COPPER MOUNTAIN/BEAVER CREEK, Colo. – The Denver Pioneers alpine squad began its 2026 winter competition season last week with the start of FIS North American Cup circuit in Colorado.
 
The Nor-Am Cup was split at two venues, with the men racing at Beaver Creek Resort while the women took to the hill at Copper Mountain Resort. Both ski areas had hosted FIS World Cup events in the weeks leading up this year's NorAms.
 
In addition to the current student-athletes racing, several recent Denver skiing alumni also competed. The Pioneer alums included 2020 national champion Storm Klomhaus (USA), former All-Americans Cooper Cornelius (USA), Simon Fournier (CAN) and Galena Wardle (USA), as well as Loic Chable (SUI) and Eleri Smart (CAN).
 
Denver's women earned 10 total top-15 finishes in their five races, including graduate student Sara Rask coming in fifth in the second giant slalom event on Dec 10 after placing ninth the previous day in the first GS. Sophomore Liv Mortiz picked up a top 10 as well in the first giant slalom on Dec. 9 by placing seventh.
 
The Pioneers finished strong on the women's side on Dec. 11 in slalom, as five ended up in the top 20. Senior Mia Hunt led the team in sixth, while alum Smart was seventh, Rask placed eighth, senior Nicola Rountree-Williams finished 10th and sophomore Stella Buchheister came in 17th.
 
The DU men also combined for 10 placements in the top 15 in their races, with alum Fournier leading the Pios with a strong showing in the men's tech events. He earned a pair of top-five results by coming in third and fourth place, respectively, in the slaloms on Dec. 12-13 and earned another high finish by scoring in fifth in giant slalom 2.
 
Additionally, 2025 graduate Chable of the Swiss Ski Federation was sixth in the second super G on Dec. 10 and placed 10th in the first giant slalom on Dec. 11.
 
Senior Thomas Hoffman had the best individual finish among active DU men's skiers at the Colorado NorAms by coming in ninth in the first GS.
 
Rask is currently the highest-ranked Pioneer in the overall women's Nor-Am Cup standings in 10th, ranking seventh in giant slalom and eighth in slalom. Graduate student Eirik Kveno is the top DU student-athlete in the men's Nor-Am rankings in 36th, but he is rated 12th in slalom after finishing 12th and 14th in those two races on Dec. 13-14.
 
The Pioneers have four more days of racing in Colorado this week, as they start the annual Murphy Roberts Holiday Classic. The giant slalom races on Wednesday and Thursday were moved to Aspen Highlands due to snow conditions in Steamboat Springs, but the slalom events are still being held at Howelsen Hill Ski Area in Steamboat on Friday and Saturday.
 
Full results of Denver skiers from the initial NorAms are below. DU skiing alumni are noted with asterisks.
 
Monday, Dec. 8
Women's Super G 1 – Copper Mountain
*14. Storm Klomhaus, 1:04.38
 
Women's Super G 2 – Copper Mountain
*DNF: Storm Klomhaus
 
Tuesday, Dec. 9
Women's Giant Slalom – Copper Mountain
7. Liv Moritz, 2:07.88 (1:04.56/1:03.32)
9. Sara Rask, 2:08.35 (1:05.66/1:02.69)
13. Mia Hunt, 2:09.01 (1:05.50/1:03.51)
15. Nicola Rountree-Williams, 2:09.81 (1:07.26/1:02.55)
*23. Galena Wardle, 2:10.69 (1:06.85/1:03.84)
27. Elisabeth Creighton, 2:12.70 (1:08.23/1:04.47)
29. Stella Buchheister, 2:13.50 (1:08.29/1:05.21)
DNF: Cecilia Pizzinato (1:07.03/DNF run 2), *Storm Klomhaus (DNF run 1)
 
Men's Super G – Beaver Creek
22. Adrian Minde Hunshammer, 1:08.57
DNF: *Loic Chable, Pietro Motterlini, *Cooper Cornelius
 
Wednesday, Dec. 10
Women's Giant Slalom – Copper Mountain
5. Sara Rask, 2:08.93 (1:04.88/1:04.05)
16. Mia Hunt, 2:10.05 (1:06.82/1:03.23)
T17. Nicola Rountree-Williams, 2:10.21 (1:06.90/1:03.31)
*20. Storm Klomhaus, 2:10:51 (1:07.93/1:02.58)
30. Cecilia Pizzinato, 2:13.38 (1:08.72/1:04.66)
32. Stella Buchheister, 2:14.34 (1:08.80/1:05:54)
DNF: *Galena Wardle (1:08.65/DNF run 2)
 
Men's Super G – Beaver Creek
*6. Loic Chable, 1:11.25
19. Cooper Cornelius, 1:12.25
28. Adrian Minde Hunshammer, 1:12.86
DNF: Pietro Motterlini
 
Thursday, Dec. 11
Women's Slalom – Copper Mountain
6. Mia Hunt, 1:53.11 (57.42/55.69)
*7. Eleri Smart, 1:53.75 (58.73/55.02)
8. Sara Rask, 1:53.93 (57.97/55.95)
10. Nicola Rountree-Williams, 1:54.54 (58.61/55.93)
17. Stella Buchheister, 1:56.08 (1:00.13/55.95)
DNF: Cecilia Pizzinato (1:01.44/DNF run 2), Elisabeth Creighton (DNF run 1), *Galena Wardle (DNF run 1), *Storm Klomhaus (DNF run 1)
 
Men's Giant Slalom – Beaver Creek
*4. Cooper Cornelius, 2:30.08 (1:13.73/1:16.35)
9. Thomas Hoffman, 2:30.58 (1:13.61/1:16.97)
*10 Loic Chable, 2:30.72 (1:14.99/1:15.73)
24. Adrian Minde Hunshammer, 2:32.15 (1:14.40/1:17.75)
25. Eirik Kveno, 2:32.39 (1:15.12/1:17.27)
*27. Simon Fournier, 2:32.57 (1:15.89/1:16.68)
30. Pietro Motterlini, 2:33.27 (1:15.48/1:17.79)
DNF: Caman Beauregard (DNF run 1)
 
Friday, Dec. 12
Men's Giant Slalom – Beaver Creek
*5. Simon Fournier, 2:22.95 (1:10.25/1:12.70)
20. Thomas Hoffman, 2:24.49 (1:09.95/1:14.54)
22. Christian Soevik, 2:24.67 (1:10.11/1:14.56)
DNQ: Eirik Kveno, Pietro Motterlini
DNF: *Cooper Cornelius (run 2), *Loic Chable (run 2), Adrian Minde Hunshammer (run 2), Caman Beauregard (run 1)
 
Saturday, Dec. 13
Men's Slalom – Beaver Creek
*3. Simon Fournier, 1:46.17 (52.34/53.84)
12. Eirik Kveno, 1:47.22 (52.22/55.30)
18. Adrian Minde Hunshammer, 1:48.44 (52.73/55.71)
DNF: Christian Soevik (run 1), Thomas Hoffman (run 1), Pietro Motterlini (run 1), Caman Beauregard (run 1)
 
Sunday, Dec. 14
Men's Slalom – Beaver Creek
*4. Simon Fournier, 1:42.66 (53.02/49.64)
12. Pietro Motterlini, 1:43.30 (54.55/48.75)
14. Eirik Kveno, 1:43.58 (53.95/49.63)
DSQ: Adrian Minde Hunshammer (run 2)
DNF: Thomas Hoffman (run 2), Christian Soevik (run 1),
DNS: Caman Beauregard
 
 * - DU Skiing Alumni
 

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