STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. - Saint Michael's College Alpine skiing senior Simen Strand (Nedre Høvik, Norway/Dønski VGS) secured his fifth career All-America finish by placing 10th in the NCAA Championship slalom on Friday evening at Howelsen Hill Ski Area. Strand's five career All-America honors are the most by any student-athlete across all sports in the history of Saint Michael's Athletics. Strand was joined at the championship by junior Helene Kristoffersen (Rælingen, Norway/Dønski VGS) and sophomore Gray Flanagan (West Burke, Vt./Green Mountain Valley School), who took 23rd in their respective slalom races.
 
CHAMPIONSHIP FACTS

• The two men combined for eighth-place points (29) on Friday, only two points shy of the University of Alaska Anchorage for the most among teams with fewer than three racers. They trimmed Montana State University (28); the University of Vermont (25), which had three competitors; and Middlebury College (22). Saint Michael's was third among East squads.
• Between the men and women, Saint Michael's scored 11th-place points (37) in the slalom, good for fifth among East teams despite having only three competitors.
• The Alpine men were seventh at the NCAA Championship (71.5) with the two qualifiers, taking fourth in the East, behind only UVM (91), University of New Hampshire (85) and Dartmouth College (81).
• The Alpine men and women combined to place 11th with 81.5 points, good for fifth among East institutions.
• With one day of Nordic skiing remaining, Saint Michael's is 11th among 23 schools with 81.5 points.
• Strand was sixth on Wednesday during the giant slalom for his fourth All-America finish. His fifth All-America accolade broke a tie for first in Saint Michael's annals with SMC Athletic Hall of Famers Rich Tarrant '65 (men's basketball), John Gurskis '98 (men's ice hockey) and Kyle Lanfear '98 (men's ice hockey). Strand is also among five two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-America selections in College history; no student-athlete has earned the laurel three times.
• Friday evening's races were held at the historic Howelsen Hill Ski Area, the oldest continuously operating ski area in North America, since 1914.
• Fourteenth-year head coach Gus MacLeod '02 sent at least one qualifier to the NCAA Championship for the 11th time, all since 2012. Purple Knights have combined for 30 NCAA appearances and 12 All-America performances under MacLeod's direction. In the history of Saint Michael's Athletics, no coach has represented the College at NCAA Championships or NCAA Tournaments as often as MacLeod.

MEN'S LEADERS

• Senior Simen Strand (Nedre Høvik, Norway/Dønski VGS), 10th in slalom, 1:20.38 two-run combined time
  • 3rd finisher from East
  • Started in No. 8 bib among 34 competitors; 4th starter from the East
  • Sat 4th following opening run (37.77), 2nd among East skiers
  • Earned All-America second team finish by placing between sixth and 10th; came within 0.22 seconds of fifth place and a first team nod
  • 5th career All-America performance, including 2nd second team finish in slalom
  • Now owns school record for most All-America honors by any Saint Michael's student-athlete
  • 12th top-10 finish this season
  • 3rd career NCAA Championship appearance
• Sophomore Gray Flanagan (West Burke, Vt./Green Mountain Valley School), 23rd, 1:24.51
  • 9th among East skiers
  • Started in No. 34 bib; 17th starter from the East
  • Sat 30th following opening run (41.02), 15th among East skiers
  • 2nd career NCAA Championship appearance
  • Career-high slalom finish at NCAAs after taking 28th in 2023

WOMEN'S LEADERS

• Junior Helene Kristoffersen (Rælingen, Norway/Dønski VGS), 23rd in slalom, 1:27.83 two-run combined time
  • 9th among East skiers
  • 0.28 seconds outside top 20
  • Started in No. 28 bib among 34 competitors; 14th starter from the East
  • Sat tied for 28th following opening run (44.51), 12th among East skiers
  • Turned in 14th-best second run (43.32), 4th among East skiers
  • 4th-best slalom performance by a Purple Knight woman at an NCAA Championship; 3 of those top 4 placements belong to Kristoffersen
  • 3rd career NCAA Championship appearance

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S EVENT

• Nordic skiing first-year Henrik Wist (Trondheim, Norway/Heimdal VGS) will be the final representative of the College to race, with tomorrow's mass-start 20K classic set for 12 p.m. ET.