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Six from Utah Ski Team Named CSC Academic All-District
6/25/2024 5:02 PM | Skiing
Group honored for academic and athletic prowess
SALT LAKE CITY – Six members of the Utah Ski Team were recognized on Tuesday with selection to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.
On the men's side, Joe Davies, Raphael Lessard and Mikkel Solbakken were honored, while laurels on the women's side went to Kaja Norbye, Madison Hoffman and Sydney Palmer-Leger. Each were selected to the Academic All-America ballot, with the selections for that award expected to be announced in mid-July.
A civil engineering major out of Pemberton, British Columbia, Davies was a two-time NCAA All-American this past season, including an individual runner-up finish in the 7.5K freestyle during the national championships. The RMISA and NCAA West Regional champion in 7.5K freestyle pulled in All-RMISA First Team honors after recording five podium results, and finished no lower than ninth in each of his collegiate starts. Davies represented Great Britain during the U-23 World Championships in Slovenia, earning two top-20 finishes. He also made four World Cup starts, including 16th-place in the men's 10K freestyle in Minneapolis during February 2024. At the Utah Ski Team's postseason awards banquet, Davies was presented Nordic's David Novelle Memorial Award, given annually to the outstanding male skier.
Named Academic All-District for the second year in a row, Hoffman graduated this past May with her degree in finance. She finished the 2024 collegiate season with First Team All-American honors in both giant slalom and slalom, a year after Hoffman swept the individual women's national championships in both events. The Sydney, Australia, native was placed on the All-RMISA First Team and had five podiums this past year, including a GS win in her season debut. Hoffman went on to place second in both events at the NCAA Championships. She had nine World Cup starts throughout the year, with a top-25 slalom finish in Finland during November 2023.
Coming to Utah from Granby, Québec, Lessard started all 14 races during the 2024 campaign, logging five top-10 results on the season. Named All-RMISA Honorable Mention, he picked up his first collegiate win with a top slalom finish at the Denver Invitational. He went on to make his NCAA Championships debut, placing 13th in slalom and 21st in giant slalom. Lessard was presented the Utah Ski Team's Academic Award after recording the highest GPA on the alpine side.
Norbye was tabbed a Second Team All-American in women's giant slalom and owns three NCAA All-American awards as a Ute. The finance major out of Oslo, Norway, additionally was named the 2024 RMISA MVP in women's slalom—recognizing the skier who totals the most NCAA qualification points. She started all 14 races throughout the season, recording 13 top-10 finishes with six podiums and three wins. An All-RMISA First Team pick, Norbye also was the RMISA and NCAA West Regional champion in women's slalom. Norbye received the program's Toril Forland Award as the outstanding female skier.
A three-time NCAA individual champion, Palmer-Leger graduated with a degree in health and kinesiology while earning seven All-America awards as a Ute. A pair of those were First Team citations this past season, when Palmer-Leger was the individual NCAA champion in 7.5K freestyle and placed third in the 20K classic. The All-RMISA First Team selection had seven podiums in 10 collegiate starts, while also making seven World Cup starts. Her World Cup slate included a 23rd-place result in the 20K freestyle in Falun, Sweden.
Solbakken came up the road from Westminster for his final collegiate season, capped off with an NCAA individual title in giant slalom and third place in slalom. Those First Team All-American results for Solbakken were among four wins, seven podiums and 12 top-10 finishes all while completing a Master's in finance. The Bekkestua, Norway, native also was tabbed All-RMISA First Team and received the alpine David Novelle Memorial Award.
Follow the Utah Ski Team
Follow the Utah Ski Team on social media @utahskiteam.
On the men's side, Joe Davies, Raphael Lessard and Mikkel Solbakken were honored, while laurels on the women's side went to Kaja Norbye, Madison Hoffman and Sydney Palmer-Leger. Each were selected to the Academic All-America ballot, with the selections for that award expected to be announced in mid-July.
A civil engineering major out of Pemberton, British Columbia, Davies was a two-time NCAA All-American this past season, including an individual runner-up finish in the 7.5K freestyle during the national championships. The RMISA and NCAA West Regional champion in 7.5K freestyle pulled in All-RMISA First Team honors after recording five podium results, and finished no lower than ninth in each of his collegiate starts. Davies represented Great Britain during the U-23 World Championships in Slovenia, earning two top-20 finishes. He also made four World Cup starts, including 16th-place in the men's 10K freestyle in Minneapolis during February 2024. At the Utah Ski Team's postseason awards banquet, Davies was presented Nordic's David Novelle Memorial Award, given annually to the outstanding male skier.
Named Academic All-District for the second year in a row, Hoffman graduated this past May with her degree in finance. She finished the 2024 collegiate season with First Team All-American honors in both giant slalom and slalom, a year after Hoffman swept the individual women's national championships in both events. The Sydney, Australia, native was placed on the All-RMISA First Team and had five podiums this past year, including a GS win in her season debut. Hoffman went on to place second in both events at the NCAA Championships. She had nine World Cup starts throughout the year, with a top-25 slalom finish in Finland during November 2023.
Coming to Utah from Granby, Québec, Lessard started all 14 races during the 2024 campaign, logging five top-10 results on the season. Named All-RMISA Honorable Mention, he picked up his first collegiate win with a top slalom finish at the Denver Invitational. He went on to make his NCAA Championships debut, placing 13th in slalom and 21st in giant slalom. Lessard was presented the Utah Ski Team's Academic Award after recording the highest GPA on the alpine side.
Norbye was tabbed a Second Team All-American in women's giant slalom and owns three NCAA All-American awards as a Ute. The finance major out of Oslo, Norway, additionally was named the 2024 RMISA MVP in women's slalom—recognizing the skier who totals the most NCAA qualification points. She started all 14 races throughout the season, recording 13 top-10 finishes with six podiums and three wins. An All-RMISA First Team pick, Norbye also was the RMISA and NCAA West Regional champion in women's slalom. Norbye received the program's Toril Forland Award as the outstanding female skier.
A three-time NCAA individual champion, Palmer-Leger graduated with a degree in health and kinesiology while earning seven All-America awards as a Ute. A pair of those were First Team citations this past season, when Palmer-Leger was the individual NCAA champion in 7.5K freestyle and placed third in the 20K classic. The All-RMISA First Team selection had seven podiums in 10 collegiate starts, while also making seven World Cup starts. Her World Cup slate included a 23rd-place result in the 20K freestyle in Falun, Sweden.
Solbakken came up the road from Westminster for his final collegiate season, capped off with an NCAA individual title in giant slalom and third place in slalom. Those First Team All-American results for Solbakken were among four wins, seven podiums and 12 top-10 finishes all while completing a Master's in finance. The Bekkestua, Norway, native also was tabbed All-RMISA First Team and received the alpine David Novelle Memorial Award.
Follow the Utah Ski Team
Follow the Utah Ski Team on social media @utahskiteam.
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