BOZEMAN — The Montana State ski team has qualified a full 12-member team for the NCAA Championships, March 7-10, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The Bobcats are just one of eight schools nationally to have accomplished the feat.
The NCAA announced the 74-men and 74-women roster that will compete in next week’s championships on Monday. The racers come from 23 NCAA institutions. Also fielding a full complement of skiers were Colorado, Denver, New Mexico, Utah, Alaska-Anchorage, Dartmouth and Vermont.
Competing for MSU at the NCAA Championships are Garret Driller, Addison Dvoracek, Morten Bakke, Kari Hole, Benni Lyche, Stephanie Gartner, Erik Axelsson, Karsten Hokanson, Eli Jensen, Emma Tarbath, Johanna Taliharm and Anna Fake.
MSU’s dozen includes 12 All-America finishes over the past three seasons led by Lyche and Gartner who are three-time All-Americans. Both racers garnered First and Second-Team All-America honors last season.
In addition, the Bobcats will look to improve upon its sixth place showing at last year’s NCAA meet in New Hampshire. MSU’s best co-ed finish in school history is fourth- coming in 2016. The Bobcat men placed fourth at the 1969 championships in Steamboat Springs.
Montana State has finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships on 24 occasions, including the last eight consecutive seasons.
Current NCAA team titles are based on a combined men’s and women’s point system.
The NCAA Skiing Championships will begin on March 7 with the giant slalom events.
