麻豆app

Two years ago, Jayden Buckrell 鈥�27 was pondering walking away from the sport he鈥檇 dedicated most of his young life to.

Burned out and questioning whether he even wanted to pursue an athletic future as a skier at the collegiate level, an email from then-UNH ski coach Brian Blank re-lit Buckrell鈥檚 competitive fire.

And the rest of the NCAA men鈥檚 slalom field soon paid the price.

Buckrell did indeed choose to extend his career as a Wildcat and before the end of his inaugural season turned in the best first run of his life at the 2025 NCAA Championships, ultimately with a time of 1:27.17, earning First-Team All-America honors along the way.

He is the first skier since 1973 to bring an NCAA championship trophy back to UNH.

From burnout to breakout in two years flat.

鈥淐oming to UNH was like hitting reset. From the first day, I felt something different here. The sense of team 鈥� the community 鈥� it reignited that passion I'd been missing,鈥� Buckrell says. 鈥淚 wasn't just skiing for myself anymore. I was part of something bigger.鈥�

Buckrell was with the Ontario Provincial Ski Team, questioning his future, when Blank鈥檚 email arrived. From the moment he stepped on campus at UNH and joined his new teammates, he knew he鈥檇 made the right call not to walk away. At UNH, he found what had been missing: teammates who felt like family, a community that pushed him to grow, and a mindset that changed everything.

鈥淢y captains, my teammates, and the seniors on the team gave me a sense of belonging I hadn't felt since playing hockey as a kid. They showed me that being an athlete isn't about being perfect 鈥� it's about being part of a family that pushes you to grow on and off the hill,鈥� says Buckrell.

That newfound focus guided Buckrell as he captured the NCAA crown. Even in the moment as he was competing against the nation鈥檚 best skiers, he experienced a clarity that would have eluded him during his struggles two years earlier.

鈥淚 realized that success wasn't about where I finished 鈥� it was about how I felt crossing that finish line. I wanted to get to the bottom of the hill knowing I had no regrets 鈥� that I had left everything I had out there. And I did,鈥� Buckrell says.

The journey has left Buckrell with a new appreciation for not just results, but the process to get there. His time at UNH has rebuilt his self-assurance, and he looks forward to building on that momentum throughout his remaining time as a Wildcat.

鈥淐onfidence isn't something you wait for. It's something you build through the people around you, the work you put in, and the mindset you choose to bring every single day,鈥� he says.