DENVER – University of Denver skiing announced the program's 2026 team awards, with freshman Synne Bollingmo of women's Nordic and senior Mia Hunt of women's alpine headlining the honorees as the Pioneers' Most Valuable Skiers.
 
Freshmen Cecilia Pizzinato of women's alpine and Yannick Zellweger of men's Nordic were selected as the program's Rookies of the Year, while seniors Adrian Minde Hunshammer of men's alpine and Micah Steinberg of men's Nordic were named the team's Most Improved Skiers. Nordic junior Maja Moland and alpine freshman Elisabeth Creighton are this year's recipients of the Pioneer Award, which is given to the Denver skiers that exemplify teamwork, hard work and pride in the school.
 
Bollingmo recorded five top-10 finishes and placed on the podium twice in 12 total events. She finished in the top 15 in 10 of the 12 races she competed in and wrapped up her freshman season by earning first-team All-American honors at the NCAA Championships by coming in third in the 7.5K classic interval start on March 12 in Utah. It was the first podium finish by a DU women's Nordic skier at the NCAAs since Eveliina Piippo won the 5K freestyle in 2020, and it marked the second consecutive season that a Pioneer earned first-team honors in women's cross country after Lea Wenaas placed fourth in the 20K freestyle in 2025. The Raufoss, Norway, native registered her first career podium earlier in the season by also coming in third in the 10K classic mass start at the Denver Invitational in Frisco on Feb. 7.
 
Hunt had the best season of her career as a senior, which featured six podiums and a pair of first-team All-American awards at the NCAA Championships. Hunt placed in the top 20 in 11 of the 12 events she participated in, and each of her six top-10 finishes saw her end up on the podium. Competing in her hometown of Park City, Utah, for the national championships, she produced her first career podium in giant slalom with a third-place finish on March 11. Hunt wrapped up her collegiate career at the NCAA Championships on March 13 by placing second in slalom, marking her fourth podium and third runner-up placement in the last five events of the campaign. This is Hunt's second team accolade after being the recipient of the 2025 Pioneer Award.
 
Pizzinato earned 11 top-10 results and placed on the podium four times while qualifying for the NCAA Championships during her freshman season. The Courmayeur, Italy, native had four top-five results, all of which were in giant slalom, and she placed seventh in slalom four times, tying her season best in the discipline. Pizzinato went on a run of registering 10 straight top-10 results from Jan. 14-Feb. 26 and finished 15-of-16 races during the campaign. She recorded her first career top 10 in giant slalom by finishing 10th at the DU Invite on Jan. 14 at Aspen Highlands before earning her first career podium in third place the next day in GS at the Colorado Invitational on the same course. Pizzinato posted a season best in second place at the Nevada Invitational's giant slalom on Feb. 3. The first-year Pioneer was just outside the top 10 in her debut at the NCAA Championships by coming in 11th in the GS event on March 11 in Utah.
 
Zellweger registered six top-10 and 10 top-15 finishes in 12 total races across both classical and freestyle disciplines during his freshman campaign with Denver. He recorded three top-five results and two podiums, including his first collegiate victory in the 7.5K freestyle at the DU Invitational on Feb. 8 after coming in fourth the previous day in the 10K classic. The Fex, Switzerland, native qualified for the NCAA National Championships at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in Midway, Utah, finishing 20th in the 7.5K classic on March 12 and 15th in the 20K freestyle on March 14.
 
Hunshammer produced a career season as a senior with the Pioneers, placing in the top 10 in 11 of the 14 races he finished (16 total events), which included recording his first career top-fives (four) and his first collegiate podium. He earned his first career All-American award by being named to the second team after placing eighth in giant slalom at the NCAA Championships on March 11 in Utah. The Skedsmokorset, Norway, native picked up his first career podium by finishing third in GS at the Colorado Invitational on Jan. 15 at Aspen Highlands, which was part of four consecutive top-10 results in the state to start the year.
 
Steinberg earned four top-15 finishes and two top-10 results during his senior campaign. He registered a career-best finish in eighth place in the 10K classic during the Denver Invitational on Feb. 7 at Frisco Nordic Center. The Canmore, Alberta, native began the season by tying a then-personal best with his third career top 10 in ninth in the 10K classic on Jan. 4 at the RMISA Invitational during the U.S. Cross Country National Championships in Lake Placid, New York.
 
Creighton recorded three top-10 results and came in the top 15 six times during her freshman season, including placing on the podium in her first career race. She finished seven-of-14 events overall, placing in the top 20 in each of them. The Montreal, Quebec, native earned a qualifying spot for the NCAA Championships and served as an alternate for the event. Creighton made her collegiate debut at the Denver Invitational on Jan. 12 and tied for third place in slalom with teammate Mia Hunt. Her rookie campaign was eventually cut short after suffering season-ending lower-body injuries in the giant slalom event on Feb. 28 at the RMISA Championships at Bridger Bowl Ski Area, Montana.
 
Moland took part in all 13 races and recorded four top-10 finishes and placed in the top 20 in 10 events. The Andebu, Norway, native put together consecutive eighth-place finishes at the Utah Invitational in the 7.5K freestyle and 15K classic on Jan. 24-25 at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center. Moland picked up two more top 10s at Soldier Hollow a month later on Feb. 27-28 for the RMISA Championships, placing ninth in the 7.5K classic on Feb. 27 and eighth in the 20K freestyle on Feb. 28. She finished the season by qualifying for her third and racing at her second career NCAA Championships. This is Moland's third career team honor, as she also earned the Pioneer Award in 2024 as a freshman and was named the team's Most Improved Skier in 2025 as a sophomore.
 
Additionally, senior Eve-Ondine Duchaufour and sophomore Eemil Juntunen were recognized as the individual women's and men's Nordic MVPs, respectively, for their regular-season season performances, while Hunshammer was selected as the individual men's Alpine MVP. All three were acknowledged at DU athletics' annual Crimson Carpet Awards night early in June.
 
Duchaufour recorded a career-best four top-five finishes and placed in the top 10 six times in 10 races during the season. She picked up her second career podium and posted a personal best in second place in the 7.5K classic at the RMISA Championships on Feb. 27 before coming in fourth in the 20K freestyle on Feb. 28.
 
Juntunen registered a career high with seven top-10 finishes in 12 races during his sophomore campaign and his first with Denver. He recorded his first career top-five results by coming in fourth in both the 7.5K freestyle at the DU Invitational on Feb. 8 at Frisco Nordic Center and in the 20K freestyle at the RMISA Championships on Feb. 28 at Soldier Hollow, Utah.
 
Freshman Ruby Serrouya was an honorable mention for the Pioneers' Nordic Rookie of the Year for her international success during the season, as she finished third in the 20K freestyle at the Western Canadian Championships on Jan. 29-Feb. 1 and represented Canada at the 2026 FIS Nordic Junior World Championships in Lillehammer, Norway. At the Junior Worlds, Serrouya placed fourth in the 20K freestyle and finished 10th in freestyle sprints.
 

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