NCAA Championships Lineup Set for Utah Ski Team

Photo by: Jackson Bilawa/Utah Athletics

NCAA Championships Lineup Set for Utah Ski Team

3/4/2026 10:20 AM | Skiing

Utes qualify full squad of 12 athletes for next week’s races on home snow

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Ski Team and programs from around the country announced their lineups on Tuesday for the 2026 National Collegiate Skiing Championships—which will be hosted by Utah next week.

The Utes qualified 12 athletes for the meet, making Utah one of seven schools to bring a full squad. Colorado, Denver and Montana State joined Utah in the West in qualifying 12 athletes, while Dartmouth, Middlebury and Vermont hit the maximum out East.

For alpine, Utah will be represented in the women's lineup by Melanie Dahlberg, Christina Jacobsen and Kaila Lafreniere along with Pierick Charest, Johs Braathen Herland and Sindre Myklebust on the men's side. Additionally, Harry Hoffman qualified as an alternate.

The Nordic lineup for the Utes includes Zachary Jayne, Max Kluck and Mons Melbye for the men. Utah will be represented in women's Nordic events by Erica Lavén, Sofia Pedersen and Witta Walcher. Neve Gerard and Ally Wheeler are alternates.

The 2026 National Collegiate Skiing Championships run from Wednesday through Saturday, March 11-14. Alpine events will take place in Park City, Utah, from the Spencer F. Eccles Olympic Mountain Center at the Utah Olympic Park. Nordic races will go down at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in Midway, Utah. Parking and admission are free for all four days of racing.

Utah has won 17 national championships all-time, including four of the last five NCAA titles.

Additional information about the national meet is available by clicking here.

Quick Hits on Utah's NCAA Lineup
Pierick Charest – Men's Alpine – Fr. - Blainville, Québec

First NCAA Championships selection
2026 All-RMISA Second Team
Eleven starts in his first season at Utah with seven top-10 results.
Skier of the Meet for the 2026 Utah Invitational.
Season-best fifth place came twice in slalom, with results at Denver and in the RMISA Championships/NCAA West Regional.
Sixth place in slalom, eighth in GS during the Utah Invitational.

Melanie Dahlberg – Women's Alpine – Jr. - Helsingborg, Sweden

First NCAA Championships selection
2026 All-RMISA First Team
Started all 14 races to date this season, recording 11 top-10 finishes and four podiums.
Skier of the Meet for the 2026 Nevada Invitational.
First collegiate win came in slalom at the Nevada Invitational.
Added a giant slalom silver medal on home snow during the Utah Invitational.
Took bronze in GS during the RMISA Championships/NCAA West Regional, as well as in slalom in an RMISA alpine qualifier race
Narrowly missed the podium with a top-four GS finish at Colorado

Johs Braathen Herland – Men's Alpine – So. - Kongsberg, Norway

No. 1-seeded men's slalom skier in the West Region
Second NCAA Championships selection (2025)
2025 NCAA Individual Champion (men's GS)
Seventh place in slalom at the 2025 NCAA Championships
Two-time All-RMISA First Team selection (2025, '26).
Skier of the Meet for the 2026 Denver Invitational.
Thirteen top-10 results out of 14 starts, with 10 podiums and six wins.
Became the first Utah skier (men's or women's) since at least 2019 to win the first four alpine races of an RMISA season.
Had a seven-race podium streak to begin the 2026 season.
Silver medalist for men's GS during the Utah Invitational.

Christina Jacobsen – Women's Alpine – Fr. - Bergen, Norway

First NCAA Championships selection
2026 All-RMISA Second Team
Four top-10 results in her first season at Utah, including two top-fives.
First collegiate podium came in the Nevada slalom, taking the silver medal.
Had a top-five slalom finish in an RMISA Alpine Qualifier.

Zachary Jayne – Men's Nordic – Sr. – Bend, Ore.

