CMC ski team closes university season in top form

The Eagles’ younger skiers credit RMISA Championship success on improved mental game

By Shauna Farnell

March 4, 2024 ­– The Colorado Mountain College Eagles alpine ski team hit its stride just in time for the final races of the college season.

Led by women’s team captain Nicola Rountree-Williams and the youngest members of the men’s team, the Eagles notched breakthrough performances at the RMISA Championships in Big Sky, Montana Feb. 22-24.

Following on the heels of a second place at a FIS giant slalom race in Beaver Creek, Rountree-Williams showed that she has reached one of her season’s key goals: consistency.

“Nicola was the best she’s been since starting at CMC,” said CMC head coach Scott Tanner. “She really wanted a podium. Time-wise, she was really close.”

The former U.S. Team skier shot into the first GS race at the Montana State University-hosted series with true determination, notching a university career best eighth place. She promptly bested that in the following day’s GS with a fifth and wrapped up the Big Sky series with a sixth place in the slalom.

Jessie Ferguson, returning from a leg fracture, is back on snow and foreran the Montana races while Anastacia Stocker, sidelined with a head injury this season, was also just cleared to return to snow.

On the CMC men’s side, the championship series proved pivotal, especially among the team’s newest athletes.

Also landing a second place in the Beaver Creek FIS GS race preceding the championships, 19-year-old freshman Everett Dooley came into the Big Sky races without a single university race result. Then he charged from bib No. 48 to 16^th place in the first GS.

“When you ski with happiness and positivity, the results happen because you’re in the moment,” said the Avon native, adding that his mindset improved following a year of daily meditation. “I also give credit to my mom. She is all about manifestation and positive self-talk. It’s that simple. It’s fun to be in the moment and that leads to a successful day on the hill.”

Greatly improving his start position for the second GS race, Dooley kept up the momentum, starting 29^th and finishing 21^st.

“For Big Sky race 2, I was definitely aware that I’m pretty fast, skiing well. At the same time, I was like, it’s nice to have a good start position and not dealing with the ruts,” he said. “Having fun and being relaxed is an easy way to have success. If you’re not having fun, what’s the point? These races were definitely the highlight of my season.”

If there was an even bigger highlight than his own success, it was that of his teammate, fellow freshman Gerrit Kursh. Buoyed by a fifth and eighth in Beaver Creek, the 20-year-old Burke Mountain Academy athlete went from bib No. 50 to 13^th in the first run of the Big Sky GS. In it to win it in for run No. 2, Kursh came into the flats a little too hot and ended up 47^th. Nonetheless, that first run performance provided a much-needed confidence boost.

“It goes to show even if everyone else is starting in a better position with more FIS points, it doesn’t mean they’re better than you. You know what you’re capable of, but just need a chance to show it,” Kursh said. “The second run was a bummer, but I was in the flow state. I took a bit of a risk and tucked too early.”

The Woodstock, New York native added that his “skiing has totally clicked the last couple of weeks” and proceeded to put two solid runs together in the second GS and finish 28^th. Meanwhile, teammate Theodore Kim put down one of his most consistent, back-to-back performances, with a 30^th and 36^th in the GS races and 29^th in the final day’s slalom.

Notching what he and his coach believe may have been the best singular run of his racing career to date, Isaac Mozen built to a grand finale at the championships. Starting No. 51, he threw down a 23^rd place in the first GS, made the flip again the next day for 39^th, but put on his best show in slalom. He squeaked into the flip in 28^th after the first run and with a clean course ahead of him for run 2, pulled off the fifth fastest time on course and ended up 20^th.

Like his younger teammates, the Olympic Valley, California skier credits his elevated mental state more than physical prowess.

“I’ve been working on my headspace in training,” he said. “It’s been working really well, trusting myself, trying to go fast. I carried that into the races. I’ve been talking with my teammates a lot about it. We all agree. On race day, it’s not about your technique or your form. It’s all about what’s happening above your shoulders.”