BOZEMAN, Mont.—Senior Mikaela Tommy and sophomore Stef Fleckenstein both hit the podium to lead the Colorado Ski Team during the RMISA Alpine Qualifier giant slalom races here at Bridger Bowl on Thursday. 

Tommy and Fleckenstein each won a run as Tommy was in the lead after the first run and Fleckenstein used the fastest second run to move up from sixth to third and get on the podium.  For Tommy, it's the first GS race she hasn't won this season but she has finished on the podium in all eight finishes this season.   Fleckenstein now has six podium finishes and eight top-five finishes in nine finished races this season.  

"It was a beautiful day, no wind, soft snow, a little challenging course on the second runs," CU coach Richard Rokos said.  "They don't have much turf, so they have to go over the initial course from the first run which makes it bumpy, but other than that it was a good race."

Tommy has already locked up the top GS qualification spot out of the RMISA, but Fleckenstein helped herself with her second runner-up finish.  She moved from third into second on the list.   Forejtek moved up from sixth into fourth on the men's GS qualification list.

Sophomore Filip Forejtek appeared to have finished second in the men's race, which would've been his third runner-up finish in the last four races, but he was disqualified on the second run, one of four DQs in the run on the field, an extremely rare occurrence for a giant slalom race.   

With his DQ, the men were led by Teddy Takki in seventh place, the best GS finish of his season and second top 10, which was integral in solidifying his qualification position.  On the women's side, Emma Hammergaard also got her second top 10 for GS in the season, also good news for qualification purposes.  

"In terms of qualification, there are two factors," Rokos said. "We have to try to improve and also protect whatever you have. Teddy is the highlight of the day, he solidified his GS position."

The regular season is now officially complete as the RMISA Championships kick off Friday. The alpine teams will run another set of giant slalom races and the Nordic teams will also be in action with freestyle races.  The championships will end Saturday with slalom and classic races, respectively. 

WHAT IT MEANS: Thursday was the final low-pressure day of the season, where skiers can lay it all on the line and not worry about team standings.  Starting Friday, the stakes will get bigger with each run and each race through the NCAA Championships.  Tommy couldn't improve her standings for NCAA qualifying, but both Forejtek and Fleckenstein improved and solidified top-five qualifying numbers for GS, which means they'll be in the top seed at the NCAA Championships.  


MEN'S ALPINE NOTES: 

• Takki earned his fifth career top 10 finish, third of the season and second in GS races this season.  
• Max Bervy had the third-fastest second run and moved up 11 spots from 28th to 17th before non-collegians were taking out of the scoring. 

WOMEN'S ALPINE NOTES: 

• Tommy's second-place finish gives her eight podium appearances in eight finished races this season in 10 total starts.  She failed to win the GS for the first time this season and now has four wins and a second place in the five races.  
• In 16 career finished races, she hasn't finished outside the top 10 and has 12 podium appearances to go with her seven wins.  
• Fleckenstein hit the podium for the fifth time this season and fifth time in her career, including third in GS races.  She has finished nine of 10 races with eight top-five finishes, having to hike in her other race.  ???????
• Hammergaard's ninth-place finish is her third top 10 of the season, second in GS and second straight.  She has been steady all season finishing between eighth and 16th in her nine finishes in 10 starts.  

QUOTABLE: 
Richard Rokos: 
"It was a beautiful day, no wind, soft snow, a little challenging course on the second runs.  They don't have much turf, so they have to go over the initial course from the first run which makes it bumpy, but other than that it was a good race."

"In terms of qualification, there are two factors.  We have to try to improve and also protect whatever you have.  You don't want to take any chances and not make an effort to improve or solidify.  On the ladies' side, it's good.  Emam had a good race and Bella with her injuries, it was very impressive.  All the girls had impressive results, especially in the second run they mostly improved."

"On the men's side, Teddy is the highlight of the day, he solidified his GS position.  The guys were skiing much better in the second run. It's good to see it before NCAAs, we've seen better results throughout the season and we're putting things together right now."  

"It helps to have a qualifier race before a real race, you have a chance to ski on the course without being under the pressure for team scoring.  For them, it was a good day to get good a seat of it, and tomorrow it will be more about the team."

"Unfortunately with the scheduling this year, until this last race we didn't have the opportunity to race on the same weekend.  From now on, it will be the start of the NCAA format, we're in the same place at the same time with all four teams, two genders, two teams at the same time and that's how it should be."

UP NEXT: Teams are just getting started in Bozeman, as this is the first of seven days of racing combining the RMISA and NCAA Championships.  The next two days will constitute the RMISA Championships and then the NCAA Championships will take place here March 11-14.  

WOMEN'S GIANT SLALOM (25 collegiate finishers)—1. Storm Klomhaus, DU, 1:51.54; 2. Mikaela Tommy, CU, 1:51.71; 3. Stef Fleckenstein, CU, 1:52.22; 4. Kathryn Parker, UU, 1:52.75; 5. Lana Zbansnik, WMC, 1:53.01; 6. Julia Toiviainen, WMC, 1:53.04; 7. Andrea Komisc, 1:53.36; 8. Eleri Smart, DU, 1:53.74; 9. Emma Hammergaard, CU, 1:53.88; 10. Haley Cutler, MSU, 1:53.89.  Other CU Finishers: 14. Isabelle Fidjeland, 1:54.60; 18. Olivia Gerrard, 1:55.39; 20. Andrea Arnold, 1:55.72; 22. Kaitlyn Harsch, 1:56.67.  

MEN'S GIANT SLALOM (24 collegiate finishers)—1. Tobias Kogler, DU, 1:52.34; 2. Gustav Voello, UU, 1:53.85; 3. Riley Seger, MSU, 1:54.17; 4. Mikkel Solbakken, WMC, 1:54.24; 5. Joachim Mjelde, WMC, 1:54.38; 6. Jett Seymour, DU, 1:54.51; 7. Teddy Takki, CU, 1:54.70; 8. Mikkel Wahl, WMC, 1:54.98; 9. Joachim Lien, 1:55.10; 10. Huston Philp, UU, 1:55.11.  Other CU Finishers: 14. Max Bervy, 1:55.63; 16. Bobby Ryan, 1:55.82; 20. Alex Birkner, 1:58.20.  Did Not Finish Second Run: Joey Young.