Colorado University Athletics
CU Ski Team Shares CU Athlete of the Week Honor
March 15, 2006 | General, Skiing
BOULDER- Usually intended for and given to individual student athletes, this week's (March 7-13) University of Colorado Athlete of the Week honor has been given to the entire CU Ski Team which won the programs 17th National Championship and was led by sophomore men's skier Kit Richmond, sophomore women's skier Lucie Zikova and senior women's skier Jana Rehemaa. This is the first time a team has been given the award, but it is fitting seeing how it truly was a team effort.
The University of Colorado is back on top of the collegiate skiing world, as after another dominant Nordic performance on Saturday, the Buffaloes cruised to the fourth-largest margin of victory in history in claiming the 53rd annual NCAA Championship. Colorado won its first national championship since 1999 and the school's 16th NCAA title in the sport. CU became the first school without a full 12-skier team to win the title, as the Buffs competed one skier short; Vermont was one short in 2001 and had the previous best effort with a runner-up showing. In the current scoring format, CU's sixth-place standing after the first day marked the biggest comeback to win the title, surpassing Denver in 2000, when the Pioneers were fifth after day one.Â
Sophomore Kit Richmond, who fell ill on Tuesday and skied sick Thursday in the 10k classic, rebounded to win in a 55:14.7 time, CU's first men's Nordic individual champ since 1999. Seniors Erling Christiansen and Henrik Hoye closed out their careers earning first-team All-American status, finishing third and fourth respectively in 55:20.1 and 55:39.1. Colorado senior Jana Rehemaa recorded the "double-double" as she won the women's 15K race in 46:27.4, a full 10 seconds ahead of Alaska-Fairbanks Johanna Turunen, who finished second in 46:37.4. Rehemaa, who entered her senior season with several second place showings, broke through last month and concluded her career with six consecutive wins, which included Thursday's title in the 5K classic. In addition, sophomore Lucie Zikova won CU's second individual title of the meet in the slalom in 1:22.77. Eight Buffaloes earned All-America honors in the meet, all eight gaining first-team status: Lucie Zikova (giant slalom, slalom); Lisa Perricone (giant slalom, slalom), Jana Rehemaa (classical, freestyle), Kit Richmond (freestyle), Erling Christiansen (freestyle), Henrik Hoye (freestyle), Maria Grevsgaard (classical) and Lenka Palanova (freestyle).
Â
Others nominated for this week's award were: Jan Zelezny (men's tennis), Edward McGlasson (men's golf), Derek Tolan (men's golf), Stephen Pifer (men's track), Liza Pasciuto (women's track), Jasmina Ilic (women's basketball), and Veera Nurmi (women's tennis).
Â
Men's Tennis: Jan Zelezny, Junior, Prague, Czech Republic
Zelezny picked up a doubles win and clinched Colorado's dual match at No. 4 singles with BYU, 5-2 last Saturday. Zelezny won for the fourth time in six outings and rallied from a set down against BYU taking a 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 winner. Zelezny is ranked 111th nationally.  Earlier in the day, he teamed with Marek Dvorak at No. 3 doubles for an 8-1 win. It was the CU tandems third straight win at the No. 3 slot. CU (8-3) is 40th nationally and has won their last four in a row.
Â
Men's Golf: Edward McGlasson, Senior, Orange, Calif. and Derek Tolan, Freshman, Highlands Ranch, Colo.
McGlasson and Tolan shot a 1-over par 73 and a 3-over par 75 respectively, tying for 10th with 2-under 214 totals at the Louisiana Classics, as CU finished in 10th place as a team. Small consolation was the fact that McGlasson and Tolan posted the best individual total by a CU golfer in the 16 years the Buffaloes have participated there.
Â
Men's Track: Stephen Pifer, Junior, Edwardsville, Ill.
Pifer was the only male athlete to compete for the Buffs on the second day of Nationals in Fayetteville, Ark. Pifer raced to a fifth place finish in the mile run with a time of 4:14.81. By finishing in the top eight of his race, he was honored as an All-American, making a total of three All-Americans for the Buffs this season.
Â
Women's Track: Liza Pasciuto, Sophomore, Murrieta, Calif.
Pasciuto was the only female athlete to compete for the Buffs on the second day of Nationals in Fayetteville, Ark. Pasciuto finished seventh in the 3k with a time of 9:21.10, qualifying her for All-American honors by finishing in the top eight of her race, making a total of three All-Americans for the Buffs this season. For Pasciuto it was her first time competing in the National Championship and also her first time earning All-American honors.
Â
Women's Basketball: Jasmina Ilic, Junior, Becej, Serbia
In a 67-59 losing effort, Ilic led the Buffaloes with 24 points, including a 3-pointer with a minute left that got them within 62-57 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers this past week at the Big 12 Championship tournament. In a game-high 39 minutes of playing time, she added five assists and a pair of steals.
Â
Women's Tennis: Veera Nurmi, Sophomore, Lahti, Finland
Nurmi picked up a pair of singles wins last weekend improving her team-best singles record to 19-7. She also improved her spring dual record to an impressive 10-3 with singles wins over Iowa State (6-4, 6-4) and Nebraska (2-6, 7-5, 6-2). Nurmi is also 8-1 at the No. 4 singles slot for the Buffaloes. CU is 8-5 and ranked No. 43 in the latest ITA tennis rankings.
