DENVER – The University of Denver skiing's 2023 team awards are highlighted by Nordic sophomore Andreas Kirkeng and alpine freshman Sara Rask being named the squad's Most Valuable Skiers.
 
Alpine junior Nora Brand and Nordic sophomore Elijah Weenig were named the Pioneers' Most Improved Skiers, while freshmen Selma Andersen of Nordic and Mia Hunt of alpine were chosen as the team's Rookies of the Year. Seniors Bernhard Flaschberger and Cole Puckett are this year's recipients of the Pioneer Award, given to a Nordic and alpine athlete that exemplifies teamwork, hard work and pride in the school.
 
Kirkeng finished in the top 10 in 11-of-12 races during the year, reaching the podium seven times and picking up four victories, the second-most on the team. Three of Kirkeng's victories came in classical, but the Lier, Norway, native was overall consistent in both disciplines as five of his nine top-five finishes and three podiums were in Nordic freestyle—including winning the U.S. Cross Country National Championship and RMISA Qualifier event in the discipline on Jan. 2. Among his victories was also defending his title in classical at the RMISA Championships on Feb. 25 in Alaska.
 
Rask had a freshman year to remember by coming in the top 10 in all 13 races during the season, recording 12 top-five results, 11 podiums and six victories—leading all DU skiers and tied for second among all competitors in the western region. The RMISA Most Valuable Skier in both women's slalom and giant slalom, she had a stretch of finishing on the podium in seven-straight races from Feb. 9-23, featuring five total wins and three victories in a row (Feb. 9-11). The Stockholm, Sweden, native won gold or silver in five of the six giant slalom races and placed in the top five in all seven slalom event, including earning a spot on the podium in six of them. She earned two All-American awards at the NCAA Championships with a pair of podiums, placing second in GS and third in slalom.
 
Brand placed in the top 10 in all 11 races she finished, recording eight top-five results, six podiums and two wins. Seven of her eight top-five finishes were in slalom, along with five of her podiums and both victories. The Munich, Germany, native reached the podium in three straight races beginning with a third-place result at the Denver Invitational on Feb. 11 and finished on the stand in six of her final eight events. Brand picked up her first career victories at the Alaska Anchorage Invitational and RMISA Championships in slalom on Feb. 23-24, and she earned first-team All-American honors for placing second in the discipline at the NCAA Championships on March 10.
 
Weenig registered five top-15 finishes (four freestyle and one classic), scored for the Pioneers in 10-of-14 races and placed in the top 20 in eight-of-14 events during his sophomore campaign. The Jackson, Wyoming, native posted a career-best finish in classic by coming in 12th in the 15K distance on Jan. 13 and came in 13th in the 10K freestyle during the Montana State Invitational, which began a stretch of five straight races inside the top 20.
 
Andersen recorded three top-10 finishes in the Nordic classical and posted five top-15 finishes, with two of those results coming in freestyle. The Oslo, Norway, native finished nine of her 10 races and placed in the top 20 in eight of them. She scored in all nine event she finished and was DU's top women's Nordic scorer in five of them, including having the best result of her season by placing sixth in the 20K classic at the RMISA Championships in Alaska on Feb. 25.
 
Hunt finished 12-of-13 races during her freshman campaign and placed 10 times inside the top 20—with nine being inside the top 15 (six slalom, three giant slalom). The Park City, Utah, native recorded two top-10 finishes during the year, placing eighth in slalom at both the DU Invitational on Feb. 12 and RMISA Championships on Feb. 24. At her first NCAA Championships, Hunt came in 12th in slalom to help the Pioneers win the team alpine national title.
 
Flaschberger finished his senior season with the most podium (five), top-five (nine) and top-10 (13) finishes in a campaign in his career. The St. Veit, Austria, native placed in the top 10 in 13-of-14 races, including in all 12 non-sprint events. Flaschberger registered five podiums and two wins during the year, with all coming in freestyle to help him earn the RMISA Most Valuable Skier in Nordic freestyle, while also adding three top-five finishes in the classical discipline. He was a first-team All-American in freestyle after placing third at the national championship and earned second-team honors after coming in eighth in the 20K classic. Flaschberger earned an All-America award in every national championship race he participated in (seven), becoming one of just three skiers in program history to accomplish the feat while earning at least seven trophies.
 
Puckett repeated as the alpine recipient of the Pioneer Award after also being chosen for the honor as a junior in 2022. The Steamboat Springs, Colorado, native recorded three top-15 finishes during the year while finishing 10-of-11 races. In two slalom races at the Denver Invitational at Loveland on Feb. 11-12, Puckett placed 14th and tied for seventh, respectively—his best finishes of the season and marking his sixth career top 10. An active member in the DU community, he was also one of skiing's representatives on the Denver Athletics' Student-Athlete Advisory Council.
 

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