Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Make Global Statement Across World Cup, Nor-Am and Super Tour Competition
December 17, 2025 | Skiing
EUROPE & NORTH AMERICA—From breakthrough World Cup performances in Europe to dominant Nor-Am results in Colorado and depth-building races in Alaska and Sweden, current and former members of the Colorado ski program delivered standout performances across the globe last week.
The results spanned multiple disciplines and levels of competition, with Buffs competing on the World Cup stage, opening their competitive seasons, and some even positioning themselves in the Olympic pipeline ahead of the 2026 Winter Games in Italy.
________________________________________
World Cup Impact: Sarchett Breaks Through, Gray Continues Climb
Former Colorado alpine skier Ryder Sarchett continued his rapid ascent on the Alpine World Cup circuit, recording his first career top-10 finish with a 10th-place result in giant slalom at Val d'Isère, France, on Dec. 13.
The result came just one week after Sarchett earned World Cup points for the first time by finishing 25th in GS at Beaver Creek. In the span of seven days, he moved from first-time point scorer to top-10 finisher.
Sarchett is now 25th in the season standings in GS and the second American behind River Ramadus, which puts him in a solid position with Olympic Team selections coming soon.Â
On the women's side, Cass Gray also scored giant slalom points on the World Cup after she placed 27th in giant slalom at Tremblant, Canada.
________________________________________
Freshman Makes Statement in World Cup Debut at Davos
Four current and former Buffs competed in Cross Country World Cup races in Davos, Switzerland, highlighted by a standout debut from freshman Jakob Moch.
Moch finished 21st in the 10K freestyle race in his first career World Cup start, believed to be one of the strongest World Cup debuts by a CU skier. He was the second-youngest athlete in the field, the youngest finisher inside the top 100 by two full years.
Senior Hugo Hinckfuss also competed in Davos, placing 53rd in the freestyle sprint and 78th in the 10K freestyle. It marked his first World Cup races of the season and gave him 15 career World Cup starts as he continues to build toward Olympic qualification.
Alum Alvar Alev finished 18th in the 10K freestyle, earning his seventh career top-20 World Cup finish and his best result since placing 12th on the same course one year earlier. It was his fifth World Cup start of the season and first top-20 finish this winter.
Former Buff Anna-Maria Dietze competed in both the freestyle sprint and 10K freestyle, finishing 44th in the sprint finals and 36th in the distance race. It was her second World Cup of the season after racing in Trondheim the previous week.
________________________________________
Nor-Am Cup Races at Beaver Creek (Men's Alpine)
The men's alpine team remained in Colorado for Nor-Am Cup races at Beaver Creek following the World Cup stop earlier this season, with Filip Wahlqvist again leading the way.
Wahlqvist won both slalom races and added fifth- and 10th-place finishes in the two giant slalom events. Last season, he became the first skier in CU history to win every regular-season slalom race, and his early-season form continued that trend.
Christoffer Oestroem made his season debut and was the only Buff to compete in Super-G, finishing 21st and 26th. He also placed sixth and 14th in the GS races, earning a junior podium (second place) for that first GS race.
Justin Bigatel recorded top-10 finishes in both disciplines, placing seventh in slalom and ninth in GS, continuing a strong start after racing extensively in Argentina during the summer.
Feb Allasina earned points in both GS races, finishing 13th in the first and 23rd in the second.
________________________________________
Nor-Am Cup Races at Copper Mountain (Women's Alpine)
The women's alpine team competed at Copper Mountain, where multiple Buffs produced point-scoring performances across all three races.
Louison Accambray finished inside the top 12 in both GS races, highlighted by an eighth-place finish on Dec. 10.
Paige DeHart recorded top-10 finishes in both disciplines, placing ninth in slalom and 10th in one of the GS races. For junior racers, she earned podiums in both those races.Â
Cathinka Lunder posted consistent GS results with finishes of 12th and 18th, and also completed the slalom race in 27th.
Alexa Brownlie finished two of three races and placed 14th in slalom on Dec. 11.
Hannah Soria completed all three races and earned points in two, finishing 19th in slalom and 25th in one of the GS races.
