Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
Montana State Invitational (GS)
Trulsrud Wins, Johansen Second, Buffs Second At MSU Invite
January 10, 2016 | Skiing
BIG SKY, Mont. – Freshman Tonja Trulstrud won the women's giant slalom race and classmate Ola Johansen took second in the men's GS as the University of Colorado ski team sits in second place, just two points behind Denver, after the first day of the Montana State Invitational.
Trulsrud's win helped the women's team to a race win with 75 points while DU scored 73 points in the women's race. The men's team actually scored more, bringing in 86 points, but DU scored 90, outscoring the Buffs by four to make a two point deficit a two point advantage.
As it stands, Denver has 163 points and Colorado 161. Utah is third with 146 points while Westminster sits fourth with 122 and Alaska Anchorage and Montana State are tied for fifth with 107. New Mexico is seventh with 98 points and Colorado Mountain College rounds out the team scoring with 38 points.
“Today was a good day,” CU coach Richard Rokos said. “The conditions were good and we had good snow. This hill is generally easier, sometimes technical skiers are used to more challenges than this hill provided. You really had to push hard to keep your speed up today.”
Trulsrud got a little redemption after not finishing the GS race Saturday in the RMISA Alpine Qualifier. All things considered, since that race doesn't count for team scoring, she will take this result, her first collegiate victory, in a time of 2:12.48. She sat in third after the first run and then had the fastest second-run in the field to claim the victory. She won the race by a quarter-second over Montana State's Benedicte Lyche, who had the lead after the first run on her home course.
“Tonje skied very well today,” Rokos said. “She's been more consistent, just had one unfortunate moment yesterday, but otherwise she's skiing fast and solid, there's no sketchy moments with her.”
Trulsrud now has led the Buffs in three of her first four collegiate races and has her second top two finish in giant slalom races this season. She was second in the GS at the Utah Invitational at Park City last week where she also finished fourth in the slalom race.
Senior Jessica Honkonen took home her second straight GS top 10, taking 10th in a time of 2:14.57. She now has 11 top 10 finishes in GS races in her career. Freshman Nora Christensen finished 17th for the Buffs as the third scorer for the team in 2:15.79, just .04 ahead of senior Thea Grosvold, who was 18th in a time of 2:15.83.
“The rest of the women's team is still in that area of earning confidence in GS,” Rokos said. “We've have a lot of training in slalom and not much in GS, as it usually is this time of year, we will focus more on GS moving forward, I'm not worried.”
Junior Katie Hostetler finished tied for 23rd in 2:17.78 and senior Clare Wise was 24th in 2:18.24.
Johansen sat in fourth after the first run and his string of podium performances would've been in jeopardy but he scorched the field in the second run, he had the fastest second-run among college skiers and second-fastest overall, to move up to second place and as it ended, his time of 2:09.55 was just seven-hundredths of a second behind race winner Erik Read of Denver.
As it stands, Johansen's second place gives him four podium finishes in his first four college races. It is the most consecutive podium appearances to start a season or career in the Rokos era (26 years) and is the first time four consecutive podiums have happened in the men's alpine discipline since Toni Standteiner had a run of eight straight podiums in the 1991 season.
“Between yesterday and today, the guys had good races, not quite as good today,” Rokos said. “But Ola finishing second just documents that he is in his element, he's ready to keep it rolling. Max has skied really well, too, there's no question those guys are great assets for the team, both athletically and off the hill.”
Fellow freshman Max Luukko finished fifth in the race in a time of 2:10.50, his third straight fifth place finish, all in GS action. In four overall races this season, Luukko has finished in the top 11 in every race.
Senior Adam Zika was the Buffs third team scorer in 11th place in a time of 2:11.68 while his classmate Henrik Gunnarssson took 14th in 2:11.93. Senior Cameron Smith was tied for 15th in 2:12.08 and junior Roger Carry was 18th in 2:12.28, giving the Buffs six in the top 18 for the second straight day. Carry was in 10th place overall after the first run and struggled a bit in his second run. Senior Kasper Hietanen rounded out the Buffs in 29th in 2:14.57.
“I'm looking forward to tomorrow,” Rokos said. “We've been training a lot more in slalom and the last few years it's been our stronger discipline. That should give us more confidence.”
The Montana State Invitational continues Monday with the slalom races at Big Sky. The Nordic teams will conclude the MSU meet next weekend, but first they will put the wraps on the Utah Invitational Monday at Soldier Hollow. The Buffs are tied with Denver with 454 points while host Utah has 448 with just two races remaining in that meet.
Team Results (2 of 8 races)—1. Denver 163; 2. Colorado 161; 3. Utah 146; 4. Westminster 122; 5. Alaska Anchorage and Montana State 107; 7. New Mexico 98; 8. Colorado Mountain College 38.
Women's Giant Slalom (38 collegiate finishers)—1. Tonje Trulsrud, CU, 2:12.48; 2. Benedicte Lyche, MSU, 2:12.73; 3. Ann-Kathrin Bruening, WMC, 2:13.06; 4. Tuva Norbye, DU, 2:13.10; 5. Chloe Fausa, UU, 2:13.13; 6. Monica Huebner, DU, 2:13.24; 7. Katharine Irwin, UNM, 2:13.58; 8. Charley Field, UAA, 2:13.65; 9. Roni Remme, UU, 2:14.04; 10. Jessica Honkonen, CU, 2:14.57. Other CU Finishers: 17. Nora Christensen, 2:15.79; 18. Thea Grosvold, 2:15.83; 23. Katie Hostetler, 2:17.78; 25. Clare Wise, 2:18.24.
Men's Giant Slalom (37 collegiate finishers)—1. Erik Read, DU, 2:09.48; 2. Ola Johansen, CU, 2:09.55; 3. Endre Bjertness, UU, 2:10.06; 4. Giulio Bosca, WMC, 2:10.44; 5. Max Luukko, CU, 2:10.50; 6. Taylor Shiffrin, DU, 2:10.97; 7. Sean Alexander, UAA, 2:11.14; 8. Sebastian Brigovic, DU, 2:11.15; 9. Dominic Demschar, UU, 2:11.16; 10. Joergen Brath, UU, 2:11.20. Other CU Finishers: 11. Adam Zika, 2:11.68; 14. Henrik Gunnarsson, 2:11.93; 15. Cameron Smith, 2:12.08; 18. Roger Carry, 2:12.28; 29. Kasper Hietanen, 2:14.57.
