2011 Skiing Roster
Kjoelhamar, Vegard
Vegard Kjoelhamar
- Position:
- Nordic
- Height:
- 6-3
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Jar, Akershus, Norway (Lillehammer/Fossum IF)
Bio
• Top Career Classical Finish: 1st (2009 Colorado Invitational)
• Top Career Freestyle Finish: 1st (four times, last at 2011 Utah Invitational)
Honors
• 2009 NCAA Individual Champion (Freestyle)
• 2009 First-Team All-America (Freestyle)
• 2009 Second-Team All-America (Classical)
• 2009 RMISA Most Valuable Men’s Nordic Skier
• 2009 First-Team All-RMISA
• 2009 RMISA Skier of the Week (Alaska Invitational)
• 2009 Division I National All-Academic Team (3.5 GPA, Participation in Regional’s)
• 2010 First-Team All-America (Classical)
• 2010 First-Team All-RMISA
• 2010 RMISA Skier of the Week (Utah Invitational)
• 2011 First-Team All-America (Freestyle)
• 2011 First-Team All-America (Classical)
• 2011 First-Team All-RMISA
• 2011 Honorable Mention FasterSkier Male Collegiate Skier of the Year
• 2011 First-Team Academic All-Big 12 At-Large Team (3.2 GPA)
• 2011 RMISA Skier of the Week (Utah Invitational)
• 2011 CU Athlete of the Week (Jan. 17-23; Montana State Invitational)
• 2012 Second-Team All-RMISA
• 2012 Finalist CUSPY Male Career Athletic Achievement
Career at Colorado—Kjoelhamar completed one of the better career’s for men’s Nordic skiers in program history in 2012. He finished his career with 41 races finishing outside of the top 20 just twice and 32 times finishing in the top 10. He had 22 top five finishes with 14 podium appearances and five race wins. Equally dominant in both disciplines, at first glance his classical performances may be stronger with 18 top 10 finishes and one win, but in freestyle races, he finished with four race victories, including the 2009 individual NCAA Championship.
2012 (Senior)—Kjoelhamar again had a solid season interrupted by an illness midseason that he couldn’t quite shake by season’s end. After finishing 16th to open the season in the freestyle race at the University of Colorado Spencer Nelson Memorial Invitational less than 24 hours after returning to altitude, he looked to quickly return to form, finishing fourth the next day in the freestyle race. The following week, he finished sixth in the classical and fifth in the freestyle at the Denver Invitational. An illness kept him home from the trip to Alaska that included two meets and he returned to action at the RMISA Championships, where he compiled two top 10 finishes with a seventh place freestyle and ninth place classical finish there. Still not 100 percent, he concluded his career with a 14th place freestyle and 21st place classical finish at the NCAA Championships. He earned second-team All-RMISA honors and was a finalist for the CUSPY for Male Career Athletic Achievement.
2011 (Junior)—Kjoelhamar had what could have been perhaps one of the most dominant seasons in CU history interrupted by a severe illness he suffered the middle portion of the season. In the first four races of the season at the Montana State and Utah Invitational’s, he won both freestyle races and finished second in both classical races and earned RMISA Skier of the Week honors for Utah and CU Athlete of the Week honors for the Montana State performance. He then became sick and struggled at the New Mexico Invitational, still bringing home ninth place in the freestyle race before taking the Denver Invitational off. After returning for the RMISA Championships and earning a 10th place finish in the freestyle race in tricky conditions, he had returned to nearly 100 percent by the time NCAA Championships rolled around and earned two podium appearances and first-team All-America honors there, finishing second in the freestyle race and third in the classical race to help the Buffs capture the NCAA Championship. He was running in a strong lead pack in the Classical race at NCAA Championships and after teammate Reid Pletcher separated himself from the pack, he elected not to make a huge push and help the pack reel Pletcher in, instead holding back and slipping to third in a sprint to the finish while Pletcher won the race. He was named First-Team All-RMISA and was an honorable mention selection for FasterSkier’s Male Collegiate Skier of the Year honors. In the classroom, he graduated from CU’s business school and is enrolled in graduate studies and he was named first team on the inaugural Academic All-Big 12 At-Large team.
