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The University of Utah Athletics
Saturday, March 9
Steamboat Springs, CO
10:00 AM
University of Utah
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Photo by: Eli Rehmer/Utah Athletics
Utah Ski Team Finishes Second at NCAA Championships
3/9/2024 4:28 PM | Skiing
Palmer-Leger takes third in women’s 20K classic
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. – The Utah Ski Team came up just short in its goal of a fifth straight NCAA Championship on Saturday, as the Utes finished second in the team standings when the meet concluded with 20K classic mass start races at Howelsen Hill.
Utah wrapped up the four-day meet with 567.5 points, just two points off the lead. Colorado narrowly edged the squad, two points ahead (569.5).
"It happens this way in sport sometimes," said director of skiing Fredrik Landstedt. "We did our best and everyone skied great. We started the week off really well and kept it going on the (freestyle) day. I thought the slalom also went very well. Today, (Colorado) was just crushing it. They had probably their best day ever. But we still had an amazing day and came up just a little short. That happens sometimes."
Sydney Palmer-Leger turned in a third-place result (1:02:41.8) in the women's race to earn her second podium of the week, seventh All-American nod and fifth of the First Team variety. The Utah men's trio of Tom Mancini (56:21:1), Joe Davies (56:21.5) and Brian Bushey (56:22.9) took the Nos. 6-8 spots, respectively, giving each Second Team All-American laurels. Davies now owns five All-American results in his collegiate career, Mancini has a pair and it was the first for Bushey.
The Utes had a 51-point lead on Colorado entering today's races, but the advantage was cut to just 17 after CU placed all three of its athletes in the top-nine of the women's 20K classic, the first event of the day. Then in the men's race, the host squad had the Nos. 1 and 3 spots to pull in front.
Palmer-Leger waged a tight battle for the No. 2 spot with Haley Brewster of Vermont, but Brewster's final stride gave her the upper hand by just three-tenths of a second. Karianne Dengerud finished 17th (1:05:29.7). Nina Schamberger also started the race for Utah but unfortunately was unable to finish.
Palmer-Leger and Dengerud were in the lead pack after the first lap as just 2.5 seconds separated the top-eight racers in the field. Palmer-Leger remained in the top-four at the halfway point of the race and climbed into third entering the last lap, jostling for the lead with CU's Hanna Abrahamsson and Tilde Baangman of Montana State.
As the field came down the final hill back into the stadium, Palmer-Leger and Brewster were neck-and-neck in the final turn before coming into the finish line.
"As a team, we were really strong this week," said Palmer-Leger. "The whole RMISA is really strong. You never know who's going to win. We do everything we can until the last second. Today was a 20K that took about an hour. We were pushing until that last second. There was a downhill into the finish; some skis were a little faster. You never know what's going to happen. I'm really proud of the effort that our team put out there. Of course we would have loved to win, but it was only two points. I'm proud to come away with two podiums. This whole team is so close together."
In the men's race, Utah's group of three never fell outside the top-10 and remained in the top-eight for the final two laps.
Utah finished the NCAA Championships with a total of 13 All-American awards—it ranks third-most of all teams at the championship meet.
Follow the Utah Ski Team
Follow the Utah Ski Team on social media @utahskiteam.
Utah wrapped up the four-day meet with 567.5 points, just two points off the lead. Colorado narrowly edged the squad, two points ahead (569.5).
"It happens this way in sport sometimes," said director of skiing Fredrik Landstedt. "We did our best and everyone skied great. We started the week off really well and kept it going on the (freestyle) day. I thought the slalom also went very well. Today, (Colorado) was just crushing it. They had probably their best day ever. But we still had an amazing day and came up just a little short. That happens sometimes."
Sydney Palmer-Leger turned in a third-place result (1:02:41.8) in the women's race to earn her second podium of the week, seventh All-American nod and fifth of the First Team variety. The Utah men's trio of Tom Mancini (56:21:1), Joe Davies (56:21.5) and Brian Bushey (56:22.9) took the Nos. 6-8 spots, respectively, giving each Second Team All-American laurels. Davies now owns five All-American results in his collegiate career, Mancini has a pair and it was the first for Bushey.
The Utes had a 51-point lead on Colorado entering today's races, but the advantage was cut to just 17 after CU placed all three of its athletes in the top-nine of the women's 20K classic, the first event of the day. Then in the men's race, the host squad had the Nos. 1 and 3 spots to pull in front.
Palmer-Leger waged a tight battle for the No. 2 spot with Haley Brewster of Vermont, but Brewster's final stride gave her the upper hand by just three-tenths of a second. Karianne Dengerud finished 17th (1:05:29.7). Nina Schamberger also started the race for Utah but unfortunately was unable to finish.
Palmer-Leger and Dengerud were in the lead pack after the first lap as just 2.5 seconds separated the top-eight racers in the field. Palmer-Leger remained in the top-four at the halfway point of the race and climbed into third entering the last lap, jostling for the lead with CU's Hanna Abrahamsson and Tilde Baangman of Montana State.
As the field came down the final hill back into the stadium, Palmer-Leger and Brewster were neck-and-neck in the final turn before coming into the finish line.
"As a team, we were really strong this week," said Palmer-Leger. "The whole RMISA is really strong. You never know who's going to win. We do everything we can until the last second. Today was a 20K that took about an hour. We were pushing until that last second. There was a downhill into the finish; some skis were a little faster. You never know what's going to happen. I'm really proud of the effort that our team put out there. Of course we would have loved to win, but it was only two points. I'm proud to come away with two podiums. This whole team is so close together."
In the men's race, Utah's group of three never fell outside the top-10 and remained in the top-eight for the final two laps.
Utah finished the NCAA Championships with a total of 13 All-American awards—it ranks third-most of all teams at the championship meet.
Follow the Utah Ski Team
Follow the Utah Ski Team on social media @utahskiteam.
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