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Thursday, March 7
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10:00 AM
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7.5K Freestyle
Photo by: Eli Rehmer/Utah Athletics
Palmer-Leger Claims Third Career Individual Title to Lead Utah Into Halfway Point of NCAAs
3/7/2024 4:27 PM | Skiing
Davies and Mancini finish 2-3 in men’s 7.5K freestyle; Utes remain atop team standings
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. – Sydney Palmer-Leger of the Utah Ski Team put on a dominant performance in the women's 7.5K freestyle, on the way to her third career individual national title as the Utes reached the halfway point of the 2024 NCAA Ski Championships on Thursday at Howelsen Hill.
Palmer-Leger, who won both the NCAA classic and freestyle races as a freshman in 2021, put down a time of 22:08.2 to win the interval start race by more than 21 seconds. Vermont's Haley Brewster took second behind Palmer-Leger (22:29.3).
Today's results bring Utah to a team total of 312.5 points, leading the meet entering the second half of competition. Colorado is in second place 56 points back (256.5) and Denver rounds out the top-three with 251 points, 61.5 back of the Utes. Action now turns to slalom on Friday night at Howelsen Hill, with the women's first run beginning the slate at 6:40 p.m.
"Today was another great day for the team," said director of skiing Fredrik Landstedt. "Yesterday's alpine performance helped to motivate the Nordic team and they came out charging. Colorado's men had an incredible race, but our guys still managed to beat them. Sydney probably had her best race of the year and earned a well-deserved win. We are in a good place, but still are only halfway through the championship. Anything can happen."
Coming off of Mikkel Solbakken's men's giant slalom championship on Wednesday, Palmer-Leger's performance today brings Utah to 86 individual national championships in recorded program history. Dating back to 2021, the Utes have won seven straight women's Nordic races at NCAAs.
Utah had two additional podiums in the men's 2-3 duo of Joe Davies (19:20.2) and Tom Mancini (19:35.9). Brian Bushey took 12th (20:12.2). Along with Palmer-Leger in the women's competition, Karianne Dengerud placed 15th (23:27.1) and Nina Schamberger was 19th (23:48.2).
"A phenomenal race from Sydney," added head Nordic coach Miles Havlick. "She's had a good year, but we hadn't quite found her top gear yet. Today she definitely had that spark. With her positive splits, she kept charging and charging, and finished strong. An amazing day."
It was the first NCAA Championships starts for Bushey, Dengerud, Mancini and Schamberger. Davies made his fifth NCAAs start on the way to his fourth All-America award, while Palmer-Leger's result was her seventh race on the nationals stage and sixth All-America nod.
The men's race began the day at Howelsen Hill and Davies and Mancini were in the top-eight after the first lap, with Bushey in 20th. Davies rose to the second spot entering the final lap, while Mancini began his ascent climbing into the top-five. Bushey pushed the pedal on the second lap, with his split time of 6:48.1 ranking second for that portion of the race—key in his rise to the top-12 in the final results.
Davies briefly took the lead when coming into the finish area, only to be outdone in the interval start by Dartmouth's John Steel Hagenbuch (19:09.2).
"Those guys have been strong all year," said Havlick. "We've learned a lot since the Colorado Invitational here a few weeks ago. They paced it super well and executed today."
When the women's race got underway, Palmer-Leger was the final Ute out of the gate in wearing Bib 32. She trailed Montana State's Tilde Baangman by about eight seconds after the first lap, but absolutely turned on the jets on the second lap to not only overcome Baangman but take a nine-second lead. Baangman and Brewster waged a great battle for the Nos. 2-3 spots but neither would catch Palmer-Leger.
"It was a pretty surreal day," said Palmer-Leger. "I wanted to go out there, give it everything I could and finish that race. It was pretty cool to win both NCAA races as a freshman and now this first one as a senior. I think Fredrik (Landstedt) was crying a little bit when I won. And I can honestly say the same. I kept my pace and actually went harder the second and third laps…just staying relaxed and catching as many people as I could."