2010 (Sophomore)—Kjoelhamar didn’t quite dominate the western region like he did as a sophomore in 2009, but his results were nonetheless spectacular. He qualified for NCAA Championships as the fourth-best Nordic skier in the west, second on the Buffs squad behind eventual NCAA Individual Champion Matt Gleso, and he compiled 10 top 10 performances in 12 races, including seven top five finishes and two podium appearances. He opened the season in style, with his two podium appearances at the Montana State Invitational, finishing third in the classical race and second in the freestyle. The next weekend he finished fourth in both races at the Utah Invitational and also finished fourth in the classical race at the 2010 NCAA Championships earning first-team All-America honors in the process. He was named first-team All-RMISA and named the RMISA Skier of the Week for the Utah Invitational.
2009 (Freshman)—Kjoelhamar dominated the western circuit and led the RMISA overall rankings in his first year at Colorado, with three wins and three runner-up finishes. His first career win came in his first collegiate race, the 10K freestyle in Alaska and he went on to close out his rookie season as the NCAA Individual Champion in the 20K freestyle. The RMISA Most Valuable Nordic Skier also earned first-team All-America honors in the freestyle and was a second-team All-American following a sixth place finish in the 10K classic at nationals. At the conclusion of the season, Kjoelhamar continued to add to his awards and was named the RMISA Athlete of the Year and the Male Collegiate Skier of the Year by FasterSkier.com.
Club—Kjoelhamar joined the Buffaloes after attending Lillehammer University and competing for the Norwegian club Fossum IF. His top-two finishes came in 2008 when he took second in the 3x10K relay at Norwegian Nationals and then placed eighth in the 10K skate at the Norwegian Cup.
In the Classroom—Kjoelhamar graduated from CU with a degree in Business in May 2011 and enrolled in graduate school where he is scheduled to earn a master’s degree in 2013.
Personal—Vegard Kjoelhamar was born December 10, 1985, and is the son of Tron Kjoelhamar and Ann Magritt Semmingsen of Jar Akershus, Norway. He has two siblings, Kristian and Morten. Kjoelhamar was also recruited by Denver and New Mexico, but chose Colorado because of the town of Boulder, academics and the ski program.
• Top Career Freestyle Finish: 1st (four times, last at 2011 Utah Invitational)
Honors
• 2009 NCAA Individual Champion (Freestyle)
• 2009 First-Team All-America (Freestyle)
• 2009 Second-Team All-America (Classical)
• 2009 RMISA Most Valuable Men’s Nordic Skier
• 2009 First-Team All-RMISA
• 2009 RMISA Skier of the Week (Alaska Invitational)
• 2009 Division I National All-Academic Team (3.5 GPA, Participation in Regional’s)
• 2010 First-Team All-America (Classical)
• 2010 First-Team All-RMISA
• 2010 RMISA Skier of the Week (Utah Invitational)
• 2011 First-Team All-America (Freestyle)
• 2011 First-Team All-America (Classical)
• 2011 First-Team All-RMISA
• 2011 Honorable Mention FasterSkier Male Collegiate Skier of the Year
• 2011 First-Team Academic All-Big 12 At-Large Team (3.2 GPA)
• 2011 RMISA Skier of the Week (Utah Invitational)
• 2011 CU Athlete of the Week (Jan. 17-23; Montana State Invitational)
• 2012 Second-Team All-RMISA
• 2012 Finalist CUSPY Male Career Athletic Achievement
Career at Colorado—Kjoelhamar completed one of the better career’s for men’s Nordic skiers in program history in 2012. He finished his career with 41 races finishing outside of the top 20 just twice and 32 times finishing in the top 10. He had 22 top five finishes with 14 podium appearances and five race wins. Equally dominant in both disciplines, at first glance his classical performances may be stronger with 18 top 10 finishes and one win, but in freestyle races, he finished with four race victories, including the 2009 individual NCAA Championship.
