DENVER – University of Denver Skiing announced on Wednesday its full slate of team awards, highlighted by alpine senior Katie Hensien and Nordic freshman Andreas Kirkeng be named the 2022 Team MVPs.  In addition, freshmen Sidney Barbier and Cooper Cornelius are this year's Rookies of the Year while senior Sadie Cotton and junior Cole Puckett are the recipients of the Pioneer Award, given to a Nordic and alpine athlete that exemplifies teamwork, hard work and pride in the school.
 
Hensien placed on the podium in six-of-eight races and was in the top five in all seven events she finished.  She won the giant slalom at the RMISA Invitational and Utah Invitational in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 23-24 and is the 2022 NCAA champion in women's slalom after finishing on top of the stand at the national championships on March 11.  Hensien, who also placed second in GS at this year's NCAA Championships, was chosen as the National Women's Alpine Skier of the Year by the U.S. Collegiate Ski Coaches Association.  A member of Team USA in alpine skiing at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Hensien also recorded two second-place finishes in slalom at the RMISA Invite on Jan. 20 and Utah Invite on Jan. 25.
 
Kirkeng had a memorable freshman campaign by finishing in the top 15 in all 12 races, placing in the top five in eight events and picking up two victories.  He earned his first career win in the 5K classic at the UAF Nanook Invitational on Feb. 1 and won the NCAA West Regional title in the 10K classic at the RMISA Championships on Feb. 25.  Kirkeng recorded five podiums during the season, including in each of his last four classic races.  At his first NCAA Championships, he led DU to a silver medal in the 10K classic on March 10.
 
Barbier took part in nine-of-10 Nordic races during the season, posting four top-20 results.  The freshman scored points for the Pioneers in five events in 2022, which included posting season-high 15-place finish in both the 5K classic and 15K freestyle at the RMISA Championships on Feb. 25-26.  She also placed in the top 20 in 10K classic races at the Utah Invitational on Jan. 6 (16th) and Montana State Invitational on Jan. 16 (20th).
 
Cornelius recorded six top-10 finishes and completed 12 of the 13 races he participated in on the alpine circuit.  He reached his first career podium in his collegiate debut as he placed second in the giant slalom at the Montana State Invitational on Jan. 18.  The freshman came in sixth in GS at the RMISA Championships on Feb. 23 and debuted at the NCAA Championships by finishing 13th in giant slalom on March 10.
 
Cotton has competed each of the last four years on the Nordic squad and raced in nine-of-10 events this past year.  The senior tied her career best by coming in 15th in classic sprints at the RMISA Qualifier/U.S. National Championships on Jan. 7 and recorded another top-20 result (20th) in the 10K freestyle at the UAF Nanook Invitational on Feb. 2.
 
Puckett finished 11-of-12 alpine races during his junior campaign for the Pioneers.  He had a career-high fifth-place result in slalom at the Denver Invitational on Feb. 21 and followed it up with an eighth-place finish in giant slalom two days later at the RMISA Championships on Feb. 23—his best-ever NCAA finish in GS.  Puckett posted three other top-15 results during the year, all in slalom.
 

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