As the final racers came in and her winning result became finalized, Palmer-Leger's teammates and coaches from both Nordic and alpine surrounded her at the exit of the finish corral in celebration of the performance.
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Follow the Utah Ski Team on social media @utahskiteam.
Palmer-Leger, who won both the NCAA classic and freestyle races as a freshman in 2021, put down a time of 22:08.2 to win the interval start race by more than 21 seconds. Vermont's Haley Brewster took second behind Palmer-Leger (22:29.3).
Today's results bring Utah to a team total of 312.5 points, leading the meet entering the second half of competition. Colorado is in second place 56 points back (256.5) and Denver rounds out the top-three with 251 points, 61.5 back of the Utes. Action now turns to slalom on Friday night at Howelsen Hill, with the women's first run beginning the slate at 6:40 p.m.
"Today was another great day for the team," said director of skiing Fredrik Landstedt. "Yesterday's alpine performance helped to motivate the Nordic team and they came out charging. Colorado's men had an incredible race, but our guys still managed to beat them. Sydney probably had her best race of the year and earned a well-deserved win. We are in a good place, but still are only halfway through the championship. Anything can happen."
Coming off of Mikkel Solbakken's men's giant slalom championship on Wednesday, Palmer-Leger's performance today brings Utah to 86 individual national championships in recorded program history. Dating back to 2021, the Utes have won seven straight women's Nordic races at NCAAs.
Utah had two additional podiums in the men's 2-3 duo of Joe Davies (19:20.2) and Tom Mancini (19:35.9). Brian Bushey took 12th (20:12.2). Along with Palmer-Leger in the women's competition, Karianne Dengerud placed 15th (23:27.1) and Nina Schamberger was 19th (23:48.2).
"A phenomenal race from Sydney," added head Nordic coach Miles Havlick. "She's had a good year, but we hadn't quite found her top gear yet. Today she definitely had that spark. With her positive splits, she kept charging and charging, and finished strong. An amazing day."
It was the first NCAA Championships starts for Bushey, Dengerud, Mancini and Schamberger. Davies made his fifth NCAAs start on the way to his fourth All-America award, while Palmer-Leger's result was her seventh race on the nationals stage and sixth All-America nod.
The men's race began the day at Howelsen Hill and Davies and Mancini were in the top-eight after the first lap, with Bushey in 20th. Davies rose to the second spot entering the final lap, while Mancini began his ascent climbing into the top-five. Bushey pushed the pedal on the second lap, with his split time of 6:48.1 ranking second for that portion of the race—key in his rise to the top-12 in the final results.
Davies briefly took the lead when coming into the finish area, only to be outdone in the interval start by Dartmouth's John Steel Hagenbuch (19:09.2).
"Those guys have been strong all year," said Havlick. "We've learned a lot since the Colorado Invitational here a few weeks ago. They paced it super well and executed today."
When the women's race got underway, Palmer-Leger was the final Ute out of the gate in wearing Bib 32. She trailed Montana State's Tilde Baangman by about eight seconds after the first lap, but absolutely turned on the jets on the second lap to not only overcome Baangman but take a nine-second lead. Baangman and Brewster waged a great battle for the Nos. 2-3 spots but neither would catch Palmer-Leger.
"It was a pretty surreal day," said Palmer-Leger. "I wanted to go out there, give it everything I could and finish that race. It was pretty cool to win both NCAA races as a freshman and now this first one as a senior. I think Fredrik (Landstedt) was crying a little bit when I won. And I can honestly say the same. I kept my pace and actually went harder the second and third laps…just staying relaxed and catching as many people as I could."
As the final racers came in and her winning result became finalized, Palmer-Leger's teammates and coaches from both Nordic and alpine surrounded her at the exit of the finish corral in celebration of the performance.
Follow the Utah Ski Team
Follow the Utah Ski Team on social media @utahskiteam.
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