Four Utah Podiums Highlight Slalom No. 2 at Denver Invitational

Tuesday, February 6, 2024 • by Ryan Gallant, RMISA

GEORGETOWN, Colo.—The Utah Ski Team pulled atop the team standings as the Utes took four of the six total podium spots—including both individual wins—on Tuesday in the second day of slalom racing at the Denver Invitational. It brought the alpine portion of the meet to a close, with Nordic races set to begin on Friday, Feb. 9 at Maloit Park in Minturn, Colorado.

Utah's Kaja Norbye was the winner on the women's side, with Sara Rask of the host Pioneers and Madison Hoffman from the Utes claiming silver and bronze, respectively. Rask came off the first run with the lead and Norbye behind her in second, before Norbye put together a top-three second run to claim the top overall spot for the day.

Nora Brand (Denver) and Nicola Rountree-Williams (Colorado Mountain College) rounded out the women's top-five. Other top team finishers included Hannah Saethereng (Westminster; 6th), a tie for seventh between Colorado's Caroline Jones and UAA's Ella Bromee, Justine Lamontagne (Montana State; 12th) and Nevada's Jessica Blackburn (31st).

Utah had four of the top five second runs to close out the women's race.

The men's race went as the first RMISA victory for Utah's Raphael Lessard, using a second-place second run to vault atop the podium all the way from 14th place. Teammate Mikkel Solbakken had silver and Roman Frost of Westminster won the second run to ultimately place third for the day and ski to the podium.

Utah put two more skiers into the top-10 in Gustav Vollo (7th) and Sindre Myklebust (10th), while Colorado, Denver and Westminster had two apiece in the top-10 on the men's side.

TEAM STANDINGS (through 4-of-8 events): 1. Utah 350; 2. Denver 327; 3. Colorado 288; 4. Westminster 241.5; 5. UAA 225; 6. Montana State 188.5; 7. Nevada 118; 8. CMC 116.

MEN'S SLALOM #2 TOP 10 (30 finishers): 1. Raphael Lessard, UU; 2. Mikkel Solbakken, UU; 3. Roman Frost, WM; 4. Christian Soevik, DU; 5. Filip Wahlqvist, CU; 6. Louis Fausa, CU; 7. Gustav Vollo, UU; 8. Jeremie Lagier, WM; 9. Trey Seymour, DU; 10. Sindre Myklebust, UU.

WOMEN'S SLALOM #2 TOP 10 (32 finishers): 1. Kaja Norbye, UU; 2. Sara Rask, DU; 3. Madison Hoffman, UU; 4. Nora Brand, DU; 5. Nicola Rountree-Williams, CMC; 6. Hannah Saethereng, WM; T-7. Caroline Jones CU and Ella Bromee UAA; 9. Ainsley Proffit, UAA; 10. Michelle Kerven, UU.