Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
Utah Invitational (Nordic)
Skiers Remain In Fourth At Alaska Invitational
January 08, 2006 | Skiing
SOLDIER HOLLOW, Utah ? The University of Colorado ski team stands in fourth place after four events of the Alaska Invitational, as the Nordic portion of the meet concluded here Sunday with the Buffs pulling closer to the lead.
Soldier Hollow served as host of the meet for Alaska, as the site is simultaneously holding six days of U.S. National competition. Collegians from all three NCAA regions competed here this weekend.
Defending NCAA champion Denver leads at the midway point of the meet with 282 points, as “host” Alaska-Anchorage shaved the gap to just 10 points as the Seawolves have 272. Utah is in third with 258, followed close by Colorado (252) with New Mexico fifth with 223 in the 10-team western competition. CU went into Sunday 42 points behind the Pioneers, but now trail by 30 with four alpine events later this week.
Colorado entered the season ranked No. 2 in the preseason rankings as voted on by NCAA coaches for Ski Racing Magazine. Denver was ranked first, with New Mexico third, Vermont fourth, Utah fifth and Alaska-Anchorage sixth, giving the west five of the top six spots.
Sophomore Kristin Soenstegaard was just edged by Whitman's Laura Valaas for first place in the western region competition in the women's 5-kilometer freestyle race. Valaas won in a 15:50.5 time, four-tenths of a second ahead of Soenstegaard, who rebounded strong after dropping out of Saturday's 10k classical race due to illness. Valaas was 18th and Soenstegaard 20th overall in the race, the fourth and sixth collegians, respectively, in the race that featured staggered starts, so there was no sprint at the finish.
Sophomore Maria Grevsgaard followed her runner-up finish in the classic race with a fifth place effort Sunday in 16:10.7, while freshman Lenka Palanova finished ninth in 16:25.7.
The finishes bode extremely well for the Buffaloes, as perhaps their top Nordic women's skier, senior Jana Rehemaa, did not compete here as she was in her native Estonia trying to qualify for her country's national team.
Sophomore Kit Richmond paced the CU men for the second straight day 's effort, finishing sixth among the western skiers in the men's 10-kilometer freestyle in a 27:37.1 time. He was 22nd overall in the race and the eighth collegian, as western skiers dominated the men's side. Senior Nick Sterling posted a second consecutive top 20 collegiate finish with an 18th place effort in 29:22.0, with freshman Joshua Smith snaring 19th in 29:29.6.
“I was excited for Kristin, a real confidence booster because she felt like she hadn't been skiing that well this year,” said Bruce Cranmer, CU's Nordic coordinator. “I know that she is capable of skiing up in there with the best college skiers in the country.
“We're just waiting for all of us to be healthy at the same time,” he added. “Nobody feels like they are having their best races yet, and you do want to build to a peak, but the results so far are encouraging to see.”
Two of CU's top Nordic performers, seniors Erling Christiansen and Henrik Hoye, both of whom tried to ski Saturday despite being sick, did not even attempt to race on Sunday. Their illnesses forced them to drop out of the classic race, but both are expected to recover in time to compete next weekend in Montana.
The alpine portion of the meet will commence in Park City on Wednesday, following the completion of two more days of FIS racing. The Montana State Invitational will ten follow next Saturday and Sunday in Bozeman.
ALPINE NOTES?The CU women dominated the slalom for the second straight day in FIS competition at Snowbird (Park City), placing four in the top six and again including the top two finishers. Sophomore Lucie Zikova posted her second straight win, using a 45.21 first run, two seconds better than the rest of the field, in posting a 1:32.52 time to win by two-and-a-half seconds over teammate Rachel Roosevelt, another Buff sophomore, who finished in 1:35.22. Freshman Lisa Perricone finished fifth in 1:35.32, a solid follow-up to her second place effort Saturday, with junior Kristin Taylor sixth in 1:35.43. The Buff women posted seven of the top 13 finishes in the event over the weekend. For the men, who raced a pair of giant slaloms, freshman Jonas Kryzl posted a fourth place effort in completing two runs in 2:01.85 Sunday; Utah's Scott Veenis won in 2:00.43. Freshman Josh Bryan finished 11th in 2:03.25. The women will ski a pair of giant slaloms and the men switch to the slalom on Monday and Tuesday.
ALASKA INVITATIONAL TEAM SCORES?1. Denver 282; 2. Alaska-Anchorage 272; 3. Utah 258; 4. Colorado 252; 5. New Mexico 223; 6. Montana State 187; 7. Nevada 124; 8. Western State 123; 9. Whitman 114; 10. Boise State 11.
Women's 5K Freestyle?1. Laura Valaas, WC, 15:50.5; 2. Kristin Soenstegaard, CU, 15:50.9; 3. Laura Vanalst, UNM, 15:54.5; 4. Kasandra Rice, UAA, 16:05.4; 5. Maria Grevsgaard, CU, 16:10.7; 6. Nicole Naef, Utah, 16:13.0; 7. Marit Rognmo, UNM, 16:14.6; 8. Anna-Karin Maeki, DU, 16:20.2; 9. Lenka Palanova, CU, 16:25.7; 10. Claire Rennie, MSU, 16:33.9. Other CU Results: 35. Mia Gaw, 18:21.8.
Men's 10K Freestyle?1. Kjetil Dammen, UAA, 26:15.7; 2. John Stene, DU, 26:59.4; 3. Benjamin Sonntag, UAA, 26:59.6; 4. Rene Reisshauer, DU, 27:10.7; 5. Brian Gregg, UAA, 27:31.4; 6. Kit Richmond, CU, 27:37.1; 7. Brent Knight, UAA, 27:39.7; 8. Havard Selseng, DU, 28:12.2; 9. Dirk Grimm, UNM, 28:30.6; 10. Mark Iverson, MSU, 28:32.0. Other CU Results: 18. Nick Sterling, 29:22.0; 19. Joshua Smith 29:29.6; 21. Garrett Reid, 29:49.2; 22. Joaquin Goodpaster, 29:50.2; Erling Christiansen DNS, Henrik Hoye DNS.
