Skiers Earn Regional Recognition, Announce 2008 NCAA Squad

BOULDER - The University of Colorado ski team had seven skiers earn regional recognition at the 2008 RMISA Regional Championship banquet in Bozeman, Mont. over the weekend, including two Most Valuable Skier honors. The coaches have also announced the 11 skiers who will represent Colorado at the 2008 NCAA Championships.

Seniors Maria Grevsgaard (Nordic) and Lucie Zikova (Alpine) were named 2008 RMISA Most Valuable Skiers for their respective disciplines. Grevsgaard won all but one race leading up to the RMISA Championships and currently owns a school-record 17 career wins. Zikova solidified the alpine MVP by reaching the podium in all but one race, and claiming three slalom wins. She now has four victories on the year and 14 career wins, landing her in second place behind Grevsgaard on CU's all-time list. Zikova also earned the Yellow Bib as the top qualifier in slalom.

The 2008 Final Yellow Bibs are awarded to the top qualifiers in each discipline for the NCAA Championships. Colorado swept all four Nordic bibs as Grevsgaard and fellow senior Kit Richmond were each presented with the Yellow Bib for the Skate and Classic disciplines. Richmond reached the podium on four occasions prior to the RMISA Championships and has currently won three straight races going into the NCAA Championships.

The Buffaloes placed seven on the RMISA All-Conference teams as Richmond, Grevsgaard, Lenka Palanova and Zikova earned First Team honors and Jesper Ostensen, Karoline Borgnes, and Katie Hartman were named to the Second Team.

As a team, Colorado was also recognized for five different post-season honors. As the overall Regular Season Team Champion, the Buffs also took the overall Nordic, women's Nordic, women's Alpine and overall women's award, given to the teams with the most points earned for each category.

With the regular season finished, the Buffaloes are now preparing for the 2008 NCAA Championships and will bring 11 skiers to the NCAA's held March 5-8 in Bozeman, Mont.

Both the men's and women's Nordic squads qualified three athletes, including the top qualifier in the men's side and the top-two qualifiers on the women's side. Richmond, Ostensen and sophomore Matt Gelso will represent the men's team, while Grevsgaard, Palanova, and freshman Karoline Borgnes will represent the women's team.

On the Alpine side, the Buffaloes will have a full women's squad, but the men only qualified two athletes in sophomore Drew Roberts and junior Josh Bryan. Junior Tony Cesolini and sophomore Stefan Hughes will be the third and fourth alternates, respectively. On the women's side, Zikova, junior Lisa Perricone and senior Rachel Roosevelt will make up this year's team.