2011) return alongside All American Didrik Smith. Zoe
Roy was lost to graduation, and no new athletes join the
team this year. The Utes will carry only five women and
four men on their roster, but Holt is optimistic about the
team’s prospects nonetheless. “Since our team is comprised entirely of returning athletes, we will look to every
team member to be a strong contributor this year,” she
says.
Sterling Grant
’ 14, Denver
Dartmouth College
3rd in 2011
Nickname: Big Green
NCAA championships: Three (1958, 1976, 2007)
Coaches: Peter Dodge, Chip Knight, Ruff Patterson,
Cami Thompson
Alpine: Only one significant loss (Courtney Hammond)
on the alpine side means the Big Green enters 2012 with
proven success in Trevor Leafe, Annie Rendall, and Erin
Fucigna. Dodge and Knight have high expectations for
newcomers Hunter Black, Dylan Fisher McCarney, Ben
Morse, Abby Fucigna and Jackie Maier. The team is look-
ing to repeat its podium performance at championships,
though Dodge notes one area of potential weakness: “We
have a strong recruiting class, but they lack Carnival ex-
perience.”
Nordic: Major 2011 contributors Rosie Brennan and Nils
Koons graduated, but the core team of Sophie Caldwell,
Erika Flowers, Stephanie Crocker, David Sinclair, Scott
Lacy, and Erik Fagerstrom could do some damage in
2012. They are anchored by NCAA champion Sam Tar-
ling and First Team All American Eric Packer. Roster rook-
ies include Michaela Frias, Carly Wynn, Silas Talbot, and
Peter Mamrol. Patterson sees the venue in Montana as
the only major threat to success. “Altitude is always hit or
miss,” he says. Thompson, meanwhile, says she wishes
she could take more athletes to Carnival races with the
depth of her roster.
University of New Mexico
4th in 2011
Nickname: Lobos
NCAA championships: One (2004)
Coaches: Tyler Shepherd, Fredrik Landstedt, Gary
Beresford, Martin W. Kaas
Alpine: Petter Brenna’s absence from the collegiate cir-
cuit will be noticed as his eligibility expired, but the Lobos
have added Finnish slalom specialist Joonas Rasanen in
the hopes that he will be one of the top collegiate ski-
ers nationwide. Chris Acosta, Armin Triendl, Juho-Pekka
Penttinen, Kate Williams and Stefanie Demetz are ex-
pected to continue to produce results as well. Shepherd
says, “We are currently recruiting many top female ath-
letes from around the world [but] we will not have anyone
coming for next semester.” That means the UNM roster is
set with three alpine women for 2012.
Nordic: The loss of Martin Kaas from the skiing roster
simply marks an addition to the Lobos coaching staff. Re-
turning athletes Christian Otto, Pierre Niess and Linn Kl-
aesson, who is back from injury this year, all have champi-
onship experience. Additions Sjur Prestsaeter, Anni Nord,
Anita Kirvesniemi, and Clara Chauvet will all be serious
contenders for NCAA spots. Landstedt is pleased with his
team’s “solid skiing in the Super Tours in West Yellow-
stone in November,” and believes his “top three athletes
in men’s and women’s nordic look very competitive [this
year].”
University of Denver
5th in 2011
Nickname: Pioneers
NCAA championships: 21 (1954-57, 1961-67, 1969-
71, 2000-02, 2005, 2008-10)
Coaches: Andy LeRoy, David Stewart, Aaron Haffey, Ha-
kon Johansen
Alpine: Denver’s alpine squad comes out swinging hard
