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Collegiate

Collegiate racing is significant part of the competitive cross-country ski world in the USA. Here you will find coverage of major college races and news from around the country.
USCSA Celebrates Another Championship Season

In 2024, the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association National Championships offered 621 Collegiate athletes (representing 71 colleges and universities) the chance to compete in the sports they love. That level of participation demonstrates that the USCSA is a far bigger league—and hosts a much bigger field—than what’s found at NCAA championships. USCSA also features competitions in an array of snowsports: Alpine Snowboard, Freestyle Snowboard, Nordic Skiing, Alpine Skiing, Freeski. FasterSkier has covered USCSA...

Inaugural 2024 U.S. Biathlon Collegiate Nationals Sets the Tone for Future Events

The inaugural U.S. Biathlon Collegiate National Championships took place March 22, 2024 at the Fort Kent Outdoor Center in Fort Kent, Maine, in conjunction with the 2024 U.S. Biathlon National Championships. Twelve collegiate athletes representing six colleges and universities from around the Northeast traveled to Fort Kent to race and represent their respective schools. Friday’s U.S. Nationals sprint race doubled as the Collegiate Nationals sprint race, where athlete standings were counted towards both events. Crystal...

2024-2025 SMST2 Application

The SMS T2 team is accepting applications for its 2024 Summer Program and 2024-2025 Elite Team.  Applications are due April 14th.  We will finalize the roster by May 1st and training starts with our Magic Mountain on-snow sprint event, June 1st, 2024.    The SMS T2 Team is an elite cross country ski team based out of Stratton Mountain, Vermont.  Our mission is international success and local inspiration.  We pride ourselves on top notch collaboration with the National Team coaches,...

Join Team SOHO’s Summer College Program

Team SOHO is looking to build a robust training group this summer for postgraduate or collegiate athletes. The program will run from June 3 – August 3 and includes a full training plan, season pass to Soldier Hollow, access to a brand-new state of the art gym that contains a roller ski treadmill, and 3-5 weekly coached sessions.  The program will focus on developing athletes’ speed, strength, technique, and endurance with our new elite coach. ...

NCAA—Magnus Boee Leads Colorado to Come-from-Behind Victory

Winning a fifth NCAA championship in a row would represent a program milestone for the University of Utah, though going into the final day of NCAA competition, Utah’s path to victory was less than a foregone conclusion. Nonetheless, Utah has shown itself to be the dominant collegiate program—both Alpine and Nordic—of the last few years, entering the final day of NCAA competition as the favorite to take the crown. All that history would be decided...

2024 NCAA Preview: New Talent and Stubborn Traditions in Steamboat Springs

When the best collegiate athletes in the United States gather for the 2024 NCAA Ski Championships, they will head to the nation’s oldest ski area, Howelsen Hill, for one of the longest continuously run championship events in the country. The NCAA is the most staid competitive circuit in US Skiing history, and continues to serve as an incubator of North American ski-talent. The best young skiers in the country will be racing in Steamboat Springs...

D1 Skiing returns to the University of Nevada, just alpine for now

In a press conference on Wednesday, the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) announced that it will once again support a Division I ski team, starting this season. For the time being however, the program will only have alpine skiing.  Both the president of the university and the university’s athletic director were present for the announcement, marking the moment. “It has been truly amazing to see how much the program’s return has energized our community,” said...

After Three Straight NCAA Championship Victories, What’s Next for the University of Utah?

With a cohort of some of the best U23 skiers in the country, the program is setting a trend for young American skiers pursuing international-level and college skiing simultaneously.   After the first day of this year’s NCAA Championships, held at Soldier Hollow, Utah, the team scoring was close. The familiar schools were all there, the University of Utah (UU) at the front, with the University of Colorado (CU), Denver University (DU), and the University...

From the Archives: Performance, not college, was reason for USST cuts (June 2009)

The following article was first published on FasterSkier in June 2009. It is reprinted now in advance of the upcoming announcement of athlete nominations for the 2022/2023 U.S. Ski Team, a subject of perennial interest for American ski fans. Based on the published objective criteria for team naming and athletes’ current world ranking, it appears that multiple athletes who are current or recent NCAA skiers will be named to next year’s national team. Like many...

Training with APU this Summer

APUNSC is now accepting applications for the University & Elite Team for the 2022-23 training year, as well as for the summer U23 training program. Applications are due by end of day April 22nd and decisions will be made by April 29th. APU is one of the preeminent cross country ski clubs. APU athletes consistently make up a sizable portion of US Olympic and World Championship Teams. Our accolades include an Olympic Gold medal as...

