DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Olaf College men's and women's alpine skiing teams both won the giant slalom and finished as the runner-up in the slalom at the United States Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association (USCSA) races at Spirit Mountain on Saturday and Sunday.

The St. Olaf men had three of the top-five individuals and the women had three of the top-seven finishers to lead the Oles to first-place team finishes. Both teams finished as the runner-up in the slalom the following day behind Northern Michigan.

Junior Kaarl Damberg and sophomore Ethan Ross went 1-2 in the giant slalom to lead the Oles to the first-place team finish, as St. Olaf finished roughly a second and a half ahead of Northern Michigan in 3:11.34. Damberg logged his second win of the season by throwing down the fastest runs of the day in each of the runs, compiling a time of 1:03.20 over the two runs. Ross added a pair of top-three runs to finish in 1:03.89. Junior Parker Smith made it three Oles in the top five in fifth (1:04.25).

First year Kate Young matched her best finish of the season with a runner-up finish – her fourth podium of the season – to pace the St. Olaf women, who finished over two seconds ahead of Northern Michigan with a time of 3:23.99. Sophomore Merumi Ishimaru finished sixth (1:08.06), highlighted by the fourth-fastest second run (33.88), while senior Sheridan Westphal was right behind her in seventh (1:08.73).

On Sunday, Damberg again led the men, finishing as the runner-up (1:26.44) for his sixth podium of the season, rising from fifth to second with the second-fastest second run (40.98). Ross moved up two spots from eighth to sixth with the third-fastest second run (41.09), while junior Gabe Lessard (eighth, 1:28.61) and senior Sean Nolan (10th, 1:28.99) were also in the top 10.

Ishimaru, Westphal, and Young were all in the top 10 again for the women on Sunday, with Ishimaru leading the way in fourth (1:35.40) for her fourth top-four finish of the season. Westphal recorded a pair of top-six runs to finish fifth (1:36.88), while Young checked in in eighth (1:37.71).

St. Olaf competes at the USCSA Regional Qualifier at Marquette Mountain this Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 19-20.