Colorado University Athletics
Stroem, Luukko Win As Skiers Take Second At RMISA Championships
February 27, 2016 | Skiing
BEAVER CREEK & MINTURN, Colo. — Junior Mads Stroem won his fourth straight RMISA Individual Championship and freshman Max Luukko joined him as the men's slalom champion, helping the University of Colorado ski team to a second place finish here Saturday at the 67th Annual RMISA Championships, which double as the NCAA Western Regional Championships.
In all, CU had four podium appearances and 11 skiers finish in the top 11, helping the Buffs to 634 points, just 28 points behind Utah's total of 662. The Buffs did pass Denver on the day, which finished with 595 points in third place. Montana State (521) and New Mexico (473) round out the top five.
“It was a very interesting weekend,” CU coach Richard Rokos said. “It was a dog fight and test of survival. The alpine hill was something we've never seen before, hopefully we can see more courses like this. But we had some causalities with Ola (Johansen) and Roger (Carry) not skiing, Petra (Hyncicova) not here and Ane (Johnsen) not skiing today. But being less than 30 points behind Utah, they're at full strength, so it's a good place to be and a confidence builder.”
For the second straight day, Stroem not only won but did do in dominating fashion, taking the race by 39.8 seconds over freshman Petter Reistad, giving the Buffs a 1-2 finish in the race. Stroem's winning time was 51 minutes, 8.6 seconds and Reistand crossed the finish line in 51:48.4.
Stroem won his fourth straight race, sixth of the season and 12th of his career. He has also won the last four RMISA Individual Championships, having now swept both races for two years in a row. Since Nordic skiing went to its current format of freestyle can classic races, Stroem is the first men's Nordic skier to sweep RMISA Championships two years in a row. Former Buff Rune Oedegaard is the only other skier to do it twice, doing so in 2012 and 2014.
The Buffs have dominated the men's classic race at RMISA Championships of late, winning five in a row and eight of the last 11 dating back to 2006. Stroem's 12 career wins also places him tied for fifth most wins in program history since skiing went coed in 1983. Only Maria Grevsgaard (24), Oedegaard (19), Lucie Zikaova (16) and Per Kare Jakobsen (13) have won more races and Stroem is tied with John Skajem at a dozen wins.
His six wins this season are also tied for eighth most in program history and just the second time since 2008 that a CU skier has had six or more wins in a season alongside Joanne Reid's nine wins in 2013. The six wins also ties the CU record for most wins by a men's Nordic skier in a season alongside Jacobsen, who won six races in 1999. He's also just one win short of CU's record for wins by a men's skier in a season, behind Skajem's total in 1986 and Toni Standteiner in 1991, each having seven victories in alpine action.
Behind Stroem and Reistad, who finished second for the third time this season, senior Arnaud Du Pasquier finished in 16th place in a time of 54:06.1, as CU's third scorer. Sophomore Ian Boucher finished 23rd in 55:42.0, junior Max Scrimgeour 25th in 57:13.9 and junior Jackson Hill 30th in 59:40.7.
On the women's side, the Buffs were already without Petra Hyncicova, who is on her way back from Romania and the Under 23 World Cross Country Championships. Added to the list of unable to perform Saturday was Ane Johnsen, who didn't start the race.
CU's other four women stepped up to the challenge, all finishing in the top 13, as sophomore Jesse Knori finished fifth in 47:26.2 and freshman Christina Rolandsen was right behind her in sixth in 47:43.7. Junior Camilla Brautaset was ninth in 48:30.7 and junior Lucy Newman 13th in 49:18.5.
When Nordic races were over, the Buffs had taken over second place from Denver but fallen further behind Utah. The Buffs had 467 point at that juncture and Utah had an 82 point lead with 549. The Buffs had opened up a 41 point lead over Denver's total of 426.
While a comeback that that juncture seemed improbably, the Buffs did their best. When the women's classic race was finished at Maloit Park, the women's slalom second run was just beginning over at Beaver Creek and the meet standings tightened up dramatically. Always labeled the equalizer, the slalom proved that theory right on Saturday. The Buffs were led by seniors Thea Grosvold, who finished sixth in 1:57.70 and Jessica Honkonen, who was seventh in 1:58.26. Add to that an 11th place finish from freshman Nora Christensen, the Buffs finished second behind Denver in the race.
Junior Katie Hostetler was also impressive in the slalom, finishing 14th in 2:02.76 and senior Clare Wise finished 17th in 2:04.98. Freshman Tonje Trulsrud did not finish the race.
Denver finished 1-3-5 in the race and the Utes struggled, finishing just two skiers. The Buffs trimmed the 82 point Utah lead down to 49 with the men's slalom still to be completed.
On to the men's slalom and if the Buffs sensed the opportunity to comeback, they went full force, getting the race victory with Luukko, two skiers on the podium with Adam Zika's third place finish and three in the top 10 with Henrik Gunnarson taking 10th. The Buffs were especially impressive in the second run where Gunnarrsson had the second-fastest second run to move all the way from 23rd into 10th. Zika moved up from sixth to third and Luukko won the race after being in third after the first run.
