2020 Skiers Looking For School's 21st Title

January 08, 2020 | Skiing

By: Curtis Snyder, Assistant AD/Sports Information

BOULDER—The goal never changes. In each of his previous 29 seasons as head coach, Richard Rokos has never shied away from publicly announcing the team's goal for the season: Win a national championship. And the 2020 season is no different.

As a new decade dawns, Rokos and the Buffs will look to continue the success of last decade, where the team was arguably the best and most consistent in the nation, winning three NCAA Championships, five RMISA Championships and three RMISA Regular Season Championships, not to mention numerous individual NCAA Championships and All-America honors.

But all that is in the past now. What's in store for this 2020 squad? We'll take a look at each team within the team.

Women's Alpine

Returning Skiers: Senior Andrea Arnold, junior Isabelle Fidjeland, sophomore Stef Fleckenstein, sophomore Olivia Gerrard, sophomore Kaitlyn Harsch, senior Megan McGrew, senior Mikaela Tommy
Skier Lost: Nora Christensen.
Newcomers: Emma Hammergaard

Outlook: The women's alpine team is a little beat up entering the 2020 season, but should be at full strength by the time it counts in March at the NCAA Championships. Fleckenstein and Tommy can win any race they're a part of, Arnold has shown flashes of brilliance and Fiejeland missed all of last season and should be 100 percent by season's end and brings NCAA Championship experience to the team. Gerrard and Harsch are steadily improving and showing signs of breaking through and Hammergaard could factor in the mix immediately. McGrew is still recovering from injuries.

Men's Alpine

Returning Skiers: Sophomore Max Bervy, sophomore Filip Forejtek, sophomore Teddy Takki, junior Joey Young.
Skiers Lost: Max Luukko, Bobby Moyer.
Newcomers: Alex Birkner, Bobby Ryan

Outlook: The men's alpine team is young but talented and led by Young, who was the most consistent of the group last season. If Forejtek and Takki can improve on consistently finishing races, they'll both be a force on the college circuit. Bervy is consistently improving and benefiting from training with a high level of competition and Birkner came in during the fall and has impressed while Ryan just joined the team this week after skiing for Boston College last season.

Women's Nordic

Returning Skiers: Junior Hedda Baangman, junior Quinn Lehmkuhl, senior Anne Siri Lervik, sophomore Ezra Smith.
Skiers Lost: Christina Rolandsen.
Newcomers: Anna-Maria Dietze, Bridget Donovan.

Outlook: The women's Nordic team could also be stronger later in the season as both Banngman and Lervik, the anchors of the program, are coming off injuries during the fall. Both have been All-Americans and both can compete for race victories at any time. Lehmkuhl and Smith add much needed depth and continue to develop whie Dietze could be looked upon early in her career and Donovan will contribute to the overall success of the team, as well.

Men's Nordic

Returning Skiers: Junior Sondre Bollum, sophomore Wyatt Gebhardt, senior Andrew Potyk, junior Tyler Terranova.
Skiers Lost: Alvar Alev, Erik Dengerud.
Newcomers: Magnus Boee, Ryan Jackson.

Outlook: Bollum anchors the team as the only skier who has participated at the NCAA Championships previously and both newcomers will be looked upon to add depth and compete for team points right away with Boee and Jackson. Gebhardt showed flashes of brillance as a freshman and Potyk and Terranova will be looked upon to compete for the top three and add depth, as well.

The Schedule

The season kicks off later this week at the alpine portion of the Denver Invitational, set for Jan. 10-12 in Aspen. The Nordic teams will kickoff their season and alpine will continue its the following week at the CU's Spencer James Nelson Memorial Invitational in Eldora and Steamboat Springs Jan. 15-19. The Nordic portion of the DU meet will then take place Jan. 25-26 at Maloit Park in Minturn, Colo.

February kicks off with an RMISA Nordic Qualifier as part of the Owl Creek Chase in Aspen on Feb. 8-9 and the following week the Nordic teams will travel to Soldier Hollow to kickoff the Utah Invitational Feb. 14-15. The alpine teams will conclude the Utah meet Feb. 22-24 and then immediately travel to Bozeman where the RMISA Championships will take place for both disciplines Feb. 27-29. Montana State serves as host of those championships and the NCAA Championships, which will take place March 11-14 to close out the season.