2012 (Senior)—Kjoelhamar again had a solid season interrupted by an illness midseason that he couldn’t quite shake by season’s end. After finishing 16th to open the season in the freestyle race at the University of Colorado Spencer Nelson Memorial Invitational less than 24 hours after returning to altitude, he looked to quickly return to form, finishing fourth the next day in the freestyle race. The following week, he finished sixth in the classical and fifth in the freestyle at the Denver Invitational. An illness kept him home from the trip to Alaska that included two meets and he returned to action at the RMISA Championships, where he compiled two top 10 finishes with a seventh place freestyle and ninth place classical finish there. Still not 100 percent, he concluded his career with a 14th place freestyle and 21st place classical finish at the NCAA Championships. He earned second-team All-RMISA honors and was a finalist for the CUSPY for Male Career Athletic Achievement.
2011 (Junior)—Kjoelhamar had what could have been perhaps one of the most dominant seasons in CU history interrupted by a severe illness he suffered the middle portion of the season. In the first four races of the season at the Montana State and Utah Invitational’s, he won both freestyle races and finished second in both classical races and earned RMISA Skier of the Week honors for Utah and CU Athlete of the Week honors for the Montana State performance. He then became sick and struggled at the New Mexico Invitational, still bringing home ninth place in the freestyle race before taking the Denver Invitational off. After returning for the RMISA Championships and earning a 10th place finish in the freestyle race in tricky conditions, he had returned to nearly 100 percent by the time NCAA Championships rolled around and earned two podium appearances and first-team All-America honors there, finishing second in the freestyle race and third in the classical race to help the Buffs capture the NCAA Championship. He was running in a strong lead pack in the Classical race at NCAA Championships and after teammate Reid Pletcher separated himself from the pack, he elected not to make a huge push and help the pack reel Pletcher in, instead holding back and slipping to third in a sprint to the finish while Pletcher won the race. He was named First-Team All-RMISA and was an honorable mention selection for FasterSkier’s Male Collegiate Skier of the Year honors. In the classroom, he graduated from CU’s business school and is enrolled in graduate studies and he was named first team on the inaugural Academic All-Big 12 At-Large team.
2010 (Sophomore)—Kjoelhamar didn’t quite dominate the western region like he did as a sophomore in 2009, but his results were nonetheless spectacular. He qualified for NCAA Championships as the fourth-best Nordic skier in the west, second on the Buffs squad behind eventual NCAA Individual Champion Matt Gleso, and he compiled 10 top 10 performances in 12 races, including seven top five finishes and two podium appearances. He opened the season in style, with his two podium appearances at the Montana State Invitational, finishing third in the classical race and second in the freestyle. The next weekend he finished fourth in both races at the Utah Invitational and also finished fourth in the classical race at the 2010 NCAA Championships earning first-team All-America honors in the process. He was named first-team All-RMISA and named the RMISA Skier of the Week for the Utah Invitational.
2009 (Freshman)—Kjoelhamar dominated the western circuit and led the RMISA overall rankings in his first year at Colorado, with three wins and three runner-up finishes. His first career win came in his first collegiate race, the 10K freestyle in Alaska and he went on to close out his rookie season as the NCAA Individual Champion in the 20K freestyle. The RMISA Most Valuable Nordic Skier also earned first-team All-America honors in the freestyle and was a second-team All-American following a sixth place finish in the 10K classic at nationals. At the conclusion of the season, Kjoelhamar continued to add to his awards and was named the RMISA Athlete of the Year and the Male Collegiate Skier of the Year by FasterSkier.com.
Club—Kjoelhamar joined the Buffaloes after attending Lillehammer University and competing for the Norwegian club Fossum IF. His top-two finishes came in 2008 when he took second in the 3x10K relay at Norwegian Nationals and then placed eighth in the 10K skate at the Norwegian Cup.
In the Classroom—Kjoelhamar graduated from CU with a degree in Business in May 2011 and enrolled in graduate school where he is scheduled to earn a master’s degree in 2013.
Personal—Vegard Kjoelhamar was born December 10, 1985, and is the son of Tron Kjoelhamar and Ann Magritt Semmingsen of Jar Akershus, Norway. He has two siblings, Kristian and Morten. Kjoelhamar was also recruited by Denver and New Mexico, but chose Colorado because of the town of Boulder, academics and the ski program.
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