Colorado University Athletics
Season Preview: CU Ski Team Looks to Continue Odd Year Trend in '17
January 04, 2017 | Skiing
Colorado won the national championship in 2011, 2013 and 2015. Will the trend repeat itself in 2017?
BOULDER – The University of Colorado ski program is set to embark on the 2017 season and returns a cast of nine All-Americans on its roster that seeks to win the schools 21st national championship.
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Having won the national title in 2011, 2013 and 2015, the Buffs look to keep the odd-year trend alive in 2017, which will be the 27th under the direction of head coach Richard Rokos.
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Only the University of Denver has won more national championships (including co-titles and AIAW) in NCAA skiing history with 23. Despite four top 10 finishes in the Nordic freestyle on the final day of the 2016 NCAA Championships, the Buffs finished second to Denver last year and now CU looks to get back on top with its experienced returnees that will blend in this year with elite newcomers.
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For Rokos, the goals and expectations never change.
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"It stays that way," Rokos said of his annual goal to win the national championship. "We are in the bracket to make it and why make goals other than the highest one? As long as there is potential, there is no reason to set a lower goal than winning the championship again."
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The group of nine returning All-Americans is highlighted by senior Mads Stroem, who will lead the men's Nordic charge in 2017. Stroem swept the NCAA Championships last season, becoming the third CU athlete under head Nordic coach Bruce Cranmer to individual NCAA Championship sweeps (but Stroem the first male to do so). Stroem is a six-time All-American who has 14 career victories and 26 podium finishes in 32 career races entering his senior season.
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"He is a very exceptional skier, no question," Rokos said of Stroem. "As long as he will stay healthy and has a fairly good immune system he will make an impact again. He is a good, good guy to be around, an example for our kids, he is always helping with our team and all those things are very positive."
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Of the other eight returning All-Americans, seven of them earned first-team honors with their finishes at the 2016 NCAA Championships.
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"I think we have a very strong team, there is no question about it," Rokos said. "On both sides we don't have too much depth, actually Nordic has more than alpine which is not typical because alpine is more prone to injuries, but that's how it is. This year will be about staying healthy and without injuries throughout the season. Hopefully we are done with injuries."
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Women's Alpine
CU returns two All-Americans on the women's Alpine team in Nora Christensen (first-team, 2016 slalom) and Tonje Trulsrud (first-team, 2016 giant slalom). Trulsrud finished 12 of 14 races last year in her freshman season, finished 10 times in the top 10 and took third in the giant slalom at the NCAA Championships. Christensen took fifth place in the slalom at the 2016 NCAA Championships, also during her freshman season, and the slalom was her top event her rookie year as she posted five top 15 finishes there. Katie Hostetler is the only other returnee here, and the only senior among the six women alpine skiers. Hostetler finished 11-of-12 races last year all the way through the RMISA Championships. Joining that trio are the three newcomers in Andrea Arnold (Boulder, Colo.), Isabella Fidjeland (Kristiansand, Norway) and Megan McGrew (Frisco, Colo.). Fidjeland missed most all of fall training due to a knee injury, but is set to make a return in January to help add depth to the squad.
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Men's Alpine
CU returns two of its three skiers who went to the 2016 NCAA Championships last year in Max Luukko and Ola Johansen, both of whom were All-Americans. Luukko won the slalom at the RMISA Championships and finished fifth in the event at the NCAA Championships to draw first-team All-America honors. Johansen was named the RMISA Most Valuable Skier for alpine last year by 50 points over the other men's alpine skiers in the western region. Senior Roger Carry is making his return after missing the latter part of 2016 with a knee injury and then Rokos has brought in two talented newcomers in freshman David Ketterer and Bobby Moyer (Aspen, Colo.). Moyer has been limited in the fall recovering from injury. Ketterer has already made an impression since arriving on campus with several top finishes in FIS races, including a win in the men's slalom at the Canada NorAM Cup on Dec. 19.
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Women's Nordic
Colorado may be deepest on the women's Nordic team, returning three All-Americans here along with two others who return as seniors. The three All-Americans all earned first-team honors at the 2016 NCAA Championships with Petra Hyncicova finishing second in the freestyle, Ane Johnsen third in the classical race and Jesse Knori fifth in the classical. The two senior returnees, Camilla Brautaset and Lucy Newman, are joined by sophomore Christina Rolandsen and lone newcomer Anne Siri Lervik (Asker, Norway). Newman has NCAA Championship experience from her freshman season and has competed in 26 career races while Brautaset's 30 races are the most of any Buff on the Nordic roster. Rolandsen finished sixth in the classical at the RMISA Championships her freshman season, ending her first campaign at CU with her best finish of the season.
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Men's Nordic
With one of the most dominant skiers in CU history if not the entire RMISA, Colorado's men's Nordic team is anchored by the three-time NCAA Champion Stroem. Although he is not alone on the elite side here, as sophomore Petter Reistad is coming off an impressive freshman campaign where he finished top 10 in all 11 of his races last year. Reistad earned second-team All-America honors for finishing sixth and ninth at the NCAA Championships in the freestyle and classical disciplines, respectively. Jackson Hill, now a senior, was an NCAA competitor in 2015 and also returning is senior Max Scrimgeour and junior Ian Boucher. The one newcomer to the team is Andrew Potyk, who earned All-America honors in the 15K freestyle race at the 2016 Junior Nationals.
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Rokos on the Schedule
"We are not hosting (an event) this year, but in going to Alaska it is always very special for our kids. We are going there actually for a double week, which makes pretty much a third of our qualifying season. We are in Utah and Montana and between those two and Alaska are our only qualifiers this year before Regionals in Beaver Creek. It's a good season, the schedule is fine and we'll be good."
