Maempel Repeats as Collegiate Skier of the Year; Bernstein Takes Men’s Award

Collegiate Skier of the Year

Last year this category posed the biggest challenge with tough decisions for both the men’s and women’s award, but 2010 posed no such problems.  Both winners were very strong during the regular season and dominating at the NCAA Championships.

Collegiate Skier of the Year (women):

Antje Maempel (GER).  Maempel, racing for Denver University, became the first repeat winner of this award, following up her close win last year with a dominating season.  She started all eight RMISA races, winning five of them and placing 2nd in the other three.

A native of Germany and a former member of the German National Team, Maempel saved her best performances for the end, winning both NCAA races, the second year in a row that she swept the Championships.

Honorable Mention:

Ida Sargent (USA).  Dartmouth College’s Sargent was dominating during the regular season, winning seven of nine starts and finishing 2nd and 3rd in the other two.  Sargent helped Dartmouth to victories in every regular season weekend.  She did not race well at NCAAs however, placing 20th and 24th in the two races.

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Collegiate Skier of the Year (men):

Franz Bernstein (GER).  Bernstein made it a German sweep for the 2010 Collegiate Skier of the Year.  The UVM sophomore won four of five EISA classic races and was 2nd in the other.  While not as dominating in the skate races, he still won another race in that discipline, finished 2nd in another, and his worst result was a 7th.

At the NCAA Championships in Colorado Springs, Bernstein finished 2nd in the 10km classic, and won the 20km freestyle mass start by 1.2 seconds over Martin Kaas.

The 22-year-old native of Unterthingau, Germany was on the German National Team from 2005-2008 as a junior, and raced at the 2008 World Junior Championships.

Honorable Mention:

Martin Kaas (NOR).  Kaas, a junior at UNM, was the top-ranked skier in the RMISA.  He won five of eight races and was on the podium two other times.  The 23-year-old Norwegian finished 5th in the 10km classic at the NCAA Championships and 2nd behind Bernstein in the 20km freestyle.

Matt Gelso (USA).  Gelso, a former member of the US Ski Team accomplished the rare feat of winning a NCAA title as an American.  The CU senior finished the season as the second ranked skier in the RMISA, winning two races and finishing second twice as well.  He was never out of the top-10.  In addition to his impressive 24 second victory in the NCAA Championship 10km, he placed 3rd in the 20km, less than four seconds out of the win.

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Previous Winners:

2009
Antje Maempel (GER/DU)
Vegard Kjoelhamar (NOR/CU)

2008
Maria Grevsgaard (CZE/CU)
Marius Korthauer (GER/UAF)

Award Schedule:

Thursday, April 15 – Rookie of the Year
Friday, April 16 – Collegiate Skier of the Year
Monday, April 19 – Adaptive Skier of the Year
Tuesday, April 20 – Continental Skier of the Year
Wednesday, April 21 – Biathlete of the Year
Thursday, April 22 – Nordic Combined Skier of the Year
Friday, April 23 – Performance of the Year (cross-country, biathlon, nordic combined)
Monday, April 26th – Cross-Country Skier of the Year