Sports

Lahammer competes in World University Games

By Hailey Hokanson (hhokanson@css.edu)

February 7, 2025

Audrey Lahammer found herself competing on an international stage as she represented the College of St. Scholastica and the United States of America at the World University Games in Italy from Jan. 13 to Jan. 23. “It was a super cool experience, and I was really happy with my performance,” Lahammer said. “It was nice getting to compete against international competition.”

Lahammer, a sophomore Exercise Physiology student, was hand-selected among college students from around the country to participate in the games. She was one of only a few Americans to compete in the Biathlon event, something she didn’t pick up until later on in high school.  “I competed in Nordic skiing when I was at [Red Wing] high school, but then I picked up Biathlon Club too,” she said. “I joined the club and started to like it and get good at it, so then I started focusing on the sport even more.”

A member of the St. Scholastica Ski Team, Lahammer first found out she would be on the flight to Europe back in the Fall of 2024. A few months later, she found herself in the mountains of Italy to practice and compete among some of the best racers in the world. “I left on the tenth (of January), and when I arrived, everyone was very welcoming,” Lahammer said. “We ended up staying an hour and a half away from the main campus for the game since my event was held in Pragelato.”

Everyday, alongside her American teammates, Lahammer would train and practice for the games, challenging herself in the races and shooting parts of the event. She would indulge in traditional Italian food and overlook the views from her hotel. The real competition took place on Jan. 14, 16 and 20, where Lahammer showed off her accuracy and speed in an individual event and a sprint event. 

As one of six American girls and one of the youngest ones on the course, she had high goals for herself during the competition. “The top 34 qualify for finals, and while I didn’t qualify, my goal was to be in the top four Americans in every race, and I was the third or fourth American in each,” she said. “I just tried to focus on my ski speed and my strengths in shooting.”

As a part of the experience, Lahammer participated in pin trading with competitors from different countries and was a part of the Opening Ceremony. “We were all dressed in our American gear, and the experience was just so cool,” she said. 

Back home, her teammates, family and friends tuned in to early morning livestreams to cheer her on. “They kept saying that they were proud of me, which was nice,” she said. “My coaches were very understanding because I was going to miss team stuff, and they’ve helped make the transition back into the team really smooth.”

Her professors also helped her stay on track during her long leave of absence through email strings and Zoom calls. “My professors were really supportive, and they helped them come up with a strategy for while I was gone,” Lahammer said. “Staying up to date was hard because of the WiFi, but I was able to get completely caught up.”

Lahammer said she will continue to work hard on her Biathlon skills because of the future she sees in the sport. “I’m going to keep doing the sport as long as I continue to find joy in it,” she said. “I train full-time for it throughout the whole year. I’m just trying to do as much as I can so I can meet my goals of competing in the 2030 or 2034 Olympics.”

As she gets accustomed to life back in Duluth, Lahammer will continue to compete with the CSS Ski team while training hard individually to meet her future goals. “I think my biggest takeaway from the experience was getting more international racing experience and getting to compete with people at a higher level than I normally do,” she said. “I feel like they pushed me to be a better performer. And, a big thank you to my family for sending me out there to compete.”