Buffs Hand Out Team Awards At Senior Banquet

BOULDER - The University of Colorado ski team celebrated its National Championship season Thursday night on the Folsom Field Club Level, handing out team awards at its annual banquet.

Sophomore Mads Stroem won the Dick Schoenberger Memorial Award, given to the team's most outstanding skier. Schoenberger was a close friend and supporter of the ski team for many years until his death in 1963. The awards is CU's longest standing award, given every year since 1963. Past winners include Buddy Werner, Bill Marolt, Spider Sabich, assistant coach Jana Weinberger, Maria Grevsgaard and Rune Oedegaard.

Storem finished off one of the best seasons in CU history, winning four races and being a runner-up six more times, including five times to Oedegaard as the duo finished 1-2 in nine of 10 races leading up to the NCAA Championships. Storem finished fourth in the 10K freestyle race and then was second in the 20K classic race at the NCAA Championships, scoring valuable points for the Buffs in their quest for the program's 20th National Championship. A two-time All-American, he was also first-team All-RMISA and the No. 2 seeded skier out of the RMISA for the NCAA Championships.

Oedegaard was awarded the Buddy Werner Memorial Scholarship Award and the Outstanding Career Awards. The Buddy Werner award was named after the man synonymous with competitive skiing in America. He was the United States' first international skiing star who set a fine example and a scholarship commemorating him was established in 1983 for a deserving team member. Oedegaard is now a rare two-time winner of the award, also winning in 2013.

Oedegaard put the caps on one of the best careers in CU history. Leading the Buffs to two NCAA Championships, he was a two time individual NCAA Champion becoming the first skier in NCAA history to repeat as men's classic champion. He won 19 races, more than any male skier on record and his 36 podium appearances are a CU record. He was twice the RMISA Men's Nordic MVP, four times a first-team all-RMISA selection and named the RMISA Men's Nordic Skier of the Year. He was a seven time All-American, including five first-team selections, including twice earning two first-team nods, the two seasons CU won the national championship in 2013 and '15.

Given out every year since 1991, the Laura Sharpe Flood Award is given to the skier who best exemplifies the spirit, enthusiasm and dedication both on the mountain and in the classroom. She tragically lost her life on April 3, 1989, after losing control on a training run at Eldora. The 2015 recipient of the award is senior Shane McLean.

McLean was the model of consistency for the Buffs this season, she was one of just two women's alpine skiers to complete all 12 races leading up to the NCAA Championships. She hiked just once, and in the other 11 races she finished in the top 14 every time, including six top 10 finishes.

The Lucie Hanusova Award has been given every season since 1999 and is given to the team member or members who overcome adversity and challenges with smiles and enthusiasm. For the first time it has been awarded to a skier twice. Junior Adam Zika earned the award this season as he also did in 2013.

The NCAA Individual Champion in the giant slalom as a freshman in 2012, Zika, underwent knee surgery and missed the entire 2013 season and in 2014 was not yet 100 percent. Finally getting back closer to 100 percent in 2015, he showed by being a consistently strong skier in both disciplines. He finished 13 of 14 races on the season, finishing in the top 15 in all 13 of those races with eight top 10 finishes, three in GS and five in slalom action.

Given every year since 1980, the Outstanding Alpine Woman and Outstanding Nordic Woman awards have been given to the top performer in each discipline. The Alpine award was given to Thea Grosvold while the Nordic award was given to Maja Solbakken.

Grosvold emerged as one of the top slalom threats in the nation and won her first collegiate race, taking the slalom race at the Utah Invitational in the first race of the season. In all seven slalom races of the season, she finished in the top eight, including a fifth place finish at the RMISA Championships and sixth place at the NCAA Championships, earning second team All-America honors. A finalist for national women's alpine skier of the year, she was first-team All-RMISA, as well.

Solbakken had a stellar season that concluded with her leading the Buffs in both races at the NCAA Championships, finishing sixth in the freestyle race and fourth in the classic, earning two All-America honors including one first-team nod. She raced in 11 of 12 races on the season and all 11 times finished in the top 15 with nine top 10 finishes and seven times in the top 6 with two podium appearances when she was third in both races at the New Mexico Invitational, earning RMISA Skier of the Week and CU Athlete of the Week honors.

Along with Oedegaard, senior Brooke Wales Granstrom was also given the Outstanding Career Award. A three-year letter winner for the Buffs, Granstrom was key in the Buffs run to the NCAA Championship in two of her three seasons on the squad. A two-time first-team All-American, Granstorm was a three-time all-RMISA selection and in 42 career races, she finished 37 with 33 top 20, 26 top 10 and 17 top five finishes with 10 podium appearances and one race victory. She finished 18 of 21 giant slalom races with top nine finishes in 17 of those 18 races.

The Spencer Nelson Award, given in the spirit of the former CU skier who lost his life just prior to his sophomore season at CU in August 2011, is awarded by Spencer's parents, Peter Nelson and Peggy Smith. This year's recipients of the award are coaches Richard Rokos and Bruce Cranmer.

A total of 17 skiers lettered during the 2015 season with eight Buffs earning All-RMISA and seven Buffs earning All-America honors. Letter winners were Roger Carry, Granstrom, Grosvold, Henrik Gunnarsson, Kasper Hietanen, Jackson Hill, Jessica Honkonen, Petra Hyncicova, Emil Johansson, Ane Johnsen, Jesse Knori, McLean, Oedegaard, Cameron Smith, Solbakken, Stroem and Zika.

Carry, Grosvold, Oedegaard and Stroem were all named first-team All-RMISA while Granstrom, Honkonen, Hyncicova, Johnsen and Solbakken all earning second team honors. Oedegaard and Stroem both earned a pair of first-team All-America honors, Solbakken earned two honors, one first team and one second team, and Johnsen and Hyncicova both earned two second team honors. Grosvold, Honkonen and Gunnarsson all earned second-team honors.

The Buffs finished on paper what was a story book season, winning the first two and last two meets of the season, four of six in all, including the trifecta of championships available including the RMISA Regular Season Championship, the RMISA Championship and the NCAA Championship.