Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
Utah Invitational (FS)
Buffs Maintain Slim Margin Over Host Utah
January 21, 2011 | Skiing
SOLDIER HOLLOW, Utah - Led by a pair of runner-up performances from Vegard Kjoelhamar and Eliska Hajkova, the University of Colorado ski team outscored the host University of Utah by a single point Friday in the women's 5K and men's 10K freestyle races here as the 2011 Utah Invitational is now 75 percent complete. The Buffs now hold just a 10 point cushion over the host Utes with two races remaining Saturday.
With the temperature in the single digits at race time, the CU men scored 125 points, 19 more than Utah while the Utes outscored the Buffs, 129-111, or by 18 points on the women's side.
With six of eight races complete, the Buffs now lead with a point total of 680 while the Utes currently have 670. New Mexico sits third with 601.5 points followed by Denver (557), Alaska Anchorage (485.5) and Montana State (478). Westminster College, an associate member of the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association, does not compete in Nordic events, but they racked up 254 points in alpine action two weeks ago.
"All in all it was a great day," CU Nordic coach Bruce Cranmer said. "Our guys outscored Utah by a good margin, and then their girls outscored our by about the same. But I was stoked we were able to come out and pick up a point without Joanne Reid."
Reid is currently in Europe ahead of the Junior World Cross Country Championships, which will take place January 25-31 in Otepaa, Estonia. Last weekend at Montana State, Reid brought home a seventh and third place finish for the Buffaloes before heading to Europe.
The CU men's squad dominated their race with five of the top 12 finishers, four in the top 10 including Kjoelhamar, who finished just 5.6 seconds behind Utah's Miles Havlick in a time of 26:26.6. For Kjoelhamar, in three races this season he now has one win and two runner-up performances and he now has 11 career podium appearances.
"Vegard was up about eight seconds with about 1.5K to go," Cranmer said. "And it was within his grasp to have won. Usually when you're up at that point in the race, you win. He led most of the race. Give Miles credit, he skied well, but it just got away from Vegard at the end, mostly because he was cold."
CU's Reid Pletcher finished in fifth place in a time of 26:33.3 and Patrick Neel took seventh in 26;57.8, both scoring team points for the Buffaloes. CU won the race by racking up 125 points as a team, 19 more than the Utes, who finished with 106 points.
Also finishing well for the Buffaloes were Jesper Ostensen in 10th place in a time of 27:16.5 and Ian Mallams in 13th with a time of 27:16.5. Freshman Spencer Lacy finished 29th in 29:20.4 while freshman Andreas Hoye did not start the race.
"Having five of the top 13 and four top 10s; it was a good day for them," Cranmer said. "We skied well as a team and everybody moved up a bit, especially Pat and Ian, they skied really well."
On the women's side, high finishes by Hajkova (second, 14:21.4) and Alexa Turzian (fifth, 14:39.0) helped the Buffs somewhat keep pace with Utah without Reid as the Utes scored 129 points to CU's 111. Sophomore Mary Rose finished 25th in a time of 16:05.4 as CU's third scorer.
Hajkova has now finished second in all three races on the season to Utah's Maria Graefnings.
"Certainly Eliska is giving it 100 percent and win and she's closer than she was last week," Cranmer said. "This is only the second set of races and we're in a good spot. Nobody is in peak form right now and I don't want them to be. We'll get stronger and attempt to have our best races later this season leading up to NCAA Championships in March."
CU junior Katie Stege did not start the race for the women while freshman Andreas Haug also did not start the men's race, due to illness.
The Utah Invitational concludes Saturday with the 15K women's and 20K men's classical races, both with a mass start. Tomorrow's weather should be a little warmer than it was Friday, but that could also lead to some tricky waxing situations leading up to the start.
"It's supposed to warm up and maybe snow," Cranmer said. "If it snows and then gets above freezing, it will get a little tricky. We will anticipate and plan for different scenarios, game plan the different contingencies for different weather possibilities and take it from there."
Utah Invitational Team Scores (6 events)-1. Colorado, 680; 2. Utah, 670; 3. New Mexico (601.5); 4. Denver (557); 5. Alaska Anchorage (485.5); 6. Montana State (478); 7. Westminster College (478).
Women's Freestyle (33 finishers)-1. Maria Graefnings, UU, 14:10.4; 2. Eliska Hajkova, CU, 14:21.4; 3. Zoe Roy, UU, 14:31.7; 4. Alexa Turzian, CU, 14:39.0; 5. Ase Carlson, MSU, 15:01.6; 6. Stephanie Hiemer, UAA, 15:03.2; 7. Marta Larsen, UU, 15:15.1; 8. Rose Kemp, UU, 15:20.9; 9. Casey Kutz, MSU, 15:23.5; 10. Kate Dolan, DU, 15:23.5. Other CU Finishers: 24. Mary Rose, 16:05.4. Did Not Start: Katie Stege.
Men's Classical (28 finishers)-1. Miles Havlick, UU, 26:21.0; 2. Vegard Kjoelhamar, CU, 26:26.6; 3. Michael Schallinger, MSU, 26:31.0; 4. Reid Pletcher, CU, 26:33.3; 5. Kristian Soerlund, DU, 26:52.5; 6. Patrick Neel, CU, 26:57.8; 7. Christian Otto, UNM, 27:00.8; 8. Martin Kaas, UNM, 27:13.6; 9. Jesper Ostensen, CU, 27:16.5; 10. Tyler Reinking, MSU, 27:27.7. Other CU Finishers: 12. Ian Mallams, 27:29.2; 26. Spencer Lacy, 29:20.4. Did Not Start: Andreas Hoye.
