Dilling Takes Gold, Forejtek Bronze In RMISA Qualifier

NEDERLAND, Colo.—For the third straight race day, a member of the Colorado Buffaloes Ski Team has won their first career collegiate race, this time sophomore Jacob Dilling taking gold in an RMISA Alpine Qualifier giant slalom race at Eldora Mountain Resort Wednesday morning.

Dilling joins Hanna Abrahamsson (20K classic) and Anna-Marie Dietze (5K freestyle) from last week's Nordic races at Steamboat Springs as first time winners in college races.

Dilling was joined by Filip Forejtek on the podium in third place as the Buffs placed two on the podium in a men's alpine race for the first time in six seasons since the start of the 2017 season when Ola Johanson and Max Luukko accomplished the feat twice in the first three races of the season.

Forejtek's podium gives him a round 20 in his career and he's just the third men's alpine skier with 20 podiums in a career. It also matches the CU record with 27 career top five finishes for men's alpine, a record set 64 years ago by Frank Brown.

Dilling had the fastest first run in the field and held onto the lead with the fifth-fastest second run. Forjtek was fifth-fastest on the first run and moved up two spots on the strength of the third-fastest second run. Alex Birkner had the second-fastest second run as the Buffs had three of the top five fastest second runs in the field. He moved up from 25th to finish 18thfor the Buffs.

The race was added earlier this week as a make-up to missed races in Montana last week. With the men successfully getting the race completed, the men and women both have the same number of starts on the season. Both genders are one race short of what was scheduled to this point and teams will try to make it up in Alaska later this month.

WHAT IT MEANS
Dilling has been showing signs of dominance all preseason and it came together for him on Wednesday, picking up his first collegiate victory. A consistent top 10 skier a season ago that showed signs with one podium appearance, Dilling has taken his skiing to a new level with his first win and second podium of the season in the first three races. Along with Forejtek, the duo gives CU two podium threats in every race and with the overall improved depth of the men's alpine team, the Buffs can compete and beat any other men's team out there on any given race day.

UP NEXT
Alpine teams will stay in Eldora to open the Spencer James Nelson Memorial CU Invitational on Thursday with a set of giant slalom races. Wednesday marked the first of five straight days of alpine racing. The CU Invitational will close Friday with another giant slalom race and then the DU Invitational will take place Saturday and Sunday at Loveland Ski Area with slalom races on both days. The Nordic teams also return to action Friday with the DU Invitational, which will take place over two days at Maloit Park in Minturn, Colo.

MEN'S ALPINE NOTES

Dilling picked up his first college victory in Wednesday's giant slalom race. He has now finished all 17 career races with 13 top 10, five top five and the win was his third career podium, both coming in the first three races this season.
Forejtek picked up his second podium of the season in third place. He also finished third in a slalom race at the Westminster Invitational to open the season. He has now raced in 50 collegiate races as a Buff.
- Forejtek becomes the third men's alpine skier in CU history to reach 20 career podium appearances. The 20 podiums ranks tied for 15th overall in CU history and alone in 10th place for men's skiers. Only Frank Brown (1957-59, 23) and Niklas Scherrer (1981-83, 21) had more men's alpine podium appearances in CU history.
- Forejtek now has 11 career GS podium appearances, placing him second in CU history behind John Walsh, who had 12 from 1987-88.
- He now has 27 career top five finishes, matching the CU record for men's alpine alongside Frank Brown (1957-59). Overall the 27 Top 5's ranks tied for 13th overall and is ninth-most for men's skiers. Brown had 53 overall top five finishes in his career with 27 of them coming in men's alpine action from 1957-59.
- He now has 33 career top 10 finishes, ranked tied for 23rd in CU history, tied for 15th for men's skiers and tied for second-most among men's alpine skiers. He's tied with Brown, Josh Nolting (1998-2001) and Max Luukko (2016-19) at 33 and is three behind the CU record holder Fredrik Zimmer (36, 1987-90).
Birkner took 18th and now has skied in 37 career races at CU, finishing 32 with 15 top 20 performances.

MEN'S GIANT SLALOM (41 collegiate finishers)—1. Jacob Dilling, CU, 1:49.07; 2. Cooper Cornelius, DU, 1:49.27; 3. Filip Forejtek, CU, 1:49.71; 4. Gustav Vollo, UU, 1:49.89; 5. Riley Seger, MSU, 1:50.19; 6. Wilhelm Normannseth, UU, 1:50.21; 7. Joachim Mjelde, WMC, 1:50.40; 8. Simon Fournier, DU, 1:50.42; 9. Gianluca Boehm, MSU, 1:50.49; 10. Jamie Casselman, MSU, 1:50.49. Other CU Finishers: 18. Alex Birkner, 1:51.30; 27. Jack Reich, 1:52.11; 34. Chase Seymour, 1:53.45. Did Not Finish First Run: Louis Fausa. Did Not Finish Second Run: Sebastian Kohlhofer.

Dilling Takes Gold, Forejtek Bronze In RMISA Qualifier

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Players Mentioned

Hanna Abrahamsson

Alex Birkner

Jacob Dilling

Louis Fausa

Filip Forejtek

Sebastian Kohlhofer

Jack Reich

Chase Seymour

Dilling Takes Gold, Forejtek Bronze In RMISA Qualifier

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Players Mentioned

Hanna Abrahamsson

Alex Birkner

Jacob Dilling

Louis Fausa

Filip Forejtek

Sebastian Kohlhofer

Jack Reich

Chase Seymour

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