No. 1-seeded skier in the West Region for men's 7.5K classic
Third NCAA Championships selection (2023, '25)
Two-time All-RMISA First Team selection (2025, '26)
Eighth place in 7.5K classic and 10^th in 20K freestyle at the 2025 NCAA Championships
Seven collegiate starts this season—all podiums—with two victories.
Skier of the Meet for the 2026 RMISA Invitational.
Missed a stretch of the college season while making his World Cup debut; has four World Cup starts including a top-30 in classic sprints at Goms, Switzerland.
Won his season debut in the 10K classic at the RMISA Invitational, which was also part of the U.S. National Championships.
Skied to the top of the podium in Colorado's 20K freestyle.

Max Kluck – Men's Nordic – Jr. – Butte, Mont.

First NCAA Championships selection
2026 All-RMISA Honorable Mention
Seven starts this season.
First collegiate win came in classic sprints at the RMISA Invitational.

Kaila Lafreniere – Women's Alpine – Jr. - Whistler, B.C.

Second NCAA Championships selection (2025)
Took 19^th place in GS and 24^th in slalom at the 2025 NCAA Championships
2026 All-RMISA Honorable Mention
Skier of the Meet for the 2026 RMISA Championships.
Started all 14 races this season, totaling six top-10 finishes.
Narrowly missed the slalom podium at the RMISA Championships, placing fourth.
Also had a top-six GS finish during an RMISA Alpine Qualifier.

Erica Lavén – Women's Nordic – So. - Täby, Sweden

No. 1-seeded skier in the West Region for women's 7.5K freestyle
Second NCAA Championships selection (2025)
2025 NCAA Individual Champion (women's 7.5K classic) and runner-up in the 20K freestyle
Two-time All-RMISA First Team selection (2025, '26).
Skier of the Meet for the 2026 RMISA Invitational.
Individual winner in all seven of her finishes this season.
2026 RMISA/NCAA West Regional Individual Champion (7.5K Classic)
Had a commanding victory during the Utah Invitational 15K classic, winning that mass start by 54 seconds.
Also came away with the victory in Utah's 7.5K freestyle on home snow.

Mons Melbye – Men's Nordic – Fr. – Oslo, Norway

No. 1-seeded skier in the West Region for men's 20K freestyle
First NCAA Championships selection
2026 All-RMISA First Team
Seven starts during his first season at Utah, netting six top-five finishes and five podiums.
2026 RMISA/NCAA West Regional Individual Champion (20K freestyle)
Skier of the Meet for the 2026 Utah Invitational.
Four wins, including a sweep on home snow during the Utah Invitational.
Hit the podium in four of his first five starts.
Though it was not an RMISA race, Melbye also was the men's skate sprint winner during the U.S. National Championships in Lake Placid, New York.

Sindre Myklebust – Men's Alpine – Jr. - Sogndal, Norway

Third NCAA Championships selection (2024, '25)
Eighth place in GS and 15^th in slalom at the 2025 NCAA Championships
Two-time All-RMISA selection (2025 honorable mention; 2026 second team)
Skier of the Meet for the 2026 RMISA Championships.
Started all 14 races to date this season with eight top-10 results.
Pair of bronze medals on the season, with one apiece in GS and slalom.
Third place in slalom at last week's RMISA Championships.
Also took bronze in GS during an RMISA Alpine Qualifier.
Two other top-five finishes this season, both in GS.

Sofia Pedersen – Women's Nordic – Fr. – Järpen, Sweden

First NCAA Championships selection
2026 All-RMISA First Team
Ten starts during her freshman season, totaling nine top-five results and four podiums.
Silver medalist in Utah's 7.5K freestyle as well as in classic sprints at the RMISA Invitational.
Took bronze in the 20K freestyle during the RMISA Championships/NCAA West Regional.
Added another third-place result in Denver's 7.5K freestyle.

Witta Walcher – Women's Nordic – Jr. - Ramsau, Austria