The Denver ski team is headed to the NCAA National Championships in Park City, Utah, taking place March 5-8.
Denver has secured 21 National Championship titles in the past and is looking to change that number to 22. From 2008-2010, Denver consecutively clinched three titles to add to their record, but has not found another title since.
Twelve Pioneers qualified to compete in Park City, which is the maximum number of athletes each team can send. Denver is one of eight schools that will be competing with 12 skiers in the championships.
Junior Trevor Philp and freshman Sebastian Brigovic are back from their Olympic debuts in Sochi and will be competing in men’s alpine for the Pioneers. Denver has had 14 podium finishes in alpine this season, 10 of which have been by Philp and Brigovic. Junior Espen Lysdahl was the 2012 NCAA champion in slalom and has had four podium finishes this season. Philp and Lysdahl were two of eight DU skiers named to the 2014 First Team All-RMISA (Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association). DU had the most athletes placed on the First Team All-RMISA in the West Region conference.
Senior Trygve Markset, sophomore Pierre Guedon and freshman Mortiz Madlener will be the Pioneers competing in the Nordic events, which will be held at Solider Hollow in Midway, Utah. Markset will compete in his fourth consecutive NCAA Championship in a row.
Women’s alpine skiers Devin Delaney, a junior, and sophomores Kristine Haugen and Tianda Carroll are all looking to finish their season off strong. Delaney was a member of the U.S. Ski Team in 2010-2011 and Caroll competed in the NCAA Championships last year. Haugen has had four wins this season, along with seven podium finishes in slalom and giant slalom.
Redshirt senior Makayla Cappel, sophomore Silje Benum and freshman Sylvia Nordskar will represent Denver in the women’s Nordic events. Nordskar was the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association MVP of the season and has won four out of seven races, never placing lower than second. Cappel will be making her fourth NCAA Championship appearance for DU.
