As if a pair of Olympic appearances and an NCAA Championship weren’t enough already, Ute junior Katrin Smigun added another honor to her resume this week, as she was named Skier of the Year by Ski Racing Magazine.
A transfer student from Otepaa Sport School, Smigun made a huge splash in her first season at Utah, going undefeated on the year while leading the Utes to their 11th national title.
March’s NCAA Championships proved a fitting end to the season for Smigun, who became the competition’s lone dual winner, coming out victorious in both the freestyle and classical races.
After such an eventful season, this latest post-season honor is merely icing on the cake.
“Katrin deserves this prestigious award from Ski Racing, not only for her athletic performance, but for her leadership on the team,” coach Kevin Sweeney said.
Success is nothing new for Smigun who, at the age of 23, already has 16 Estonian national championships to her name.
A member of the Estonian National Ski Team for eight years, she first qualified for the Olympics in 1998, finishing 13th in the 15K classical race in Nagano.
She got herself acclimated to the Utah snow four years later at the Salt Lake City Olympic Games, placing 13th in the 30K classical event.
Just a few months later, she was back in the Wasatch Valley as a member of the Ute ski team.
While many transfer student-athletes have at least mild difficulties adjusting to a new environment, such was not the case for Smigun, who was an immediate success and an integral part of the Utes’ run for another NCAA crown.
Following her undefeated season, Smigun was honored with the U’s Toril Forland Outstanding Skier Award, which is given to female student-athletes who have been vital to the success of the Utah ski team.
And as her latest prize from Ski Racing proves, Katrin Smigun definitely fits that bill.