Buffs Stay in Colorado for DU Invite

BOULDER — The Colorado ski team looks to close out the regular season RMISA title this weekend when the Buffaloes compete at the Denver Invitational Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The alpine races – giant slalom on Friday and slalom on Saturday – are being held at Loveland Ski Area while the Nordic races – a 5/10K classic on Saturday and 5/10K freestyle on Sunday – will run at Maloit Park Trails in Minturn, Colo.

Colorado, winners of two of the first three meets this winter, can close out its six RMISA regular season championship since 2006. The Buffs have earned 1,946 points through the first three meets of the season and enter the DU Invite with a 90-point lead over the second place Pioneers.

CU's last regular season title was in 2015, which is also the last year it won a NCAA Championship. The meet serves as the final competition before the RMISA Championships/NCAA West Regional that Colorado is hosting in Steamboat Spring, Feb. 23-25.

Leading the way for CU this year has been its women's Nordic team. There the Buffs have scored 93.5 more points than any other women's Nordic team and that is the largest lead in any single category, men's or women's, alpine or Nordic, in the RMISA right now.

CU's 10 individual race victories are the most in the RMISA, one ahead of Utah. Ute men's Nordic skier Martin Bergström leads all RMISA skiers with four race wins this year, but right behind him is CU men's alpine skier Ola Johansen with three victories. The Buffs also have a trio who have won two races – Nora Christensen and Tonje Trulsrud off the women's alpine team and Hedda Baangman on women's Nordic.

Colorado also leads the league in podium finishes (28), top five finishes (45) and top 10's (70).

This will be the 13th edition of the Denver Invitational in its existence, the first meet taking place in 1994. Colorado has won seven of the first 12 DU Invitationals, including the most recent running in 2013. Utah has won three and the host Pioneers have won two.

Players Mentioned

Hedda Baangman

Nora Christensen

Ola Johansen

Tonje Trulsrud

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