LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – The University of Denver ski team finished third overall in a field of 22 schools as the 2023 NCAA Championships wrapped up with the men's and women's 20-kilometer classical events at Mt. Van Hoevenberg at the Olympic Sports Complex.
 
"It was an exciting final day of racing to wrap up the NCAA Championships in Lake Placid," said Denver Nordic Head Coach Rogan Brown. "The Nordic squad was looking for some stronger results to move up the podium, but they all fought hard to hold on to that third place. The alpiners brought some great energy and support today on the trails. The team gave it their all, and I'm very proud of the group for pushing themselves in these tough classic conditions. It was great to watch Berni wrap up his collegiate career today with an All-American performance and a big smile on his face."
 
Senior Bernhard Flaschberger led Denver in the men's race with an eighth-place finish, earning second-team All-American honors after posting a time of 56:22.8. Flaschberger, who placed third in the men's 10K freestyle on Thursday, concludes his time in college racing with top-10 finishes in all seven races at four different national championships.
 
Sophomore Andreas Kirkeng was 16th in 58:42.6 during the mass-start race, and sophomore Elijah Weenig wrapped up his first nationals experience by coming in 24th with a time of 1:00:05.9.
 
In the women's 20K, Denver had both of its skiers place in the top 20 as junior Hanna Ray clocked in at 1:04:40.4 to finish 17th and freshman Selma Andersen was 20th with a time of 1:05:35.8.
 
Utah's Novie McCabe completed the women's Nordic sweep by winning the 20K in 1:00:04.3 after winning the 5Kk freestyle two days earlier. She was joined on the podium by Colorado's Hanna Abrahamsson and UU teammate Sophia Laukli.
 
The Eastern schools swept the men's podium with Remi Drolet of Harvard winning the individual championship in 54:54.6. Dartmouth's John Steel Hagenbuch was second and Vermont's Jacob Nystedt was third.
 
DU's third-place finish marked the third-straight season where the Pioneers have finished on the team podium. Denver also placed third in 2021 and 2022.
 
Utah won its fourth straight championship with a four-day total of 526 points. Colorado was second with 491.5 points following a big final day of Nordic. Denver recorded 416.5 total points.

Overall, the Pioneers finished with eight All-America awards and five first-team honors. Flaschberger and junior alpine skier Nora Brand won both first and second-team accolades, and alpine freshman Sara Rask earned two first-team honors after second and third-place finishes in giant slalom and slalom, respectively.
 
NEXT UP: The collegiate season is now over, but there are still a few races left for the Pioneers in the spring. Several of the Nordic athletes are set to compete in the Super Tour Finals in Craftsbury, Vermont, on March 22-26, and alpine has races at the Nor-Am Cup Finals in Whistler, British Columbia, on March 25-28 and the U.S. National Championships in Sun Valley, Idaho, on April 2-5.
 
 
DENVER MEN INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
8. Bernhard Flaschberger, 56:22.8
16. Andreas Kirkeng, 58:42.6
24. Elijah Weenig, 1:00:05.9
 
DENVER WOMEN INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
17. Hanna Ray, 1:04:40.4
20. Selma Andersen, 1:05:35.8
 
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS (through 8-of-8 events): 1. Utah 526; 2. Colorado 491.5; 3. Denver 416.5; 4. Vermont 343; 5. Dartmouth 335.5; 6. Montana State 280; 7. Alaska Fairbanks 268; 8. New Hampshire 234; 9. Westminster 225; 10. Middlebury 215; 11. St. Michael's 145; 12. Alaska Anchorage 130; 13. Plymouth State 104; T14. Harvard 67; T14. Michigan Tech 67; 16. Colby 58; 17. St. Lawrence 43; 18. Nevada 21; 19. Northern Michigan 20.5; T20. Bowdoin, St. Scholastica, & Williams 0.
 
MEN'S 20K CLASSIC TOP 10 (40 finishers): 1. Remi Drolet, HAR, 54:54.6; 2. John Steel Hagenbuch, DAR, 54:59.3; 3. Jacob Nystedt, UVM, 55:17.4; 4. Samuel Hendry, UU, 55:43.0; 5. Magnus Boee, CU, 55:46.1; 6. Joe Davies, UAF, 55:48.3; 7. Mike Ophoff, UAF, 56:13.7; 8. Bernhard Flaschberger, DU, 56:22.8; 9. Jack Lange, DAR, 56:30.1; 10. Will Koch, CU, 56:34.0.
 
WOMEN'S 20K CLASSIC TOP 10 (40 finishers): 1. Novie McCabe, UU, 1:00:04.3; 2. Hanna Abrahamsson, CU, 1:00:23.9; 3. Sophia Laukli, UU, 1:00:25.3; 4. Mariel Pulles, UAF, 1:01:20.9; 5. Sydney Palmer-Leger, UU, 1:01:31.2; 6. Jasmine Lyons, UNH, 1:02:05.3; 7. Ava Thurston, DAR, 1:02:37.3; 8. Jasmine Drolet, DAR, 1:02:53.4; 9. Weronika Kaleta, CU, 1:03:05.4; 10. Waverly Gebhardt, UVM, 1:03:05.8.


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