Luukko's win is the first men's alpine RMISA Individual Championships since Andreas Haug won the giant slalom in 2014 and it's the first slalom win at the RMISA meet since Tyler Shepherd won in 2002. The Buffs three individual championships was the most in the field and the second straight season they brought home three. Last year Stroem won both Nordic races and Honkonen won the women's slalom title.
Unfortunately, Luukko injured his hand as he crossed the finish line, adding him to the list of banged up Buffs.
Senior Kasper Hietanen finished 15th in 1:44.82 and senior Cameron Smith gave the Buffs all five skiers in the top 17 with his finish in 1:45.12.
“Overall, we are in better standings than we were before the meet,” Rokos said. “Moving the fourth skier up a little more, just in case we need to use them. Adam solidified himself as the fourth guy, It's good to have four up there or close to it. And with him not having the best season, it's good to see him on the podium.”
Next up for the Buffs and all skiers nationwide are the NCAA Championships, which the Buffs will host in Steamboat Springs on March 9-12. While that's the most exciting time of the year, the aftermath of the RMISA Championships when league coaches have to cut down their teams to the 12 allowed to compete at the NCAA Championships is likely the toughest part of their season.
The Buffs will choose and submit their 12 skiers to the NCAA by Monday morning.
“In conclusion, I'd like to thank all our seniors and those who have worked hard for four years and who maybe didn't represent us at the championships,” Rokos said. “It goes back to the whole team concept, it doesn't matter who goes to NCAAs, it's a whole team effort. Regardless of who NCAAs end up, it's been a great season and a great four years for those who skied."
Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association Championships (FINAL)—1. Utah 662; 2. Colorado 634; 3. Denver 595; 4. Montana State 521; 5. New Mexico 473; 6. Alaska Anchorage 449; 7. Colorado Mountain 101; 8. Wyoming 83.
Men's 20k Freestyle (30 finishers)— 1. Mads Stroem, CU, 51:08.6; 2. Petter Reistad, CU, 51:48.4; 3. Niklas Persson, UU, 41:50.7; 4. Luca Winkler, UAA, 51:43.4; 5. Kevin Bolger, UU, 52:04.1; 6. Sawyer Kisselheim, MSU, 52:47.8; 7. Moritz Madlener, DU, 52:59.2; 8. Petteri Vaherkoski, UNM, 53:12.0; 9. Aljaz Praznik, UNM, 53:12.0; 10. Niklas Rombock, UNM, 53:21.0. Other CU Finishers: 16. Arnaud Du Pasquier, 54:06.1; 23. Ian Boucher, 55:42.0; 25. Max Scrimgeour, 57:13.9; 30. Jackson Hill, 59:40.7.
Women's 15k Freestyle (27 finishers)— 1. Veronika Mayerhofer, UU, 45:05.0; 2. Sloan Storey, UU, 45:27.7; 3. Kati Roivas, UNM, 46:57.3; 4. Natalie Mueller, UU, 47:09.4; 5. Jesse Knori, CU, 47:26.2; 6. Christina Rolandsen, CU, 47:43.7; 7. Cambria McDermott, MSU, 47:56.8; 8. Aja Starkey, DU, 48:15.8; 9. Camilla Brautaset, CU, 48:30.7; 10. Anika Miller, MSU, 48:32.3. Other CU Finishers: 13. Lucy Newman, 49:18.5. Did Not Start: Ane Johnsen.
Men's Slalom (33 finishers): 1. Max Luukko, CU, 1:41.37; 2. Taylor Shiffrin, DU, 1:41.90; 3. Adam Zika, CU, 1:42.06; 4. Endre Bjertness, UU, 1:42.20; 5. Carl-Johan Oester, UNM, 1:42.26; 6. Joergen Brath, UU, 1:42.47; 7. Sean Alexander, UAA, 1:42.80; 8. Morten Bakke, MSU, 1:43.03; 9. Sebastian Brigovic, DU, 1:43.41; 10. Henrik Gunnarsson, CU, 1:43.42. Other CU Finishers: 15. Kasper Hietanen, 1:44.82; 17. Cameron Smith, 1:45.12.
Women's Slalom (23 finishers): 1. Monica Huebner, DU, 1:54.22; 2. Maria Gudmundsdottir, UAA, 1:54.86; 3. Kristine Haugen, DU, 1:54.90; 4. Sydney Staples, UNM, 1:56.56; 5. Tuva Norbye, DU, 1:56.76; 6. Thea Grosvold, CU, 1:57.70; 7. Jessica Honkonen, CU, 1:58.26; 8. Jocelyn McCarthy, MSU, 1:58.70; 9. Teagan Palmer, UU, 1:58.87; 10. Tenaya Driller, MSU, 1:59.11. Other CU Finishers: 11. Nora Christensen, 2:00.32; 14. Katie Hostetler, 2:04.98. Did Not Finish: Tonje Trulsrud.
