Completed Event: Skiing versus 20K Freestyle (M) on March 8, 2025 , , 1st
Final Score
Skiing
1st
vs 20K Freestyle (M)
Photo by: Hunter Dyke/Utah Athletics
2025 Utah Ski Team Preview: Alpine
1/3/2025 10:00 AM | Skiing
Part two looking ahead to the season on the hill
The 2025 season began for the Utah Ski Team on Thursday, January 2, when the Nordic squad opened the Alaska Anchorage Invitational. Alpine action kicks off on Monday, January 6 with an RMISA qualifier race ahead of the Denver Invitational. Read below to catch up on all things alpine, and if you missed the Nordic season preview, click here.
While the Utah Ski Team would've liked to finish the 2024 season atop the NCAA podium as opposed to runner-up, there were nevertheless some standout alpine performances for the Utes throughout that meet.
Utah led the alpine point standings and had six alpine All-Americans, including an individual national championship in men's giant slalom for Mikkel Solbakken. Sindre Myklebust, then a freshman, turned in a runner-up performance in that same GS race, while Madison Hoffman paced the women's side for the Utes with a second-place slalom result and shared the silver medal in GS. Solbakken earned bronze in the men's slalom while Kaja Norbye placed top-six in the women's GS.
As the Utes gear up for 2025, there are some new faces on the alpine side following the graduation of Hoffman, Michelle Kervén, Solbakken and Gustav Vøllo. But the culture of the team is as strong as ever with a core group of returners imparting the Utah Way on the newcomers.
"The vibe and culture of our team has shown this Fall," said head alpine coach JJ Johnson. "We've always had that, but right now we especially feel that the energy is there with the group. There's not a lot of drama. Everyone can hang with each other and can hold each other accountable. It makes it pretty easy for (assistant coach) Mary Joyce and I. We've seen in training that we have all the pieces. Now it's just a matter of putting it all together in races."
In what is traditionally an individual sport, Johnson commended the tight-knit, family atmosphere that his athletes have created both on and off the hill. It showed in a race setting for the first time when the Utes headed on the road in December for Nor-Am competitions—an early test for the team before getting the RMISA schedule going.
Johnson anticipates Wilhelm Normannseth and Claire Timmermann will play leadership roles among the returners—each beginning their fifth season as Utes. Both have been previous All-RMISA selections, and Normannseth was the RMISA men's slalom MVP in 2023. Timmermann had two top-10 finishes last year and received the C.D. Reddish Memorial Award, given to the senior or upperclassman who contributes the most to the team—not necessarily in results.
"Willy spends a lot of time watching video with his teammates and talking about skiing," Johnson said. "He wants to help the younger athletes. That has been great to see. He has some really good perspective. I've loved watching the growth to where he is and how he thinks about things."
He added, "Claire worked really hard this Summer and she is skiing well right now. She cares so much about all things Utah—everything Claire does is about this team. She is one that can set the tone for our team."
The men's alpine side has been strong across the board, Johnson said, to the point where it's tough to single out a "top" skier. But Sindre Myklebust and Raphael Lessard are a pair of key returners after both were named All-RMISA last season and competed at the NCAA Championships. The duo skied in all 14 races a year ago, combining for 12 top-10 results.
Utah welcomes three men's newcomers this year, with a graduate transfer in Simen Strand plus freshmen Johs Braathen Herland and Harry Hoffman. And for Utes fans wondering; yes, there is a family connection as Harry is the brother of Utah alumna and two-time NCAA individual champion Madison Hoffman.
Strand joins the team from Saint Michael's College in Vermont, where he won five All-America citations over his seasons with the Purple Knights. The No. 1-ranked men's alpine skier in the EISA for the 2024 season, Strand had 10 career podiums with SMC.
Johnson said, "Even though Simen is new to our team, it feels like he's been here for five years. He reminds us a lot of Gustav Vøllo. He has a lot of the same demeanor. People look up to him. He's very well-mannered with the group."
Harry Hoffman most recently skied with Burke Mountain Academy, being named to Australia's National Alpine 'B' Team for 2024-25. The 2024 Snow Australia Alpine Junior Athlete of the Year, he has nine FIS podiums over the past four seasons. Herland, a native of Norway, has shown a simplistic approach and the coaches have seen that carry into his skiing thus far.
