Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
Colorado Invitational
Rivas Wins Slalom; Buffs Move Into 2nd
January 15, 2009 | Skiing
ELDORA ? The slalom often separates the leaders from pack, or brings others back to life and Thursday was no different as the host Buffaloes capitalized in moving into second place at the midway point of their own University of Colorado Invitational/Laura Sharpe Flood Memorial ski meet.
New Mexico remained in the lead with 282 points, with Colorado picking up eight points on the Lobos and moved into second with 270.5. Denver (267) dropped a notch into third but is three points closer to the top, while Alaska-Anchorage continued its charge and took over forth (245); Utah rounds out the top five with 239.5.
The slalom is tough enough as it is, and is always an extra challenge on Eldora's LaBelle Trail, but throw in a bit warmer temperatures than usual (in the low 40s) and winds that would sometimes gust to 20 miles per hour, and it made things interesting. Well over a third of the field, which included several members of local club teams not included in the collegiate action, or 58 skiers, did not finish either the first or second run.
"We raced pretty well, especially on the men's side with four in the top 16,” head coach Richard Rokos said. “For the girls' Katie had a great day and the rest of the girls skied pretty solid. Lisa did well again, and other than Carolina having to hike, I don't think we're too far off from where we need to be. The slalom today was difficult overall on this hill with the conditions the way they were.” It was windy and at times, too warm.
In the men's slalom, Colorado junior Gabriel Rivas won his second slalom race of the season, as he rode a substantial lead after his first run to a two-run time of 1:43.04 in winning by over half a second over Denver's Leif Haugen (1:43.58). Rivas skied down the first time in 52.39 and had nearly the half-second lead at that point and then posted the third fastest time for the second run. Rivas, who won the slalom in last week's Alaska Invitational, is the first CU male alpine skier to win two races in the same season since Brad Hogan won two slaloms in 2003. The last to win three was Andy LeRoy, now the head coach of Denver; he captured three slaloms including the NCAA crown in 2000.
“I kind of expected to do well, but skiing as solid as I do now is kind of surprising,” Rivas said. “I'm pretty excited about that, and I think the main reason I've skied like that is the whole mood of the team. We have a really good mood, a good chemistry. That makes you a bit more relaxed on the top of the course.”
Freshman Eric Davis joined Rivas in the top 10, as he posted his best collegiate finish to date with a ninth place effort in 1:45.64. Junior Stefan Hughes was CU's third scorer, coming in 11th in 1:45.98.
Nine skiers from six teams fell during their runs and did not finish, but all eight CU men got down the hill both times and finished. Rounding out the action for the CU men were junior Arman Serebrakian (16th, 1:47.55), freshman Taggart Spenst (24th, 1:56.78), juniors Patrick Duran (26th, 1:57.40) and Drew Roberts (31st, 2:07.47) and senior Tony Cesolini (32nd, 2:09.55).
New Mexico was the only other school to not suffer a DNF, but the Lobos only had four men competing, which in a slalom likely applied a bit more pressure to score as a team. DU won the race with 81 points while CU and UNM tied for second with 72.
In the women's slalom, sophomore Katie Hartman battled injury to finish third, skiing the two runs in a total time of 1:44.79. That trailed Alaska freshman Alexandra Parker, who won for the second straight day and for the fourth time in six races this winter, as she was clocked in 1:43.02. Denver's Claire Abbe was the runner-up in 1:43.85.
“I skied really well today,” Hartman said. “The temperature was a little warmer than we wanted it to be and making the snow softer, but it ended up okay in tough conditions.” Hartman suffered bruised ribs last week in Anchorage and reinjured them in a fall yesterday, but she's toughed it out and keeps performing well. “I fell hard in Alaska and hit a pair of skis near my lower ribs. Yesterday, I hit the same spot on my second run when I fell. It just made it more painful today, but after I got out there, I felt better.”
Senior Lisa Perricone finished sixth in 1:45.75, with sophomore Ashley Babcock posting her best finish of the season by taking 14th in 1:48.63. Junior Heidi Hillenbrand was a shade behind, snaring 18th in 1:49.87.
Babcock's first top 20 effort of the winter came when CU needed it most as she was the Buffs' third and final scorer Thursday, which enabled CU to score 70 points in the race, just three behind UAA (73). Three Buffaloes fell and had to hike in their first runs, including sophomore Carolina Nordh, who had finished in the top six in her first five races for CU this season.
Nordh opted not to ski her second run, but the others did and finished well down in the standings, freshmen Jennifer Allen (3:00.42) and Joelle Chevalier (3:15.26).
