Buffs In Lead After Opening Day Of NCAA Championships

Wednesday, March 11

Park City, Utah

8:45 AM Women / 9:45 AM Men

Colorado

Giant Slalom at Utah Olympic Park

Photo by: Matan Coll, CU Athletics

Buffs In Lead After Opening Day Of NCAA Championships

March 11, 2026 | Skiing

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Accambray and Allasina Both Finish Second To Earn First-Team All-America Honors

By: Curtis Snyder, Associate AD/Athletic Communications

PARK CITY, Utah – Colorado's Louison Accambray and Feb Allasina each earned All-America honors and runner-up finishes to power the Buffaloes ski team into the early lead Wednesday at the NCAA Ski Championships.

The Buffs finished second in both the women's and men's giant slalom races to open the championships, scoring 137 points to take a narrow four-point lead over host Utah (133) after the first of four competition days. Montana State (109.5) and Denver (108.5) round out the top four, giving the RMISA the only four teams above the 100-point mark after day one.

Accambray and Allasina each claimed first-team All-America honors with their second-place finishes, while Cathinka Lunder and Filip Wahlqvist added second-team honors. Colorado totaled 71 points in the women's race and 66 in the men's event to take the overall lead.

The Buffs now hold the first-day lead at the NCAA Championships for the seventh time in the last 36 years and for the third time in the last four championships. Colorado's four-point advantage is the smallest opening-day margin since Montana State and Westminster were tied atop the standings in 2021.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The women's giant slalom opened the championships, and Accambray wasted little time putting the Buffaloes in position. Starting fourth in the top seed group, she posted the third-fastest opening run and then moved up a spot in the second run to finish second overall with a combined time of 2:05.60.

Lunder also delivered a strong performance for the Buffs. Starting 15th, she sat seventh after the first run and held steady in the second run to finish eighth overall, adding valuable team points.
Paige DeHart rounded out the Colorado scoring effort. After some trouble early in her first run left her 26th, she rebounded with the fifth-fastest second run in the field, climbing six spots to finish 20th and secure additional team points.

In the men's race, all three Buffs started in the top seed group. Wahlqvist went out early in bib 3 and skied into second place after the first run before slipping a few positions in the second run to finish seventh overall.

Allasina produced the Buffs' biggest move of the day. Starting 10th, he sat eighth after the opening run before delivering the second-fastest second run in the field, vaulting up the standings to finish second and earn first-team All-America honors.

Justin Bigatel was sitting in 10th place after the first run but had a near mishap coming out of a turn in the second run where he nearly spun a full 360. He managed to stay upright and finish the race, ultimately placing 27th.

UP NEXT

The Nordic teams take center stage Thursday with the 7.5K classic races at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. The women's race begins at 9 a.m., followed by the men's race at 10:30 a.m.

Colorado will have a late lineup change in the women's race as Nina Schamberger was forced to withdraw due to illness. Selma Nevin will take her place alongside Tilde Baangman and Astri Lunde.

In the men's race, Johannes Flaaten will lead the Buffs alongside freshmen Jakob Moch and Storm Pedersen.

ALL-AMERICANS

Feb Allasina and Louison Accambray earned first-team All-America honors while Cathinka Lunder and Filip Wahlqvist picked up second-team honors.
Colorado now owns 578 All-America honors in program history, including 331 first-team selections. The Buffs have 325 men's honors and 253 women's honors, with the men accounting for 186 first-team selections and the women 149.
Wahlqvist earned his fifth career All-America honor while Accambray picked up her third and second first-team selection. Allasina and Lunder each earned their first career honors.
Overall, 219 different Buffaloes have now earned All-America recognition, including 156 who have claimed at least one first-team honor.

TEAM NOTES

Accambray scored 37 points, Lunder added 23 and DeHart contributed 11 for a total of 71 points in the women's race. Only Montana State scored more with 73 points, while Colorado outscored Denver (54) and Utah (50).
In the men's race, Allasina scored 37 points, Wahlqvist added 25 and Bigatel contributed four for a total of 66 points. Utah led the men's standings with 83 points behind race winner Johs Herland, while Colorado finished ahead of Denver (54.5) and Middlebury (51.5).
Colorado's 137 points give the Buffs a four-point lead over Utah (133) heading into the Nordic races, with Montana State (109.5) and Denver (108.5) close behind.

WOMEN'S ALPINE NOTES

Accambray finished second to earn her third career All-America honor and second first-team selection after also earning first-team honors in GS in 2025. She has now finished 14 of 15 races this season, reaching the podium in all 14 finishes to set a new Colorado record. She has six wins, five runner-up finishes and three third-place finishes this season. In her two-year career, she now owns 19 podium appearances, including 12 in GS across 14 finished races.
Lunder placed eighth to earn second-team All-America honors, her seventh top-10 finish of the season. It marked her second straight top-10 finish and fourth straight in GS races she has completed.
DeHart finished 20th and now has 12 top-20 finishes in 12 completed races this season across 15 starts.

MEN'S ALPINE NOTES

Allasina finished second to earn first-team All-America honors. He has now reached the podium in two straight races, posted six top-five finishes and has finished in the top eight in all 12 races he has completed this season out of 15 starts. He ends the season with six podium finishes, including five in GS with two wins and two runner-up results.
Wahlqvist placed seventh to earn second-team All-America honors and has now finished in the top seven in all 12 races he has completed this season out of 15 starts. He owns 11 top-five finishes and 10 podiums this season. In his career, he now has 37 top-10 finishes in 38 completed races and 21 in 22 GS starts.
Bigatel finished 27th in the race.

Team Standings (After Day 1): 1. Colorado 137; 2. Utah 133; 3. Montana State 109.5; 4. Denver 108.5; 5. Middlebury 94; 6. New Hampshire 72; 7. Dartmouth 60; 8. Nevada 51; 9. Colby 48; 10. Westminster 44; 11. Vermont 41.5; 12. Alaska Anchorage 34; 13. St. Lawrence 17.5; 14. Boston College 11; 15. St. Michael's 10; 16. Williams 8; 17. Harvard 6.

Women's Giant Slalom Top 10: 1. Justine Lamontagne, Montana State, 2:03.98; 2. Louison Accambray, Colorado, 2:05.60; 3. Mia Hunt, Denver, 2:05.81; 4. Guro Hestad Vognild, Westminster, 2:06.09; 5. Melanie Dahlberg, Utah, 2:06.12; 6. Kjersti Moritz, Middlebury, 2:06.16; 7. Ella Bromee, Alaska Anchorage, 2:06.43; 8. Cathinka Lunder, Colorado, 2:06.64; 9. Carly Elsinger, Dartmouth, 2:06.72; 10. Kaila Lafreniere, Utah, 2:06.85.
Other CU: 20. Paige DeHart, 2:08.76.

Men's Giant Slalom Top 10: 1. Johs Herland, Utah, 1:55.41; 2. Feb Allasina, Colorado, 1:55.82; 3. Nick Unkovskoy, Middlebury, 1:56.10; 4. Townsend Mikell, Colby, 1:56.13; 5. Oscar Zimmer, Dartmouth, 1:56.24; 6. Sindre Myklebust, Utah, 1:56.26; 7. Filip Wahlqvist, Colorado, 1:56.33; 8. Adrian Hunshammer, Denver, 1:56.47; 9. Christian Soevik, Denver, 1:56.56; 10. Jayden Buckrell, New Hampshire, 1:56.69.
Other CU: 27. Justin Bigatel, 2:00.33.