ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A snow cannon. A herniated disk. Illness. Injury. Family Medical Issues. While all of those things popped up during an interesting and trying ski season, the Lobos still finished seventh at the NCAA Championships. On Wednesday night, the team celebrated the season with the annual awards banquet, hosted at the Hotel Albuquerque in conjunction with the Ultimate Ski & Snowboard Challenge.
MVPs were awarded in all four disciplines, only three first time winners. The only repeat winner could hardly be called a repeat winner. Karoline Søvik Myklebust was named the women’s alpine MVP as a senior, three years after earning a share of that award as a freshman. Myklebust earned All-American status in the giant slalom.
Newcomer Krista Niiranen was the women’s Nordic MVP, also earning All-American honors after earning RMISA MVP honors after the regular season.
On the men’s side, Vegard Busengdal was the alpine MVP after winning the RMISA title and earning seven podium finishes. However, he missed the NCAAs after crashing through a retaining fence and into an artificial snow cannon. Busengdal was a favorite for double All-America status and a potential NCAA champion. Instead he became a poster child for how the season went.
Another Nordic newcomer, Arnaud Guyon, was the MVP the fourth straight season a newcomer earned at least a share of the award.
Also at the banquet, Madison Warren from the Alumni Lettermen’s Association presented new letter jackets to Vegard Busengdal, Arnuad Guyon, Isak Klein, Julie Ensrud, Krista Niiranen and Alexandra Sjöström.
The banquet ended with the awarding of the Patricia A. Abruzzo and Ben L. Abruzzo Scholarship Winners. Sydney Staples was the winner of the Patricia A. Abruzzo Scholarship and Patrick Brachner was the winner of the Ben L. Abruzzo Scholarship.