________________________________________
Nordic Depth on Display at U.S. Super Tour in Alaska
Most of the CU Nordic team opened its season at the U.S. Super Tour in Alaska from Dec. 6–14, competing in classic and freestyle sprints along with 10K races in both techniques.
On the women's side, Nina Schamberger led the way with three consecutive top-five finishes, including third place in the classic sprint and 10K classic, and fourth in the freestyle sprint.
Selma Nevin finished sixth in the 10K classic, while Elena Grissom reached sprint finals and posted multiple top-20 results.
Tilde Baangman capped the series with a second-place finish in the 10K freestyle after advancing to the heats in the freestyle sprint earlier in the week.
In men's action, Luka Riley finished 11th in the 10K classic after qualifying for sprint heats, while Trey Jones highlighted his week by qualifying third for the freestyle sprint and finishing 14th overall.
Former Buff Will Koch closed a strong series with an eighth-place finish in the 10K classic on the final day.
________________________________________
Scandinavian Cup Racing in Sweden
Astri Lunde competed at the Scandinavian Cup in Oestersund, Sweden, earning a sixth-place finish in the 20K classic. She also raced the freestyle sprint and 10K freestyle, accumulating 94 cup points, including 75 for her top-six result.
________________________________________
World Cup Return: Reid Back in Competition
After announcing her comeback, former Buff Joanne Reid needed just one IBU Cup stop to earn enough points to return to the World Cup circuit.
At Obertilliach, Austria, Reid improved steadily through the series, moving from 69th to 48th, then 35th, and finally 24th in the 10K pursuit. She advanced immediately to the World Cup at Hochfilzen, racing in the sprint and helping Team USA to a 15th-place finish in the relay.
The races marked the 145th and 146th World Cup starts of her career, and her first in 635 days, as she continues her comeback with an eye toward qualifying for a third Olympic Games in Cortina.
Â
The results spanned multiple disciplines and levels of competition, with Buffs competing on the World Cup stage, opening their competitive seasons, and some even positioning themselves in the Olympic pipeline ahead of the 2026 Winter Games in Italy.
________________________________________
World Cup Impact: Sarchett Breaks Through, Gray Continues Climb
Former Colorado alpine skier Ryder Sarchett continued his rapid ascent on the Alpine World Cup circuit, recording his first career top-10 finish with a 10th-place result in giant slalom at Val d'Isère, France, on Dec. 13.
The result came just one week after Sarchett earned World Cup points for the first time by finishing 25th in GS at Beaver Creek. In the span of seven days, he moved from first-time point scorer to top-10 finisher.
Sarchett is now 25th in the season standings in GS and the second American behind River Ramadus, which puts him in a solid position with Olympic Team selections coming soon.Â
On the women's side, Cass Gray also scored giant slalom points on the World Cup after she placed 27th in giant slalom at Tremblant, Canada.
________________________________________
Freshman Makes Statement in World Cup Debut at Davos
Four current and former Buffs competed in Cross Country World Cup races in Davos, Switzerland, highlighted by a standout debut from freshman Jakob Moch.
Moch finished 21st in the 10K freestyle race in his first career World Cup start, believed to be one of the strongest World Cup debuts by a CU skier. He was the second-youngest athlete in the field, the youngest finisher inside the top 100 by two full years.
Senior Hugo Hinckfuss also competed in Davos, placing 53rd in the freestyle sprint and 78th in the 10K freestyle. It marked his first World Cup races of the season and gave him 15 career World Cup starts as he continues to build toward Olympic qualification.
Alum Alvar Alev finished 18th in the 10K freestyle, earning his seventh career top-20 World Cup finish and his best result since placing 12th on the same course one year earlier. It was his fifth World Cup start of the season and first top-20 finish this winter.
Former Buff Anna-Maria Dietze competed in both the freestyle sprint and 10K freestyle, finishing 44th in the sprint finals and 36th in the distance race. It was her second World Cup of the season after racing in Trondheim the previous week.
________________________________________
Nor-Am Cup Races at Beaver Creek (Men's Alpine)
The men's alpine team remained in Colorado for Nor-Am Cup races at Beaver Creek following the World Cup stop earlier this season, with Filip Wahlqvist again leading the way.
