Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Set To Host Own Ski Invitational
January 23, 2015 | Skiing
BOULDER - The University of Colorado ski team is set to host the 2015 University of Colorado Spencer James Nelson Memorial Invitational, set for January 23-26 in Steamboat Springs (Nordic) and Eldora (alpine) with an addition set of RMISA Alpine Qualifier giant slalom races on January 27.
Nordic squads will get the meet underway at Howelsen Hill on January 23-24, before action shifts to Eldora Mountain Resort for three days of alpine racing January 25-27.
Eight of nine RMISA teams are scheduled to appear at the meet, with the six NCAA members GÇô Alaska Anchorage, Colorado, Denver, Montana State, New Mexico and Utah GÇô set to participate in both disciplines. Associate members Colorado Mountain College and Westminster College will take part in alpine action. The final associate member, Wyoming, is not scheduled to appear in the Nordic races.
There is a quick turnaround after the CU meet, as teams will travel south to Red River, N.M., for the 2015 Jade Enterprises New Mexico Invitational, set for January 30-31, before having the majority of February off prior to the Alaska Anchorage Invitational. Teams will be in Alaska for two meets as the Seawolves will also host the RMISA Championships to close out February.
February will be host to outside events that RMISA skiers will participate in including the World Alpine Championships in Vail and Beaver Creek, Feb. 2-15, and the 27th Winter World University Games, set for Granada, Spain, Feb. 4-14.
SCHEDULE: The following is a tentative schedule for all five days of competition:
Friday, Jan. 23
Women's 5K Freestyle (Interval Start; Howelsen Hill; 10 a.m.)
Men's 10K Freestyle (Interval Start; Howelsen Hill; 10:45 a.m.)
Saturday, Jan. 24
Men's 20K Classical (Howelsen Hill; 9:30 a.m.)
Women's 15K Classical (Howelsen Hill; 10:45 a.m.)
Sunday, Jan. 25
Men's Slalom (LaBelle/International; 8:15 a.m. first run; second run follows at Noon.)
Women's Slalom (LaBelle/International; 9:45 a.m. first run; second run 1:30 p.m.)
Monday, Jan. 26
Women's Giant Slalom (LaBelle/International; 8:15 a.m. first run; second run 12:45 p.m.)
Men's Giant Slalom (LaBelle/International; 10 a.m. first run; second run 2 p.m.)
Tuesday, Jan. 27 (RMISA Alpine Qualifier)
Men's Giant Slalom (LaBelle/International; 8:15 a.m. first run; second run 12:30 p.m.)
Women's Giant Slalom (LaBelle/International; 10 a.m. first run; second run 2:15 p.m.)
SCORING: For the second season, the RMISA has the same scoring system utilized by the NCAA. Each school can designate six potential scoring skiers with the top three counting toward the team score. Points are awarded as follows for a maximum of 30 skiers: 40-37-34-31-29-27-25-23-22-21-20-19-18-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. Any finisher from a school that has already scored three skiers do not receive team point credit, with the next placement assigned to the next finisher from a school who has not yet utilized all three scoring spots.
CU INVITATIONAL HISTORY: The 2015 meet is the fourth in memory of Spencer Nelson, who died in a hiking accident in Aspen on August 16, 2010, days before the start of his sophomore season at CU. The Buffs won the National Championship in his honor that season, but did not host a meet. Since the 2012 season, the Colorado Invitational has been named after Nelson. For the 16 meets previous, it was named in memory of Laura Sharpe Flood, who tragically lost her life on April 3, 1989 in a training accident at Eldora. Since 1983 when skiing became a coed sport, the Buffs have hosted 27 meets and won 15 of them. Utah has nine titles, Denver two and Wyoming one. Since 2000, the Buffs have won seven of the 10 CU meets.
