in skiing.
So when the team fell just 2 points short of national champion Colorado last year in what would have been Utah's fifth straight national title — the equivalent of losing by a less than half of a point in basketball — it was always going to sting.
The taste of defeat — especially being so close to another title — would serve as a motivator for the next season.
"I think we had that motto this year, like, we're getting those 2 points back, so it kind of drove the whole team," alpine skier Claire Timmermann said.
"The 2 points, they were definitely painful last year, so it's big motivation to get that back," added Nordic skier Celine Mayer.
With last year now in the background, Utah returns to nationals — this time in New Hampshire — with their eyes set on redemption and another championship trophy to add to their collection.
It's a team that has been infused with a talented freshman class that also has veteran skiers to lead the way. And there's an undying belief that the team has enough talent — top to bottom — to compete with anyone in the country in its pursuit to be national champions again.
A win this week would give Utah its sixth national championship title over the last eight years of competition (nationals were not held in 2020 due to COVID), and 17th overall as the third most in NCAA history.
"Honestly, they could have taken any single person on this team, and we probably can win — we will win," Timmermann said, matter of factly. "I think it just puts it into perspective that the margins are so small and you've got to be on your A-game."
Though nationals is anything but predictable, especially with varying conditions on the slopes, Utah feels it has made the necessary preparation to be in contention for a title — most likely competing down to the final event with reigning champ Colorado, Denver and Dartmouth (host).
"I feel very confident we're going to be right in the mix," Fredrik Landstedt, Utah's director of skiing, said.
Utah was one of five teams nationally to qualify a full roster of 12 athletes to compete this weekend. The following skiers will compete this week for a chance at a national title:
- Alpine: Kaila Lafreniere, Kaja Norbye and Claire Timmermann (women); Johs Braathen Herland, Sindre Myklebust and Simen Strand (men)
- Nordic: Erica Laven, Celine Mayer and Selma Nevin (women); Brian Bushey, Joe Davies and Zachary Jayne (men)
And unlike other events throughout the season where teams can drop lower scores, this week's nationals counts every participant, so the margin for error is razor thin — hence a loss by 2 points last year.
"There's no extra; everybody scores," Landstedt said. "So if something happens there, you don't have a backup, and that's why always the NCAA championship is super tight every year."
That pressure can both serve as a motivating factor and a stressor, but the skiers are ready to embrace the challenge.
"That's what makes college skiing so special, because, of course, you ski your race, but you know you ski for the team, which gives you that extra push and extra motivation," Mayer said. "Like, if it's a bad day, you always go until the finish line, but it's like 10% extra because you know other people rely on you, so that really helps."
"It gives a little bit more anxiety, not gonna lie," Timmermann added. "But having a team like that, it definitely helps with the nerves, because they all want you to do well. It's an individual sport that's turned into a team sport."
Nationals begins Wednesday and will go through Saturday, culminating in the men's and women's 20K Freestyle event.
