Completed Event: Skiing versus 20K Freestyle (M) on March 8, 2025 , , 1st
Final Score
Skiing
1st
vs 20K Freestyle (M)
Friday, March 10
Lake Placid, N.Y.
7 a.m.
University of Utah
vs
Slalom
Photo by: NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Hoffman Earns Second Gold Medal of NCAA Championships as Utah Takes Lead Entering Final Day
3/10/2023 2:31 PM | Skiing
Madison Hoffman is the first Utah women’s skier to win an NCAA title in slalom and giant slalom since 1990
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – For the second time in three days, Madison Hoffman of the Utah Ski Team is an individual NCAA Champion, as Hoffman won the women's slalom to conclude the alpine portion of the 2023 NCAA Championships on Friday at Whiteface Mountain.
The penultimate day of the meet pushed Utah (358 points) atop the team standings, now holding a 1.5-point advantage over Colorado (356.5). The 2023 NCAA Championship now comes down to Saturday's men's and women's 20K classic races which begin at 8 a.m. MT at Mt. Van Hoevenberg. Check the @utahskiteam social media accounts on Saturday morning for direct links to live video streaming and live timing.
"Today was incredibly awesome and a little bit stressful for everyone," said head alpine coach JJ Johnson. "It's been crazy how tight (the meet and races have) been. Madison and Willy, the weight of the world was on their shoulders for them to perform on each of their second runs, or else we're in a giant deficit. Course conditions were great. The whole team was so supportive of everyone. Michelle won the second run after hiking on the first run. The idea of everyone staying in the game a little bit helps the whole picture for everyone. But it was incredible. They really performed well and I couldn't be happier for this group."
Hoffman won the 83rd individual NCAA Championship all-time at Utah, 10th in women's slalom and first since Julie Mohagen was atop the podium in 2016. It was the latest chapter in what simply has been an outstanding comeback season for Hoffman, returning to competition after missing much of 2022 (including the Winter Olympics) due to injury.
She is the first Ute since Anke Friedrich in 1990 to win both women's GS and slalom at the NCAA Championships. Vermont's Laurence St-Germain was the last women's alpine double NCAA champion in 2019. Prior to Hoffman, Sydney Palmer-Leger was the last Utah double individual NCAA Champion, winning both the 5K classic and 15K freestyle races as a freshman in 2021.
"Today was such a rewarding day," said Hoffman. "There was lots of hard work and patience that went into the last year and to walk away with not one but two individual titles was super cool. However, being able to show up for my team and go out there and ski for them was way more special than any individual title! I felt everyone behind me for my second run and that's something I will never forget."
Her slalom victory on Friday earned Hoffman All-America First Team laurels, her second such award of the meet. Wilhelm Normannseth was the men's slalom runner-up, as such collecting First Team. It is his second career All-America honor with the other coming as a Second Team giant slalom performer in 2021.
Hoffman's winning combined time of 1:49.37 was opened up with a first run of 55.61 seconds, the best mark of the entire field. With that morning result, she was the last out of the starting gate in the afternoon, and raced down the hill in 53.76 seconds to ultimately have a .97-second pad for the title. Her final run was a runner-up time, outdone only by Utah teammate Michelle Kervén (53.52 seconds).
Katie Parker placed 24th for Utah (1:54.25), while Kervén claimed No. 31 with a time of 2:09.31.
Normannseth put together a total time of 1:50.11 for the runner-up spot in the final results. It included a winning first run of 52.58 seconds. Bjorn Brudevoll contributed a top-20 finish (1:52.01) and Gustav Vøllo wrapped up the day for Utah with a final result of 2:11.35 to place 31st.
Alpine races at the NCAA Championships are the occasional witness to hiking back on course, and that was the case on Friday for a number of athletes across several of the teams. While it may mean that an individual result here and there might not be what the athletes were hoping for, among the biggest keys at NCAAs is finishing both runs and contributing points for the team.
Utah's women's lineup for Saturday's 20K classic will consist of Sophia Laukli, Novie McCabe and Sydney Palmer-Leger. The men's race will see Walker Hall, Samuel Hendry and Luke Jager on course for the Utes.
Follow the Utah Ski Team on social media @utahskiteam.
The penultimate day of the meet pushed Utah (358 points) atop the team standings, now holding a 1.5-point advantage over Colorado (356.5). The 2023 NCAA Championship now comes down to Saturday's men's and women's 20K classic races which begin at 8 a.m. MT at Mt. Van Hoevenberg. Check the @utahskiteam social media accounts on Saturday morning for direct links to live video streaming and live timing.
"Today was incredibly awesome and a little bit stressful for everyone," said head alpine coach JJ Johnson. "It's been crazy how tight (the meet and races have) been. Madison and Willy, the weight of the world was on their shoulders for them to perform on each of their second runs, or else we're in a giant deficit. Course conditions were great. The whole team was so supportive of everyone. Michelle won the second run after hiking on the first run. The idea of everyone staying in the game a little bit helps the whole picture for everyone. But it was incredible. They really performed well and I couldn't be happier for this group."
Hoffman won the 83rd individual NCAA Championship all-time at Utah, 10th in women's slalom and first since Julie Mohagen was atop the podium in 2016. It was the latest chapter in what simply has been an outstanding comeback season for Hoffman, returning to competition after missing much of 2022 (including the Winter Olympics) due to injury.
She is the first Ute since Anke Friedrich in 1990 to win both women's GS and slalom at the NCAA Championships. Vermont's Laurence St-Germain was the last women's alpine double NCAA champion in 2019. Prior to Hoffman, Sydney Palmer-Leger was the last Utah double individual NCAA Champion, winning both the 5K classic and 15K freestyle races as a freshman in 2021.
"Today was such a rewarding day," said Hoffman. "There was lots of hard work and patience that went into the last year and to walk away with not one but two individual titles was super cool. However, being able to show up for my team and go out there and ski for them was way more special than any individual title! I felt everyone behind me for my second run and that's something I will never forget."
Her slalom victory on Friday earned Hoffman All-America First Team laurels, her second such award of the meet. Wilhelm Normannseth was the men's slalom runner-up, as such collecting First Team. It is his second career All-America honor with the other coming as a Second Team giant slalom performer in 2021.
Hoffman's winning combined time of 1:49.37 was opened up with a first run of 55.61 seconds, the best mark of the entire field. With that morning result, she was the last out of the starting gate in the afternoon, and raced down the hill in 53.76 seconds to ultimately have a .97-second pad for the title. Her final run was a runner-up time, outdone only by Utah teammate Michelle Kervén (53.52 seconds).
Katie Parker placed 24th for Utah (1:54.25), while Kervén claimed No. 31 with a time of 2:09.31.
Normannseth put together a total time of 1:50.11 for the runner-up spot in the final results. It included a winning first run of 52.58 seconds. Bjorn Brudevoll contributed a top-20 finish (1:52.01) and Gustav Vøllo wrapped up the day for Utah with a final result of 2:11.35 to place 31st.
Alpine races at the NCAA Championships are the occasional witness to hiking back on course, and that was the case on Friday for a number of athletes across several of the teams. While it may mean that an individual result here and there might not be what the athletes were hoping for, among the biggest keys at NCAAs is finishing both runs and contributing points for the team.
Utah's women's lineup for Saturday's 20K classic will consist of Sophia Laukli, Novie McCabe and Sydney Palmer-Leger. The men's race will see Walker Hall, Samuel Hendry and Luke Jager on course for the Utes.
Follow the Utah Ski Team on social media @utahskiteam.
Players Mentioned
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