University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame
Gabriella Hamberg Sutro 1990 - Skiing
A three-time All-American and three-time NCAA individual champion who former coach Chip LaCasse calls "to this day one of the strongest female slalom skiers in NCAA history," Gabriella Hamberg Sutro, a 2000 UVM Hall of Fame inductee, left her mark on collegiate skiing.
A big part of Vermont's NCAA ski title in 1989, Hamberg Sutro was a dominant presence in women's alpine skiing during her outstanding four-year career. As a freshman, she plowed through the competition during the Eastern carnival circuit, winning five of six slalom events, before the NCAA Championships, which were held that year (1986) at Stowe. Hamberg Sutro won her first of three NCAA individual slalom titles that year with a two-run time of 1:19.98, and also finished second in the GS (2:03.27).
As a sophomore, Hamberg Sutro struggled a bit. She won only one carnival slalom title (at Williams) but placed in the top-five six other times. At the NCAAs in Anchorage, Alaska, she finished 20th in the GS and 26th in the slalom as the Catamounts finished second behind Utah for the second straight year.
Hamberg Sutro came back with a vengeance as a junior, winning one GS and four slalom races in EISA competition. At the NCAAs, held at Middlebury, she skied to her second slalom title (1:25.99) and also finished eighth in the GS (2:03.50) at the Cats again lost to Utah.
As a senior captain, Hamberg Sutro enjoyed the thrill of individual and team success as she won her third NCAA slalom title at Wyoming with a two-race total of 1:32.66. She also finished 15th in the GS as the Catamounts ended Utah's run with a four-point team victory to win the NCAA title. Earlier that year, she won six carnival races and finished in the top three in three others, again illustrating that she was to the top alpine skier in the country.
A member of the Swedish National Team before coming to UVM, Hamberg Sutro won nine individual Swedish national titles. After UVM, she competed on the pro tour for four years. She also set a world record in the 24 Hours of Aspen Race.