Wahlqvist won both slalom races and added fifth- and 10th-place finishes in the two giant slalom events. Last season, he became the first skier in CU history to win every regular-season slalom race, and his early-season form continued that trend.
Christoffer Oestroem made his season debut and was the only Buff to compete in Super-G, finishing 21st and 26th. He also placed sixth and 14th in the GS races, earning a junior podium (second place) for that first GS race.
Justin Bigatel recorded top-10 finishes in both disciplines, placing seventh in slalom and ninth in GS, continuing a strong start after racing extensively in Argentina during the summer.
Feb Allasina earned points in both GS races, finishing 13th in the first and 23rd in the second.
________________________________________
Nor-Am Cup Races at Copper Mountain (Women's Alpine)
The women's alpine team competed at Copper Mountain, where multiple Buffs produced point-scoring performances across all three races.
Louison Accambray finished inside the top 12 in both GS races, highlighted by an eighth-place finish on Dec. 10.
Paige DeHart recorded top-10 finishes in both disciplines, placing ninth in slalom and 10th in one of the GS races. For junior racers, she earned podiums in both those races.Â
Cathinka Lunder posted consistent GS results with finishes of 12th and 18th, and also completed the slalom race in 27th.
Alexa Brownlie finished two of three races and placed 14th in slalom on Dec. 11.
Hannah Soria completed all three races and earned points in two, finishing 19th in slalom and 25th in one of the GS races.
________________________________________
Nordic Depth on Display at U.S. Super Tour in Alaska
Most of the CU Nordic team opened its season at the U.S. Super Tour in Alaska from Dec. 6–14, competing in classic and freestyle sprints along with 10K races in both techniques.
On the women's side, Nina Schamberger led the way with three consecutive top-five finishes, including third place in the classic sprint and 10K classic, and fourth in the freestyle sprint.
Selma Nevin finished sixth in the 10K classic, while Elena Grissom reached sprint finals and posted multiple top-20 results.
Tilde Baangman capped the series with a second-place finish in the 10K freestyle after advancing to the heats in the freestyle sprint earlier in the week.
In men's action, Luka Riley finished 11th in the 10K classic after qualifying for sprint heats, while Trey Jones highlighted his week by qualifying third for the freestyle sprint and finishing 14th overall.
Former Buff Will Koch closed a strong series with an eighth-place finish in the 10K classic on the final day.
________________________________________
Scandinavian Cup Racing in Sweden
Astri Lunde competed at the Scandinavian Cup in Oestersund, Sweden, earning a sixth-place finish in the 20K classic. She also raced the freestyle sprint and 10K freestyle, accumulating 94 cup points, including 75 for her top-six result.
________________________________________
World Cup Return: Reid Back in Competition
After announcing her comeback, former Buff Joanne Reid needed just one IBU Cup stop to earn enough points to return to the World Cup circuit.
At Obertilliach, Austria, Reid improved steadily through the series, moving from 69th to 48th, then 35th, and finally 24th in the 10K pursuit. She advanced immediately to the World Cup at Hochfilzen, racing in the sprint and helping Team USA to a 15th-place finish in the relay.
The races marked the 145th and 146th World Cup starts of her career, and her first in 635 days, as she continues her comeback with an eye toward qualifying for a third Olympic Games in Cortina.
Â
Players Mentioned
ALPINE
/ Skiing
NORDIC
/ Skiing
ALPINE
/ Skiing
NORDIC
/ Skiing
NORDIC
/ Skiing
NORDIC
/ Skiing
NORDIC
/ Skiing
NORDIC
/ Skiing
NORDIC
/ Skiing
ALPINE
/ Skiing
NORDIC
/ Skiing
ALPINE
/ Skiing
ALPINE
/ SkiingColorado Ski: Why CU?
Friday, June 27
Colorado Ski: 2025 Facility Tour
Tuesday, June 10
Colorado Ski: 2024-25 Banquet
Tuesday, April 22
2024 Ski Team Season Recap
Tuesday, April 30