For the women, the coaches are excited to have a core group back; among the returners alongside Timmermann are Kaila Lafreniere, Kaja Norbye and Maddie Kaiserman. Sophomore Celia Abad is out due to injury, but continues to play a key role in fostering the culture and energy Johnson spoke about as strengths of the team.
"The big thing we're looking for this season is for the sophomores to step up," Johnson said. "Maddie Kaiserman did really good on the Nor-Am trip. We've been trying to get everyone away from worrying about the clock and just manage that on their own. The changes are coming and the pieces are getting there. It's just a matter of keeping everyone healthy on the women's side."
Norbye aims to build on a solid junior season that earned her RMISA MVP as the points leader in slalom. She was the individual regional champion in slalom as well, one of her three wins on the season. Lafreniere started every regular season race of 2024, earning three top-15 finishes as a freshman. Kaiserman is looking to make a splash during her second year in the program and coming off two top-25 GS results at Nor-Am's last month.
Two additions on the women's side for Utah include a familiar face on the RMISA circuit. Evelina Fredricsson is now with the Utes as a graduate transfer from nearby Westminster, with freshman Tatum Grosdidier also making the trek to Salt Lake City.
Fredricsson is a three-time All-RMISA selection and three-time All-American, including a slalom runner-up result at the 2022 NCAA Championships in Park City. She has skied to 10 podiums in her collegiate career. A native of Sweden, she raced with the national team prior to college. The coaches have seen early growth from Grosdidier and anticipate that to continue. Hailing from Washington, she had three podiums last year in her U.S. Ski Team debut and qualified for the Junior World Championships.
Utah's alpine schedule begins Monday, January 6 with a slalom race at Loveland Ski Area. It'll be an RMISA qualifier race so no team scores will be kept, but individual results will count toward NCAA Championships qualification.
From there, the Utes will race another slalom at Loveland on Tuesday, January 7 as part of the Denver Invitational. The alpine portion of that meet concludes Wednesday, January 8 with the giant slalom at Copper Mountain.
Follow the Utah Ski Team
Follow the Utes on social media @utahskiteam.
Official Mobile App of Utah Athletics – Utah 360
The official mobile app of Utah Athletics is Utah 360. Download it today for access to news and information, schedules, rosters, stats and behind-the-scenes videos directly from your mobile device. The app is available in both the Apple Store (download) and Google Play (download). Add it today, access your game tickets and download them to your smartphone's wallet to make yourself game-day ready!
While the Utah Ski Team would've liked to finish the 2024 season atop the NCAA podium as opposed to runner-up, there were nevertheless some standout alpine performances for the Utes throughout that meet.
Utah led the alpine point standings and had six alpine All-Americans, including an individual national championship in men's giant slalom for Mikkel Solbakken. Sindre Myklebust, then a freshman, turned in a runner-up performance in that same GS race, while Madison Hoffman paced the women's side for the Utes with a second-place slalom result and shared the silver medal in GS. Solbakken earned bronze in the men's slalom while Kaja Norbye placed top-six in the women's GS.
As the Utes gear up for 2025, there are some new faces on the alpine side following the graduation of Hoffman, Michelle Kervén, Solbakken and Gustav Vøllo. But the culture of the team is as strong as ever with a core group of returners imparting the Utah Way on the newcomers.
"The vibe and culture of our team has shown this Fall," said head alpine coach JJ Johnson. "We've always had that, but right now we especially feel that the energy is there with the group. There's not a lot of drama. Everyone can hang with each other and can hold each other accountable. It makes it pretty easy for (assistant coach) Mary Joyce and I. We've seen in training that we have all the pieces. Now it's just a matter of putting it all together in races."
In what is traditionally an individual sport, Johnson commended the tight-knit, family atmosphere that his athletes have created both on and off the hill. It showed in a race setting for the first time when the Utes headed on the road in December for Nor-Am competitions—an early test for the team before getting the RMISA schedule going.
Johnson anticipates Wilhelm Normannseth and Claire Timmermann will play leadership roles among the returners—each beginning their fifth season as Utes. Both have been previous All-RMISA selections, and Normannseth was the RMISA men's slalom MVP in 2023. Timmermann had two top-10 finishes last year and received the C.D. Reddish Memorial Award, given to the senior or upperclassman who contributes the most to the team—not necessarily in results.