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Having won the national title in 2011, 2013 and 2015, the Buffs look to keep the odd-year trend alive in 2017, which will be the 27th under the direction of head coach Richard Rokos.
Â
Only the University of Denver has won more national championships (including co-titles and AIAW) in NCAA skiing history with 23. Despite four top 10 finishes in the Nordic freestyle on the final day of the 2016 NCAA Championships, the Buffs finished second to Denver last year and now CU looks to get back on top with its experienced returnees that will blend in this year with elite newcomers.
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For Rokos, the goals and expectations never change.
Â
"It stays that way," Rokos said of his annual goal to win the national championship. "We are in the bracket to make it and why make goals other than the highest one? As long as there is potential, there is no reason to set a lower goal than winning the championship again."
Â
The group of nine returning All-Americans is highlighted by senior Mads Stroem, who will lead the men's Nordic charge in 2017. Stroem swept the NCAA Championships last season, becoming the third CU athlete under head Nordic coach Bruce Cranmer to individual NCAA Championship sweeps (but Stroem the first male to do so). Stroem is a six-time All-American who has 14 career victories and 26 podium finishes in 32 career races entering his senior season.
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"He is a very exceptional skier, no question," Rokos said of Stroem. "As long as he will stay healthy and has a fairly good immune system he will make an impact again. He is a good, good guy to be around, an example for our kids, he is always helping with our team and all those things are very positive."
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Of the other eight returning All-Americans, seven of them earned first-team honors with their finishes at the 2016 NCAA Championships.
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"I think we have a very strong team, there is no question about it," Rokos said. "On both sides we don't have too much depth, actually Nordic has more than alpine which is not typical because alpine is more prone to injuries, but that's how it is. This year will be about staying healthy and without injuries throughout the season. Hopefully we are done with injuries."
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Women's Alpine
CU returns two All-Americans on the women's Alpine team in Nora Christensen (first-team, 2016 slalom) and Tonje Trulsrud (first-team, 2016 giant slalom). Trulsrud finished 12 of 14 races last year in her freshman season, finished 10 times in the top 10 and took third in the giant slalom at the NCAA Championships. Christensen took fifth place in the slalom at the 2016 NCAA Championships, also during her freshman season, and the slalom was her top event her rookie year as she posted five top 15 finishes there. Katie Hostetler is the only other returnee here, and the only senior among the six women alpine skiers. Hostetler finished 11-of-12 races last year all the way through the RMISA Championships. Joining that trio are the three newcomers in Andrea Arnold (Boulder, Colo.), Isabella Fidjeland (Kristiansand, Norway) and Megan McGrew (Frisco, Colo.). Fidjeland missed most all of fall training due to a knee injury, but is set to make a return in January to help add depth to the squad.
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Men's Alpine
CU returns two of its three skiers who went to the 2016 NCAA Championships last year in Max Luukko and Ola Johansen, both of whom were All-Americans. Luukko won the slalom at the RMISA Championships and finished fifth in the event at the NCAA Championships to draw first-team All-America honors. Johansen was named the RMISA Most Valuable Skier for alpine last year by 50 points over the other men's alpine skiers in the western region. Senior Roger Carry is making his return after missing the latter part of 2016 with a knee injury and then Rokos has brought in two talented newcomers in freshman David Ketterer and Bobby Moyer (Aspen, Colo.). Moyer has been limited in the fall recovering from injury. Ketterer has already made an impression since arriving on campus with several top finishes in FIS races, including a win in the men's slalom at the Canada NorAM Cup on Dec. 19.
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Women's Nordic
Colorado may be deepest on the women's Nordic team, returning three All-Americans here along with two others who return as seniors. The three All-Americans all earned first-team honors at the 2016 NCAA Championships with Petra Hyncicova finishing second in the freestyle, Ane Johnsen third in the classical race and Jesse Knori fifth in the classical. The two senior returnees, Camilla Brautaset and Lucy Newman, are joined by sophomore Christina Rolandsen and lone newcomer Anne Siri Lervik (Asker, Norway). Newman has NCAA Championship experience from her freshman season and has competed in 26 career races while Brautaset's 30 races are the most of any Buff on the Nordic roster. Rolandsen finished sixth in the classical at the RMISA Championships her freshman season, ending her first campaign at CU with her best finish of the season.
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Men's Nordic
With one of the most dominant skiers in CU history if not the entire RMISA, Colorado's men's Nordic team is anchored by the three-time NCAA Champion Stroem. Although he is not alone on the elite side here, as sophomore Petter Reistad is coming off an impressive freshman campaign where he finished top 10 in all 11 of his races last year. Reistad earned second-team All-America honors for finishing sixth and ninth at the NCAA Championships in the freestyle and classical disciplines, respectively. Jackson Hill, now a senior, was an NCAA competitor in 2015 and also returning is senior Max Scrimgeour and junior Ian Boucher. The one newcomer to the team is Andrew Potyk, who earned All-America honors in the 15K freestyle race at the 2016 Junior Nationals.
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Rokos on the Schedule
"We are not hosting (an event) this year, but in going to Alaska it is always very special for our kids. We are going there actually for a double week, which makes pretty much a third of our qualifying season. We are in Utah and Montana and between those two and Alaska are our only qualifiers this year before Regionals in Beaver Creek. It's a good season, the schedule is fine and we'll be good."
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Players Mentioned
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ALPINE
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Tuesday, April 22