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Alpine Skiing 1/18/2026 4:58:00 PM Braden Golisek - Assistant Director of Sports Information

Wildcat Alpine Sweep Podiums in the Slalom at Wild Mountain

TAYLOR FALLS, Minn. -- The NMU alpine ski teams wrapped up opening weekend with another dominant showing, with both teams sweeping the podium in the slalom at USCSA Wild Mountain.

Along with the podium sweeps, the men claimed eight of the top 11 spots, while the women controlled four of the top five final positions.

The men posted a combined time of 3:00.23, four seconds ahead of second-place St. Olaf and 24 seconds ahead of third-place Michigan Tech. The women scored a total time of 3:18.85, 11 seconds ahead of St. Olaf and 20 seconds ahead of third-place UMNTC.

It was Kyan Hopke who claimed gold on the men's side, and was one of just two skiers to post a combined time of less than one minute with his 59.72. The only other to do so was Noah Bindas, right behind Hopke to earn silver with his time of 59.87. Rounding out the podium was Cashton Jaeger in third at 1:00.45, whose time wasn't used in team scoring as he was on the 'B' team. Reed Heathman finished fourth at 1:00.64, just 0.19 seconds behind Jaeger, and Heathman's time was the final time used to determine the team scoring.

Tommie Springer paced the Wildcat women and the entire field, claiming gold with her time of 1:05.63. Madalyn Stern claimed silver at 1:06.41, and Ashley Schaffer finished right behind to earn bronze with her time of 1:06.81. Blanca Srock finished fifth at 1:08.63.

The 'Cats now set its sights to USCSA Giants Ridge, taking place on Saturday, January 24, and Sunday, January 25, in Bewail, Minnesota. Full individual and team results from today can be found below.

How It Happened
Men - Individual | Team
Bindas paced the 'Cats in run one with his time of 29.45, second to St. Olaf's Jackson Reents at 29.38. Heathman was third at 29.54, Hopke fourth at 29.56, and Jager fifth with a time of 29.58.

Inside the top-12 after run one was Anthony Petkov (30.07) in seventh, Eli Heathman (30.25) in ninth, Connor Abraham (30.57) in 10th, Nathan Dehart (30.61) in 11th, and Mitchell Forsberg (30.72) in 12th.

Hopke (30.16), Bindas (30.42), and Jaeger (30.87) were the only sub-31-second runs en route to finishing atop the podium in that order. R. Heathman (31.10) and E. Heathman (31.21) were fifth and sixth fastest in the second run, followed closely by Abraham (31.24). Petkov (31.38) and Dehart (31.80) were close behind, and Forsberg ran the course in 42.44.

Women - Individual | Team
The top three finishers in Springer (33.14), Stern (33.57), and Schaffer (34.07) posted the top three times in the first run, followed by Srock (35.24) with the fifth-quickest run.

Among the rest of the 'Cats in run one were Lucy Stern (36.97), Julia Greene (37.11), Anna Roethlisberger (37.36), Georgette Sake (38.43), Maya Bubolz (38.65), Camryn Zotalis (40.45), Cassidy Whitener (57.16), and Onalee Wallis (1:03.78).

While Springer (32.49) maintained the top time among the field in the second run, Schaffer (32.74) and Stern (32.84) swapped spots into the second and third fastest times. Srock moved up into the fourth-quickest time at 33.39, and after a tough first run, Wallis responded with the seventh-quickest run two time at 34.02.

Bubolz (35.04) and Whitener (35.39) were 10th and 12th, followed by Roethlisberger (36.03), Sake (36.06), and Greene (36.18) in 15th, 16th, and 17th, respectively. Zotalis (37.88) shaved nearly three seconds off her first run, and Stern rounded out the 'Cats in the field with a time of 52.69.

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Players Mentioned

Connor Abraham: 6' 1"; Senior

Maya Bubolz: 5' 9"; Senior

Nathan Dehart: Senior

Mitchell Forsberg: 5' 11"; Senior

Julia Greene: 5' 7"; Junior

Reed Heathman: 5' 10"; Senior

Kyan Hopke: Sophomore

Anthony Petkov: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Anna Roethlisberger: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Georgette Sake: 5' 0"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Connor Abraham
: 6' 1"; Senior

Maya Bubolz
: 5' 9"; Senior

Nathan Dehart
: Senior

Mitchell Forsberg
: 5' 11"; Senior

Julia Greene
: 5' 7"; Junior

Reed Heathman
: 5' 10"; Senior

Kyan Hopke
: Sophomore

Anthony Petkov
: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Anna Roethlisberger
: 5' 8"; Sophomore

Georgette Sake
: 5' 0"; Junior