Montana State Skiers Ready for NCAA Championships

The Montana State alpine and Nordic ski teams will compete at the 2022 NCAA Championships March 9-12 in Park City and Midway, Utah, respectively. The alpine slalom giant slalom events will open the championships on Wednesday at 9 a.m. at Park City Mountain Resort. The championships will be hosted by defending national champion University of Utah.

2022 NCAA Skiing Championships Schedule:
March 9               9 a.m.                  Giant Slalom                      Park City Mountain Resort, Park City, Utah
March 10             10 a.m.                5/10K Classic                     Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah
March 11             9 a.m.                  Slalom                                 Park City Mountain Resort, Park City, Utah
March 12             9:30 a.m.             15/20K Freestyle              Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah

The Bobcats will be paced by Nellie Talbot and Kristiane Bekkestad, who were tabbed as the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association's Most Valuable Skiers in giant slalom and slalom, respectively. Talbot, a junior from Vail, Colo., was a Second Team All-American last winter after placing ninth in giant slalom at the NCAA Championships in New Hampshire. Two years ago, Talbot was a First Team All-America selection after finishing second in GS.

Bekkestad also garnered Second Team All-America kudos last winter after placing ninth in slalom. This season, she had five podium appearances, including first place finishes at the RMISA Invitational and the RMISA alpine qualifier.

Brynne Hitchcock completes MSU's NCAA women's alpine contingent and is making her first championships appearance.

The MSU men will be led by Riley Seger. Seger was a First Team All-RMISA selection this winter. The junior from Vancouver, B.C. was a Second Team All-American last season, placing sixth in giant slalom. Seger will be joined by first year qualifiers Dawson Yates and Isak Staurset.

Sophia Mazzoni, a sophomore from Hailey, Idaho guides the Bobcat women's Nordic squad. Last winter, Mazzoni placed 16^th in classic and 20^th in freestyle at the NCAA Championships. This season, she notched her best showing with a seventh-place finish at the University of Fairbanks Invitational.

Mazzoni will be joined by Anna Pryce, who is making her NCAA debut. The product of Canmore, Alberta, had two top 10 finishes, including seventh in freestyle at UAF.

Reed Godfrey anchors the Bobcats' men's Nordic team. The native of Canmore, Alberta will be making his second NCAA appearance after notching a 13^th place finish in classic at last year's NCAA meet. Godfrey is coming off a sixth place showing in 20K freestyle at the RMISA Championships, last week.

Godfrey will be joined by freshman Kai Meyers, who is making his first NCAA Championships appearance. Meyers had a season-best eighth place showing in classic at the RMISA championships.

2022 Montana State NCAA Championships Qualifiers:
Women's Alpine: Nellie Talbot, Kristiane Bekkestad, Brynne Hitchcock
Men's Alpine: Riley Seger, Dawson Yates, Isak Staurset
Women's Nordic: Sophia Mazzoni, Anna Pryce
Men's Nordic: Reed Godfrey, Kai Meyers
Alternates: Jamie Casselman, Henry Heaydon, Ylva Falksete, Tegan Wold

Montana State Team Finishes at NCAA Championships:

Last season, the Bobcats finished fifth in team scoring.
2021      5^th
2020      7^th (shortened due to COVID)
2019      9^th
2018      6^th
2017      6^th
2016      4^th (best finish in school history)
1969      4^th (best finish in school history)

Montana State Individual National Champions:

With Nellie Talbot and Kristiane Bekkestad being named RMISA Most Valuable Skiers in the alpine events, and with the strong international experience of Riley Seger, the Bobcats are looking to see one of their own on top of the podium. MSU's past national champions include:

1962      Tor Fageraas                     Nordic                  Combined
1978      Dan Brelsford                    Alpine                   Slalom
2016      Anika Miller                       Nordic                  Freestyle
2017      Benedicte Lyche               Alpine                   Giant Slalom

Montana State All-Americans:

1962.......... Tor Fageraas Nordic 1st
1964.......... Jan Stenerud Nordic 1st
1977.......... Dan Brelsford Alpine 1st
1978.......... Dan Brelsford Alpine 1st
1979.......... Dan Brelsford Alpine 1^st; Rusty Squire Alpine 2nd
1980.......... Rusty Squire Alpine 2nd
1981.......... Trond Solvang Nordic 1^st; Rusty Squire Alpine 2nd
1982.......... Karen Jeske Nordic 1st
1983.......... Ingrid Gustafson Nordic 2^nd
1996.......... Liz Watkins Alpine 2nd
2000.......... Suzan Dole Alpine 2nd
2001.......... Marianne Magnus Nordic 1s; Maria Kalnaes Nordic 2nd
2006.......... Spela Bertoncelj Alpine 2nd/2nd
2010.......... Kaelin Kiesel Nordic 1st/2^nd; Bernhard Roenning Nordic 1st/2^nd; Tyler Reinking Nordic 2^nd; Ryan Scott Nordic 2nd
2012.......... Michael Schallinger Nordic 1^st; David Norris Nordic 1st/2^nd; Tyler Reinking Nordic 2^nd; Michael Radford Alpine 2nd
2014.......... Jessica Yeaton Nordic 1^st; Sawyer Kesselheim Nordic 2nd
2015.......... Cambria McDermott Nordic 1^st; Forrest Mahlen Nordic 1^st; Benedicte Lyche Alpine 2^nd; David Neuhauser Alpine 2nd
2016.......... David Neuhauser Alpine 1st/2^nd; Morten Bakke Alpine 1st/2^nd; Benedicte Lyche Alpine 1^st; Stephanie Gartner Alpine 1^st; Sawyer Kesselheim Nordic 1^st; Anika Miller Nordic 1^st; Cambria McDermott Nordic 1^st; Garret Driller Alpine 2^nd; Jocelyn McCarthy Alpine 2nd
2017.......... Benedicte Lyche Alpine 1st/2^nd; Stephanie Gartner Alpine 1st/2^nd; Anika Miller Nordic 1^st; Addison Dvoracek Alpine 2^nd; Garret Driller Alpine 2^nd; Johanna Taliharm Nordic 2nd
2018.......... Stephanie Gartner Alpine 1st/2^nd; Morten Bakke Alpine 1^st; Emma Tarbath Nordic 1^st; Anna Fake Nordic 2^nd; Kari Hole Alpine 2nd
2019.......... Åge Solheim Alpine 2^nd; Louis Muhlen-Schulte Alpine 2^nd; Jocelyn McCarthy Alpine 2nd 2020.......... Nellie Talbot Alpine 1^st; Åge Solheim Alpine 2^nd; Louis Muhlen-Schulte Alpine 2^nd

Schedule

Players Mentioned

Kristiane Bekkestad

Ylva Falksete

Reed Godfrey

Henry Heaydon

Brynne Hitchcock

Sophia Mazzoni

Kai Meyers

Anna Pryce

Riley Seger

Isak Staurset

Nellie Talbot

Tegan Wold

Dawson Yates

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