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Utah Invitational (FS-5/10K-I)
Stroem Second As Buffs Move Into Tie For Lead At Utah Invitational
January 10, 2016 | Skiing
MIDWAY, Utah – Junior Mads Stroem finished second in the men's 10K freestyle race and the University of Colorado moved into a tie with Denver with six of eight events now complete in the Utah Invitational, held Sunday here at historic Soldier Hollow Resort.
The meet is nowhere near wrapped up for either Colorado or Denver, however, as host Utah entered the mix and is now just six points behind the leaders. The Buffs and Pioneers are both sitting with 454 points while Utah has 448. The Utes took about 40 points off the lead the both CU and DU has built after the alpine portion of the meet was complete.
Montana State (355) and New Mexico (351) are also battling it out for fifth place while Alaska Anchroage (281) moved into sixth place ahead of associate member Westminster (258) while Colorado Mountain College (73) rounds out the team scoring.
“The conditions were great today,” CU Nordic coach Bruce Cranmer said. “We weren't thrilled with our results, but it wasn't desperately bad. We were a fraction below what I was hoping for, but I'm not panicking. I remember feeling this way a lot of first races of the year, getting back from break and back into the season. As we get into the season, I'm hopeful we will be at full strength in terms of having everybody skiing and I'm optimistic we can build from here and just keep going like we usually do.”
The Buffs were short two skiers on the women's side, as Ane Johnsen and Christiana Rolandsen both did not ski due to illness. Rolandsen was sick back home over break and is not yet fully recovered and Johnsen spent a lot of time last year sick and Cranmer just wants to try and get her full go before starting to race again.
“Ane raced last year a little sick and really didn't get healthy until NCAAs,” Cranmer said. “She battled the entire year but never really got on top of it. She felt like it made sense to relax and get stronger for the next races. Christina is in the same boat, she probably could've raced but felt better not to push it.”
The Buffs did struggle a little on the women's side, as sophomore Petra Hyncicova finished in 11th as the Buffs top performer, but she was just 33.1 seconds behind the race leader and less than 20 seconds off the podium, showing the depth of the RMISA skiers.
“Petra was a little off her A-Game,” Cranmer said. “That and having two of our top women out, that hurt a bit. We can definitely get a lot better.”
Sophomore Jesse Knori finished 14th for the Buffs in a time of 14:12.5 and junior Camilla Brautaset, who struggled the entire 2015 season with compartment syndrome, was 19th in a time of 14:34.0. Junior Lucy Newman rounded out the Buffs in a time of 15:18.6.
“Jesse didn't have a bad day and both she and Lucy are better in classic, so we will see what they can do tomorrow. Camilla also looked like she's getting back, the results aren't all the way there yet, but she can come back to being a top 10 skier.”
On the men's side, Stroem picked up where he left off last year, taking second and hitting the podium for the 17th time in his 21 career races at CU. He was just 7.8 seconds behind the race winner, Nick Hendrickson from Utah, in at time of 23:34.8. Stroem now has 14 wins (six) or runner-up (eight) finishes in his career, and of his four finishes outside the podium, three of them are fourth place finishes, meaning he has finished below fourth one time in his career. Has has been the case with Stroem his entire career, he wasn't entirely happy with anything less than a win.
“Mads said it was a bad day,” Cranmer said. “I'm not sure if he has a good day if anybody else can ski with him. We will see what he can do tomorrow, I think he likes the fight of a mass start better, when he's in there duking it out, he likes those situations.”
Behind Stroem was freshman Petter Reistad, whose time of 23:57.1 was good enough for seventh in his first collegiate outing. He was just 30.1 seconds behind Hendrickson's winning time.
“Petter is still figuring things out in college racing,” Cranmer said. “He's also coming back from basically having a year off, so he has the ability to be up there at the top.”
Junior Jackson Hill finished 10th in 24:19.0 and senior Arnaud Du Pasquier's time of 24:35.4 gave the Buffs four of the top 12 finishers. Showing the Buffs depth, Du Pasquier was the first skier who didn't count for team scoring, meaning the Buffs were the first team with a fourth skier to finish.
“Jackson had a top 10 and that's a decent day,” Cranmer said. “Arnuad was also doing well, I think he still has more to give, but he seems OK after a year away from college skiing.”
Max Scrimgeour finished 22nd in 25:50.0 and Ian Boucher rounded out the Buffs in 27th in a time of 26:08.2.
The Utah Invitational concludes Monday with the classical races with the women skiing 10K and the men 15K in mass starts.
The alpine teams, meanwhile, began the Montana State Invitational at Big Sky Sunday. Denver holds a two-point lead over the Buffs, 163-161, after the giant slalom races.
Team Scores (Through 6 of 8 races) – 1. Colorado and Denver, 454; 3. Utah 448; 4. Montana State 355; 5. New Mexico 351; 6. Alaska Anchorage 281; 7. Westminster 258; 8. Colorado Mountain College 73.
Men's 10K Freestyle (29 collegiate finishers)—1. Nick Hendrickson, UU, 23:27.0; 2. Mads Stroem, CU, 23:34.8; 3. Moritz Madlener, DU, 23:41.9; 4. Sawyer Kesselheim, MSU, 23:47.9; 5. Niklas Persson, UU, 23:51.0; 6. Karsten Hokanson, MSU, 23:56.6; 7. Petter Reistad, CU, 23:57.1; 8. Kevin Bolger, UU, 24:02.3; 9. Petteri Vaherkoski, UNM, 24:16.2; 10. Jackson Hill, CU, 23:57.1. Other CU Finishers: 12. Arnaud Du Pasquier, 23:35.4; 22. Max Scrimgeour, 25:50.0; 27. Ian Boucher, 26:08.2.
Women's 5K Freestyle (28 collegiate finishers)—1. Emilie Cedervarn, UNM, 13:09.3; 2. Linn Eriksen, DU, 13:13.9; 3. Veronika Mayerhofer, UU, 13:19.6; 4. Cambria McDermott, MSU, 13:22.6; 5. Sloan Storey, UU, 13:24.4; 6. Johanna Talihaerm, MSU, 13:28.0; 7. Natalia Mueller, UU, 13:32.4; 8. Mackenzie Kanady, UAA, 13:38.3; 9. Anika Miller, MSU, 13:41.0; 10. Kati Roivas, UNM, 13:42.0. CU Finishers: 11. Petra Hyncicova, 13:42.4; 14. Jesse Knori, 14:12.5; 18. Camilia Brautaset, 14:34.0; 26. Lucy Newman, 15:18.6. Did Not Start: Ane Johnsen. Did Not Race: Christina Rolandsen.
