RENO, Nev. – The Denver Pioneers ski team was led by its Italian duo on the final day of the 2026 Nevada Invitational on Tuesday, as freshman Cecilia Pizzinato snagged her second consecutive podium finish and sophomore Pietro Motterlini placed in the top five for the first time this season in alpine giant slalom at Mount Rose-Ski Tahoe.
 
From Courmayeur, Italy, Pizzinato recorded a career best as the runner-up behind Colorado's Louison Accambray. She recorded her second straight podium after placing third in Monday's women's GS in the RMISA Alpine Qualifier and third overall of the season (Colorado Invitational giant slalom on Jan. 15 at Aspen Highlands).
 
Motterlini had the fastest second run in the men's alpine event to move up two spots and earn just his second top five of his career. The Milan, Italy, native's last top five was when he placed third in giant slalom at last season's Alaska Anchorage Invitational.
 
As a team, the Pioneers registered more points than they did in the slalom event on Sunday, totaling 146 in GS. DU finished third overall in the Nevada Invite with 288 points, just 29 behind winner Utah (317); Colorado was second (309).
 
"Overall, a pretty solid week with a lot of close calls with Stella [Buchheister in slalom] and Pietro [Motterlini in GS] being fourth," said Denver Otto Tschudi Head Alpine Skiing Coach Joonas Rasanen. "Everyone showed a lot of good skiing, and we're really happy with the way Ceci has come through in the GS. We definitely left something in the tank, but overall a step in the right direction.
 
"We're bummed that we didn't capture the 'Silver Dollar Derby' here at the University of Nevada Invite, but we're going to be back. Nevada put on a great show. They did an excellent job in hosting this event, and they went all out with flyovers and marching bands. It was a super cool atmosphere."
 
Senior Christian Soevik joined Motterlini at the top of the leaderboard in eighth place, picking up his fifth top-10 finish in the last six races. Graduate student Eirik Kveno was the Pioneers' third scorer in 20th, and senior Adrian Minde Hunshammer came in 23rd.
 
Nicola Rountree-Williams earned her second consecutive eighth-place finish for the women, while fellow senior Josephine Trueblood was 14th and sophomore Stella Buchheister came in 18th.
 
Denver was without three of its All-American women in the race as grad student Sara Rask, senior Mia Hunt and sophomore Liv Moritz all didn't compete on the final day at Mount Rose.
 
Senior Thomas Hoffman (run 2) and freshmen Caman Beauregard and Elisabeth Creighton (both run 1) registered DNFs for the Pios.
 
The RMISA circuit was making its return to Tahoe as the Nevada Invitational was held for the first time since February 2010. The Wolf Pack ski program is in its fourth season back at the NCAA level after being reinstated for the 2023 campaign.
 
"Mount Rose was a challenging hill, but I think it played to our advantage," Rasanen said. "We were a little shorthanded today, but we're really proud how the rest of the team came through and stepped up when we needed them to."
 
CU was the biggest winner on Tuesday as the Buffaloes totaled 200 points after winning both individual titles and sweeping the men's podium. Filip Wahlqvist picked up his second-straight victory while Justin Bigatel and Feb Allasina tied for second, finishing just 14-hundredths of a second ahead of Motterlini.
 
Montana State's Tea Kiesel joined Colorado's Accambray and Denver's Pizzinato on the women's stage in third place.
 
UP NEXT: Denver's alpine squad now heads back home to recharge after four days of racing and prepares for the conclusion of the Utah Invitational on Feb. 22-24 at Olympic Park in Park City. The Pioneers Nordic squad now takes center stage on the RMISA tour as it hosts the DU Invitational this Saturday and Sunday at Frisco Nordic Center before heading to Steamboat Springs for the CU Invite on Feb. 13-14.
 
 
DENVER WOMEN GIANT SLALOM INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
2. Cecilia Pizzinato, 1:58.84 (57.22/1:01.62)
8. Nicola Rountree-Williams, 2:01.10 (58.88/1:02.22)
14. Josephine Trueblood, 2:02.28 (1:00.02/1:02.26)
18. Stella Buchheister, 2:02.91 (1:01.09/1:01.82)
DNF: Elisabeth Creighton (Run 1)
DNS: Sara Rask
DNR: Mia Hunt, Liv Moritz
 
DENVER MEN GIANT SLALOM INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
4. Pietro Motterlini, 1:57.06 (59.34/57.72)
7. Christian Soevik, 1:57.57 (59.11/58.46)
20. Eirik Kveno, 1:59.09 (1:00.52/58.57)
23. Adrian Minde Hunshammer, 1:59.81 (58.33/1:01.48)
DNF: Thomas Hoffman, (1:01.25/DNF Run 2), Caman Beauregard (Run 1)
 
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS (through 4-of-4 events): 1. Utah 317; 2. Colorado 309; 3. Denver 288; 4. Montana State 228.5; 5. Nevada 212; 6. Colorado Mountain College 184; 7. Westminster 160; 8. Alaska Anchorage
 
WOMEN'S GIANT SLALOM TOP 10 (24 finishers): 1. Louison Accambray, CU, 1:57.03; 2. Cecilia Pizzinato, DU, 1:58.84; 3. Tea Kiesel, MSU, 2:00.32; 4. Guro Hestad Vognild, WM, 2:00.87; 5. Melanie Dahlberg, UU, 2:00.90; 6. Paige DeHart, CU, 2:00.92; 7. Erica Lynch, UN, 2:00.99; 8. Nicola Rountree-Williams, DU, 2:01.10; 9. Alexa Brownlie, CU, 2:01.40; 10. Kaila Lafreniere, UU, 2:01.49.
 
MEN'S GIANT SLALOM TOP 10 (33 finishers): 1. Filip Wahlqvist, CU, 1:56.55; T2. Feb Allasina, CU, 1:56.92; T2. Justin Bigatel, CU, 1:56.92; 4. Pietro Motterlini, DU, 1:57.06; 5. Sindre Myklebust, UU, 1:57.48; 6. Johs Herland, UU, 1:57.55; 7. Christian Soevik, DU, 1:57.57; 8. Christoffer Oestroem, CU, 1:57.66. 9. Gianluca Boehm, MSU, 1:58.19; 10. David Morken, UN, 1:58.27.


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