The past week has been tough for Jevin Palmquist, to say the least.
The Summit hockey player is also an elite-level alpine ski racer, and coincidentally both of his sports are at critical points in their respective seasons. But that didn't stop Palmquist from finding a way to compete in both.
The Class 4A semifinals were over the weekend, and Palmquist was skiing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, as part of Team Summit Colorado at the U.S. Junior Championships. It looked like he wouldn't make it back to Colorado for the Frozen Four until Saturday's race was canceled due to weather. So Palmquist and his family drove to Park City, Utah, and hopped on a 5 a.m. flight to catch the Summit game at 11:40 a.m. at the South Suburban Sports Complex in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. I went back like that.
He scored two goals against Liberty, including the game-winning goal, helping Summit advance to the 4A state championship game against Durango tonight at 5 p.m.
“I was very excited to be back with the players,” Palmquist said. “We played our best and played a really good game. We scored a few goals and made it to the state finals, so we'll continue to play our best. We played our best game and played a really good game. You have to stay positive.”
Immediately after the Tigers' semifinal victory, Palmquist went straight to the airport to catch a flight to Jackson Hole, where he took first place in the slalom. He also placed ninth in the giant slalom.
That's a lot of traveling. And many victories.
“I tell people I have elements of both because I grew up doing both,” Palmquist said.
Considering he competes on the slopes at home and abroad, Palmquist, whose younger brother Camden Palmquist is on the 2024 FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championship team, admits he usually has to prioritize skiing. There is. But the Summit hockey team is definitely glad he found a way to get to the hockey rink on game days.
“For an athlete like this, I think he has a great mindset and great ability,” Summit head coach Chris Miller said. “The amount of time we have with him is limited, but he has the ability to make plays. We're kind of getting him out there and letting him make things happen. ”
The Tigers will look to win the program's first state title tonight when they face Durango at the University of Denver's Magness Arena. Summit and Durango, second-year programs that have already eliminated this year's top seed and last year's champion, split a two-game series against each other during the regular season.
