Colorado University Athletics
Skiers Vault Into Second At Alaska Invitational
January 11, 2006 | Skiing
PARK CITY, Utah - The University of Colorado ski team used a dominant women's alpine performance here Wednesday, as the Buffaloes moved up two notches into second place as the Alaska Invitational resumed after a two-day break following completion of the Nordic competition Sunday.
Sites in Utah are serving as host of the meet for Alaska, as the state simultaneously hosted U.S. National competition in cross country and FIS alpine races.
Heading into the last two events of the Alaska meet, defending NCAA champion and No. 1 ranked Denver holds the leads with 426 points. Colorado, ranked No. 2 in the preseason rankings as voted on by NCAA coaches for Ski Racing Magazine, moved from fourth into second with 406 points, as the Buff women finished 1-2-4 in Wednesday's slalom.
Sophomore Lucie Zikova won the first collegiate race of the year, completing her first slalom run in 43.44 to lead the field by a wide margin and cruising to the win in a two-run time of 1:30.95. Zikova had won two giant slaloms back-to-back over the weekend in FIS competition, and then added a FIS slalom title on Monday, thus this win was her fourth in a five-day span.
She is just the fourth CU alpine woman to win the season opening race dating back to 1989, the first since Erika Hogan won the slalom at the 2004 Utah Invitational. Linda Wikstrom (1999 Montana State Invitational, giant slalom) and Caroline Gedde-Dahl (1996 Nevada Invitational, slalom) were the others.
Freshman Lisa Perricone finished second in 1:32.31, with junior Kristin Taylor taking fourth in 1:33.85. Sophomore Rachel Roosevelt finished 37th, but skied off course in her second run; she was second after a 44.26 morning run, otherwise CU could have had four of the top five performers. Sophomore Sabrina Mocellin finished 16th in 1:36.54 to round out the efforts by the Buff women.
Wednesday's performance followed a weekend showing where the CU women posted an impressive 11 of the top 17 finishes in three FIS races at nearby Snowbird (two slaloms and one giant slalom).
"The girls are on a roll; winning or losing both can be very contagious, and the girls have the right kind of influence right now," CU head coach Richard Rokos said.
"Lucie is skiing terrific. Look at her times, she is winning by seconds, not parts of seconds, and Lisa has skied similarly, winning or finishing second by decent margins. I really can't recall anyone having the kind of week Lucie has had, and it's made no difference whether it has been giant slalom or slalom. She has been truly outstanding."
As for the Colorado men, the Buffs fared well with three finishers in the top 11, the first time that has happened since the Buffs placed three in the top eight at the 2003 NCAA West Regional. Sophomore Miles Cooke posted a two-run time of 1:59.30, with freshman Jonas Kryzl 10th in 1:59.49 and soph Joel Adams 11th in 1:59.56, as just 1.3 seconds separated the top 11 finishers?Zikova's margin of victory in the women's race, Utah's Scott Veenis won in 1:58.26.
"The guys put together a very solid race," Rokos said. "It's good to see them placing three in the top 11, that's very encouraging, and something we haven't seen in a while."
"I don't know what to expect on Thursday, we are expecting a big storm and two or three feet of snow could fall tonight, really making things difficult," Rokos said of the meet's final events (giant slalom for the women, slalom for the men).
ALASKA INVITATIONAL TEAM SCORES-1. Denver 426; 2. Colorado 406; 3. Utah 368; 4. Alaska-Anchorage 366; 5. New Mexico 356; 6. Montana State 263; 7. Nevada 221; 8. Whitman 164; 9. Western State 156; 10. Boise State 43.
Men's Giant Slalom-1. Scott Veenis, Utah, 1:58.26; 2. Lars Loeseth, UNM, 1:58.41; 3. Todd Ligare, DU, 1:58.50; 4. Francesco Ghedina, DU, 1:58.63; 5. Petter Roering, UNM, 1:58:96; 6. Miles Cooke, CU, 1:59.30; 7. Tor Fodnesbergene UNM, 1:59.42; 8. Will McDonald, Utah, 1:59.45; 9. Alex Mach, UNM, 1:59.46; 10. Jonas Kryzl, 1:59.49; Other CU Results: 11. Joel Adams, 1:59.56; 30. Pat Duran, 2:05.93; Jean-Francois Ferreira DNF (first run).
Women's Slalom-1. Lucie Zikova, CU, 1:30.95; 2. Lisa Perricone, CU, 1:32.31; 3. Florence Roujas, DU, 1:33.14; 4. Kristin Taylor, CU, 1:33.85; 5. Zuzana Charvatova, BSU, 1:33.90; 6. Kathrin Spendier, UNM, 1:33.97; 7. Jennifer Tank, DU, 1:34.00; 8. Spela Bertoncelj, MSU, 1:34.09; 9. Gladys Weidt, UNM, 1:34.56; 10. Kristina Repcinova, UAA, 1:34.71. Other CU Results: 17. Sabrina Mocellin, 1:36.54; 37. Rachel Roosevelt, 1:50.70.