“We're looking forward to a good day tomorrow,” Rokos said. The Nordics get going out in Aspen to continue our meet, and we look to be in good position to battle for first. As for alpine, it's not our meet any more, but we want to ski well toward NCAA qualification.”
The Nordic teams begin their portion of the meet in Aspen with the women's (5K) and men's (10K) classical races, and then conclude Saturday with a 21K freestyle as part of the annual Owl Creed Chase at Snowmass. The alpine skiers will remain in Eldora for another set of slalom races in an RMISA Qualifier. Team scores from this will be combined with a second qualifier as a part of Denver's meet in Winter Park next month.
4. Alaska-Anchorage 245; 5. Utah 239.5; 6. Nevada 201; 7. Montana State 170; 8. Whitman 94; 9. Wyoming 0.
Men's Slalom?1. Gabriel Rivas, CU, 1:43.04; 2. Leif Haugen, DU, 1:43.58; 3. Ian Lochhead, DU, 1:43.90; 4. Nikolai Finne, UNM, 1:44.47; 5. Petter Brenna, UNM, 1:44.79; 6. Hermann Lager, UU, 1:44.97; 7. Andreas Kilde, DU, 1:45.17; 8. Scott Veenis, UU, 1:45.60; 9. Eric Davis, CU, 1:45.64; 10. Halfdan Falkum-Hansen, UAA, 1:45.82; 11. Stefan Hughes, CU, 1:45.98; 12. Thomas Schwab, UNM, 1:46.37; 13. Torjus Krogdahl, UU, 1:46.43; 14. Seppi Stiegler, DU, 1:47.03; 15. Olivier Lacaille, UNM, 1:47.22; 16. Arman Serebrakian, CU, 1:47.55; 17. Toby Lamar, MSU, 1:49.43; 18. Dylan Bryant, UN, 1:49.70; 19. John Buchar, DU, 1:50.00; 20. Zach Fretz, UN, 1:50.60; 21. Jeff Crompton, UAA, 1:52.91; 22. Joey Nelson, MSU, 1:54.26; 23. Dan McKay, UAA, 1:56.45; 24. Taggart Spenst, CU, 1:56.78; 25. Kristopher Shampeny, MSU, 1:57.11; 26. Patrick Duran, CU, 1:57.40; 27. Thomas Zumbrunn, UU, 1:57.88; 28. Nathan Ord, WHT, 2:00.69; 29. Ryan Wolosyn, UAA, 2:04.73; 30. Eric Anderson, UN, 2:05.49; 31. Drew Roberts, CU, 2:07.47; 32. Tony Cesolini, CU, 2:09.55; 33. Egil Ismar, UAA, 2:14.44; 34. Tim Bak, WHT, 2:18.64; 35. Shane Collins, UN, 2:25.13.
Women's Slalom?1. Alexandra Parker, UAA, 1:43.02; 2.Claire Abbe, DU, 1:43.85; 3. Katie Hartman, CU, 1:44.79; 4. Karin Ohlin, UNM, 1:44.80; 5. Malin Hemmingsson, UNM, 1:45.36; 6. Lisa Perricone, CU, 1:45.75; 7. Taryn O'Flynn, UN, 1:45.89; 8. Lacy Saugstad, UAA, 1:46.11; 9. Mikaela Grassl, UU, 1:46.78; 10. Amy Harris, UN, 1:48.45; 11. Allison Empey, UAA, 1:48.48; 12. Amanda Goyne, UN, 1:48.53; 13. Megan Bacharach, MSU, 1:48.62; 14. Ashley Babcock, CU, 1:48.63; 15. Jenny Tank, DU, 1:48.91; 16. Kristina Palovicova, UN, 1:49.26; 17. Alison Leighton, MSU, 1:49.79; 18. Heidi Hillenbrand, CU, 1:49.87; 19. Hannah Victory, MSU, 1:55.34; 20. Erika Horst, UN, 1:57.61; 21. Chelsea Laswell, UU, 1:58.05; 22. Chirine Njeim, UU, 2:00.61; 23. Georgia Wettlaufer, DU, 2:02.06; 24. Molly Ryan, DU, 2:03.61; 25. Elizabeth Allen, WHT, 2:04.16; 26. Torey Anderson, WHT, 2:06.04; 27. Stefanie Demetz, UNM, 2:07.38; 28. Amy Lattimer, MSU, 2:10.17; 29. Lexie Drechsel, WHT, 2:10.67; 30. Holly O'Brien, UN, 2:53.25; 31.Jennifer Allen, CU, 3:00.42; 32. Joelle Chevalier, CU, 3:15.26. Did Not Start (CU): Carolina Nordh (2nd run).
Players Mentioned