Ben Ogden: Balancing Olympic and NCAA Skiing Ambitions Alongside a New Wave of Top US Skiers

“So after the World Cup, Olympics, and NCAAs, is that it for you this season?” “Well…I think I’m going to race the Rikert Grand Prix this weekend.” (He won). I couldn’t have stumbled upon a more apt soundbite to describe Ben Ogden, and he offered it up ten seconds into our interview. Skiing for the US Ski Team and University of Vermont (UVM), Ogden is primed to write the next chapter in American men’s skiing...

Team Birkie 2022/2023 Season Application

Team Birkie is now accepting applications for the 2022-23 training year as well as for their summer collegiate training programs. Applications will be due by end of day April 10 and decisions will be made by April 15. Based in the Twin Cities, Team Birkie trains and lives throughout the Midwest. We are excited to be hosting multiple World Cup races in our region in 2024, with events at both Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis...

GRPSki, Biathlon and U23 Training programs all accepting applications for the ’22-23 training year

GRPSki & Biathlon are now accepting applications for the 2022-23 training year as well as for their summer U23 training programs. Applications will be due by end of day April 10 and decisions will be made by April 17. In exchange for coaching, use of training facilities and travel support, GRP year-round and summer U23 athletes are asked to do work that contributes to the mission and operation of the Center. Projects include: coaching youth and...

(Press Release) Utah captures its third consecutive NCAA Championship, Ben Ogden and Sophia Laukli win individual Nordic titles

MIDWAY, Utah – The University of Utah won going away Saturday at the 69th Annual NCAA Skiing Championships, using an impressive performance in the freestyle Nordic events to win its third straight national title. The championships concluded with the men’s 20K and women’s 15K mass start freestyle events at Soldier Hollow, a world class venue constructed for the 2002 Winter Olympics. After three days of competition, Utah led Vermont by 27.5 points. With Utah outscoring...

(Press Release) 2022 NCAA Skiing Championships – 5/10 k Classic Recap

PARK CITY, Utah – The 2022 NCAA Skiing Championships got underway on Thursday at Park City Mountain Resort and Soldier Hollow in Midway. Cool temperatures in the mid-20’s and sunny skies welcomed the competitors on the first official day of competition. Utah’s Novie McCabe claimed her first NCAA title by winning the women’s 5K classic at Soldier Hollow. Ben Ogden of Vermont was crowned a national champion for the second time in his career by winning the...

Fresh Snow and World Class Grooming Set the Stage for a Weekend SuperTour Distance Pursuit in Craftsbury

By Ian Tovell and Rachel Bachman Perkins Find FasterSkier’s coverage of Friday’s freestyle sprints here.  Saturday: 10 k Interval Start Classic After another 4+ inches of snow fell throughout the day on Friday, NENSA described the conditions for today’s 10-kilometer interval start race as a “banner day for classic skiing” on the two-lap course at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. The weekend of racing, titled the Henchey Memorial Carnival, included athletes of all levels, was described...

It’s Ogden and Ketterson Again in the Craftsbury SuperTour Freestyle Sprint

SuperTour racing continued on Friday in Craftsbury, Vermont, as part of the Henchey Memorial Carnival, which also included Eastern Cup and collegiate racing. The three-day event is presented by the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, NENSA, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, and the University of Vermont (UVM), the EISA carnival host school. Racers were faced with snowy conditions for the opening 1.4-kilometer freestyle sprint as a winter storm made its way across the Northeast. Friday morning’s grooming report...

Constant Nordic Motion : Sten Fjeldheim Retires

  Sten Fjeldheim, the cross-country ski coach at Northern Michigan University announced his retirement on March 30th. He coached and mentored at the school for 35 years. This piece from The Mining Journal speaks to Fjeldheim’s legacy and the many accolades NMU skiers achieved under his tutelage. Below are thoughts about Fjeldheim from former NMU skier, U.S. Ski Team athlete and Head Coach, Peter Vordenberg. According to a NMU press release, Fjeldheim had this to say...

Soldier Hollow Collegiate/PG Biathlon and XC Summer Training Group

  Team Soldier Hollow is looking for ambitious skiers and biathletes who want to train and race at a high level collegiately or professionally and who will contribute to our growing club and vision of “Developing Champions in Sport and Life.” We invite you to spend your summer training at Soldier Hollow, the 2002 Olympic venue for XC skiing and Biathlon and more recently, host of the 2017 XC World Junior Championships and 2019 BMW...

Matching Grant Announced for UAA Ski Team Supporters

ANCHORAGE — The beleaguered ski team at the University of Alaska Anchorage, or UAA, once more finds itself fighting for its continued survival as a competitive program, following last month’s decision by the University of Alaska Board of Regents to tentatively eliminate the alpine portion of the men’s and women’s ski team. As previously reported, the decision facially saves the UAA nordic team: USST national team member JC Schoonmaker and his nordic teammates will not...