"Willy spends a lot of time watching video with his teammates and talking about skiing," Johnson said. "He wants to help the younger athletes. That has been great to see. He has some really good perspective. I've loved watching the growth to where he is and how he thinks about things."
He added, "Claire worked really hard this Summer and she is skiing well right now. She cares so much about all things Utah—everything Claire does is about this team. She is one that can set the tone for our team."
The men's alpine side has been strong across the board, Johnson said, to the point where it's tough to single out a "top" skier. But Sindre Myklebust and Raphael Lessard are a pair of key returners after both were named All-RMISA last season and competed at the NCAA Championships. The duo skied in all 14 races a year ago, combining for 12 top-10 results.
Utah welcomes three men's newcomers this year, with a graduate transfer in Simen Strand plus freshmen Johs Braathen Herland and Harry Hoffman. And for Utes fans wondering; yes, there is a family connection as Harry is the brother of Utah alumna and two-time NCAA individual champion Madison Hoffman.
Strand joins the team from Saint Michael's College in Vermont, where he won five All-America citations over his seasons with the Purple Knights. The No. 1-ranked men's alpine skier in the EISA for the 2024 season, Strand had 10 career podiums with SMC.
Johnson said, "Even though Simen is new to our team, it feels like he's been here for five years. He reminds us a lot of Gustav Vøllo. He has a lot of the same demeanor. People look up to him. He's very well-mannered with the group."
Harry Hoffman most recently skied with Burke Mountain Academy, being named to Australia's National Alpine 'B' Team for 2024-25. The 2024 Snow Australia Alpine Junior Athlete of the Year, he has nine FIS podiums over the past four seasons. Herland, a native of Norway, has shown a simplistic approach and the coaches have seen that carry into his skiing thus far.
For the women, the coaches are excited to have a core group back; among the returners alongside Timmermann are Kaila Lafreniere, Kaja Norbye and Maddie Kaiserman. Sophomore Celia Abad is out due to injury, but continues to play a key role in fostering the culture and energy Johnson spoke about as strengths of the team.
"The big thing we're looking for this season is for the sophomores to step up," Johnson said. "Maddie Kaiserman did really good on the Nor-Am trip. We've been trying to get everyone away from worrying about the clock and just manage that on their own. The changes are coming and the pieces are getting there. It's just a matter of keeping everyone healthy on the women's side."
Norbye aims to build on a solid junior season that earned her RMISA MVP as the points leader in slalom. She was the individual regional champion in slalom as well, one of her three wins on the season. Lafreniere started every regular season race of 2024, earning three top-15 finishes as a freshman. Kaiserman is looking to make a splash during her second year in the program and coming off two top-25 GS results at Nor-Am's last month.
Two additions on the women's side for Utah include a familiar face on the RMISA circuit. Evelina Fredricsson is now with the Utes as a graduate transfer from nearby Westminster, with freshman Tatum Grosdidier also making the trek to Salt Lake City.
Fredricsson is a three-time All-RMISA selection and three-time All-American, including a slalom runner-up result at the 2022 NCAA Championships in Park City. She has skied to 10 podiums in her collegiate career. A native of Sweden, she raced with the national team prior to college. The coaches have seen early growth from Grosdidier and anticipate that to continue. Hailing from Washington, she had three podiums last year in her U.S. Ski Team debut and qualified for the Junior World Championships.
Utah's alpine schedule begins Monday, January 6 with a slalom race at Loveland Ski Area. It'll be an RMISA qualifier race so no team scores will be kept, but individual results will count toward NCAA Championships qualification.
From there, the Utes will race another slalom at Loveland on Tuesday, January 7 as part of the Denver Invitational. The alpine portion of that meet concludes Wednesday, January 8 with the giant slalom at Copper Mountain.
Follow the Utah Ski Team
Follow the Utes on social media @utahskiteam.
Official Mobile App of Utah Athletics – Utah 360
The official mobile app of Utah Athletics is Utah 360. Download it today for access to news and information, schedules, rosters, stats and behind-the-scenes videos directly from your mobile device. The app is available in both the Apple Store (download) and Google Play (download). Add it today, access your game tickets and download them to your smartphone's wallet to make yourself game-day ready!
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