Denver’s Leif Kristian Haugen took a
break from NCAA racing to represent
Norway at the Vancouver Games
GEPA; BRYCE HUBNER
The law of averages dictates that Denver
is due for a letdown in 2011 — the roster,
however, says otherwise.
“On the men’s alpine side, all five of our carnival regulars return,” says DU alpine coach
Andy LeRoy. “I guess the best part about that
is that all five won carnivals last season.”
Leading said pack of talented men is Norwegian ace Leif Kristian Haugen, who split his
time between the NCAA and World Cup circuits last year — and who also represented
his country at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
Haugen’s GS win that opened the 2010
NCAA Champs at Steamboat Springs put the
Pioneers’ wagon on the fast track to victory
for a third-straight crown.
“Leif will be with us again this year,” says
LeRoy. “Again [bouncing between Norway’s
World Cup team] and college. He’s been phe-
nomenal for us — keeping up with his studies
as well as anyone — and spent the entire fall
quarter with us, excepting a weekend in Levi,
Finland, where he qualified for a second run
in slalom for the first time in his World Cup
career.”
LeRoy says that in his tenure at DU, this is
the first year he’s had so large a core of re-
turning athletes.
“At least three of the six alpine skiers have
been new on each of our last three championship teams,” LeRoy says. “That we have all
the men returning this year — including two
carnival winners who didn’t race at NCAAs
— means we’re certain to have veteran experience come March.”
In 2010, the Pioneers graduated only one
alpiner, Molly Ryan, and she’s been replaced
by U.S. Ski Team and World Cup alum Sterling Grant — probably the most sought-after
recruit in ladies’ NCAA skiing. Lindsay Cone,
2010 RMISA MVP and runner-up in both
events at NCAAs, returns to lead the team.
The Pioneers’ cross country squad lost
All-American Harald Lovenskiold and Antje
Maempel, who won four consecutive NCAA
individual titles in 2009 and 2010. Maempel,
finishing her degree at DU this year, returns
as part-time assistant to share her experience and to train with the team.
Despite the big losses, the recruits aren’t too
shabby.
“Unlike the alpine team, we have a lot of new
skiers,” says DU nordic coach Dave Stewart. “Two of our five recruits are Norwegians
