Following a busy ski season comprising eight races over four weekends, four student-athletes from Colorado Mesa University's Cross Country Ski Team earned qualification for the 2024 U.S. Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association (USCSA) National Championships: Iver Skaarseth (freshman), Garret Moehring (junior), Patricia Casey (freshman), and Lauren Lackman (senior). Additionally, Parker Harris participated in the event for the valuable experience it offered.
 
Representing Colorado Mesa University against top athletes from schools with Nordic programs under the USCSA umbrella, including Clarkson University, University of Minnesota, Cornell University, Paul Smith's College, Colorado State University, and others, the team showcased their talent and dedication.

Held at the Mt Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid, New York, the championships saw the cross country ski races unfold on the ski trails of the Olympic Sports Complex at Mount Van Hoevenberg from March 5-8, 2024. Despite marginal snow conditions, with Lake Placid lacking natural snow on its trails, the event persevered thanks to the efforts of the Mount Van Hoevenberg staff, who constructed an approximately 8 km ski trail loop using man-made snow transported from several miles away. However, warm daytime temperatures nearing 50°F and freezing overnight temperatures resulted in challenging icy conditions on the trails, making the World Cup trails at Mount Van Hoevenberg exceptionally difficult.
 
Colorado Mesa University, located in Grand Junction within the high-desert region of Colorado and not commonly associated with cross country skiing, has successfully attracted talented athletes to its ski programs, earning recognition at race venues and during award ceremonies on multiple occasions.

Lauren Lackman of CMU made an impressive start in the highly competitive women's field, securing 12th place in the first race, the 7.5 km skate, earning her the first All-American title. Despite narrowly missing the semifinals, she then raced to the 14^th place in classic sprint, securing another All-American title. Lauren showcased her strength and determination throughout the championships, culminating in a remarkable 6th place finish in the 15 km classic race, winning her third All-American title.

Patricia Casey demonstrated steady improvement, finishing 41st in the 7.5 km skate race and advancing significantly in the 15 km classic race to secure 35th place.
 
Iver Skaarseth claimed silver medals in both the 7.5 km skate race and the classic sprint, displaying exceptional skills and strength. While he had hoped to challenge Aidan Ripp of Paul Smith's College for the gold medal in the 15 km classic race, a crash on the downhill section during the first lap of the three-lap course dashed Iver's chances of securing a podium position. Remarkably, he managed to recover sufficiently to still earn an All-American title by finishing in 14th place and walk onto the podium.
 
Garret Moehring delivered one of the most impressive performances of his collegiate racing career, demonstrating exceptional prowess across all three race courses. He achieved 25th place in the 7.5 km skate race 21st place in the 15 km classic, despite facing challenges due to a poor choice of grip wax by his coach, which led to slipping on the uphills.