STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. – The Denver Pioneers ski team got its first look of the season of the courses for the 2024 NCAA Championships this week as the alpine squad competed at the annual Murphy Roberts Holiday Classic.
DU now aims to find the same success at the NCAA finale in March as the team had over the past four days with giant slalom and slalom races at Steamboat Resort's Mount Werner and Howelsen Hill Ski Area.
Sophomore
Sara Rask and freshman
Liv Moritz both picked up individual wins during the week, and Rask finished atop the podium's customary saddle as the individual women's champion. Rask began the week with a runner-up and fourth-place finish in giant slalom before winning the first slalom event on Wednesday. It was the second-straight year that a Pioneer won the women's title following
Nora Brand's victory last December.
Moritz continued to put together solid pre-season performances, as she won the first giant slalom on Monday before placing fifth in the second GS on Tuesday and seventh in Thursday's slalom finale.
Brand, now a senior, also produced four strong races with top 10s in each event, including a third-place result in the slalom finale.
Freshman
Christian Soevik led the Pioneer men with a top-15 placement in each race and had a runner-up performance in the first slalom on Wednesday. DU skiing alums
Simon Fournier and
Tristan Lane also raced, with Fournier finishing in the top 10 every day.
The annual Murphy Roberts Holiday Classic is named in honor of the former Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club alpine skier that passed away unexpectedly at age 22 in 2016. The event features prize money for the top five finishers of each race and the overall men's and women's winner.
This year's event saw a variety of student-athletes from RMISA and EISA schools compete, with skiers from CU, Utah, Montana State Westminster, Colorado Mountain College, Bates College, Boston College and Middlebury joining the Pioneers on the slopes.
Below are full Denver results from the 2023 Holiday Classic.
Monday, Dec. 18
Women's Giant Slalom
1. Liv Moritz, 1:53.73 (57.12/56.61)
2.
Sara Rask, 1:53.80 (57.35/56.45)
5.
Nora Brand, 1:55.20 (58.49/56.71)
7.
Mia Hunt, 1:55.86 (58.02/57.84)
23.
Josephine Trueblood, 1:58.60 (59.97/58.63)
Men's Giant Slalom
9.
Simon Fournier, 1:46.75 (52.87/53.88)**
13.
Adrian Minde Hunshammer, 1:47.02 (53.32/53.70)
14.
Cooper Cornelius, 1:47.04 (52.48/54.56)
15. Christian Soevik, 1:47.06 (53.66/53.40)
21.
Tristan Lane, 1:47.32 (53.47/53.85)**
27.
Jack Bowers, 1:47.80 (53.83/53.97)
28.
Trey Seymour, 1:48.92 (54.41/54.51)
DNF:
Thomas Hoffman (Run 2)
Tuesday, Dec. 19
Women's Giant Slalom
4.
Sara Rask, 1:50.43 (54.79/55.64)
5. Liv Moritz, 1:50.90 (54.71/56.19)
9.
Nora Brand, 1:51.99 (55.10/56.89)
12.
Mia Hunt, 1:52.48 (54.94/57.54)
26.
Josephine Trueblood, 1:54.19 (57.22/56.97)
Men's Giant Slalom
T6. Christian Soevik, 1:51.21 (57.75/53.46)
T6.
Simon Fournier, 1:51.21 (57.32/53.89)**
T9.
Adrian Minde Hunshammer, 1:51.42 (58.37/53.05)
13.
Thomas Hoffman, 1:51.69 (57.74/53.95)
15.
Trey Seymour, 1:51.85 (58.23/53.62)
T21.
Cooper Cornelius, 1:52.17 (57.33/54.84)
35.
Jack Bowers, 1:54.42 (59.14/55.28)
DNF:
Tristan Lane (Run 1)**
Wednesday, Dec. 20
Women's Slalom
1.
Sara Rask, 1:20.84 (40.34/40.50)
7.
Mia Hunt, 1:23.65 (42.65/41.00)
8.
Nora Brand, 1:24.94 (43.35/41.59)
DNF: Liv Moritz (Run 2),
Josephine Trueblood (Run 1)
Men's Slalom
2. Christian Soevik, 1:15.65 (37.50/38.15)
8.
Simon Fournier, 1:16.08 (37.07/39.01)**
18.
Jack Bowers, 1:17.19 (38.09/39.10)
20.
Adrian Minde Hunshammer, 1:17.51 (38.69/38.82)
22.
Cooper Cornelius, 1:17.63 (38.68/38.95)
DNF:
Thomas Hoffman (Run 1),
Trey Seymour (Run 1)
Thursday, Dec. 21
Women's Slalom
3.
Nora Brand, 1:24.93 (43.31/41.62)
7. Liv Moritz, 1:25.39 (43.46/41.93)
16.
Josephine Trueblood, 1:28.70 (46.22/42.48)
DNF:
Sara Rask (Run 1),
Mia Hunt (Run 1)
Men's Slalom
8. Christian Soevik, 1:26.23 (45.34/40.89)
9.
Simon Fournier, 1:26.31 (45.56/40.75)**
13.
Trey Seymour, 1:26.77 (47.07/39.70)
19.
Adrian Minde Hunshammer, 1:27.25 (47.02/40.23)
23.
Cooper Cornelius, 1:27.53 (47.39/40.14)
31.
Thomas Hoffman, 1:30.86 (47.97/42.89)
DNF:
Jack Bowers (Run 2)
**Denver skiing alum
UP NEXT: The alpine Pioneers have about a week and a half off for the holidays before resuming the Nor-Am Cup schedule at Stratton and Burke Mountains, Vermont, from Jan. 2-5. The NCAA season begins for the alpiners with the Westminster and Utah Invitationals on Jan. 17-20.
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