Matt Gelso

Position:
Nordic
Height:
5-9
Weight:
160
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Truckee, Calif.
High School:
Truckee

2007 First Team All-American (Classical)

2007 Second Team All-American (Freestyle)

Top Career Classical Finish: 1st (at 2007 Utah Invitational)

Top Career Freestyle Finish: 1st (at 2009 Colorado Invitational)

2009 - Gelso wrapped up the regular season as CU's top nordic skier going into the NCAA Championships with eight top-10 finishes and an individual victory under his belt. Gelso proved to be equally as dominant in both the freestyle and nordic disciplines, taking first place in the 21K freestyle and second in the 10K classical race at the Colorado Invitational in Aspen. After his performance at the CU Invite, Gelso racked up both CU Athlete of the Week and RMISA Skier of the Week honors. Gelso went on to earn medalist honors (top-three) in six of the 10 races he participated in and was named to the All-RMISA First Team. After a highly successful regular season, Gelso took 11th in the classic at NCAA's and struggled in the freestyle race, taking 20th individually for the Buffs. For the third year in a row, Gelso was named to the Division I National All-Academic Team by maintain a 3.50 or higher GPA.

2008 - After a stellar freshman campaign, Gelso started the season off right where he left off, taking third place in the 20K Classical and fourth in the 15K freestyle at the Utah Invitational. Gelso was then forced to miss two straight races due to an illness before returning to the team at the New Mexico Invitational. Skiing for the first time in three weeks, he was under coaches' orders to ski relaxed and ease back into race conditions, yet he still claimed two top-15 finishes, taking 14th in the classical and 13th in the freestyle. Despite never quite returning to 100 percent health following a normal winter illness many nordic performers succumb to, Gelso rallied as CU's No. 3 skier at the NCAA Championships. After a 17th place finish in the freestyle, Gelso rebounded two days later to claim ninth in the 20K classical and earn second team All-American honors for the event. Gelso also earned a spot on the NCAA Skiing All-Academic Team by owning a 3.50 or better grade point average.

2007 - Gelso closed out his freshman campaign with arguably the top season by a newcomer in each of his disciplines in the west. He owned eight top-three finishes in 12 races, including one win, and never finished lower than seventh. Gelso kicked off his collegiate career by finishing third in the men's 10K at the Utah Invitational with a time of 29:09.9, the highest finish by an American in a western meet in at least a decade. He also claimed his first collegiate win at Utah in the 20K classic in a 42:22.3 time. At the NCAA Championships, Gelso earned first-team All-America honors after his fifth place finish in the classical race and nabbed second-team All-America honors after taking sixth in the freestyle event. In posting his 10th top-five finish, Gelso became just the second male freshman at Colorado to earn first-team All-America honors in cross country. The first-team All-RMISA selection was also named Junior Nordic Skier of the Year by Ski Racing magazine.

High School - Gelso came to Colorado as one of the most decorated American Nordic racers to come to CU. He was a member of the U.S. Ski Team, and spent nine years with the Auburn Ski Club in Lake Tahoe. In 2005, he won the Junior National Championship freestyle sprint. At the 2006 Junior Olympics, he won all three individual events: the freestyle sprint, the 10K skate race and the 15K classic race. In the 2006 World Junior Championships in Kranj, Slovenia, he placed 16th overall. Gelso was a dual sport athlete as he also ran Cross Country for Truckee High School in Truckee, California.

In the Classroom - Gelso is currently enrolled in Colorado's Business school and he is pursuing a finance major. He was named to the 2007, 2008, and 2009 NCAA Skiing All-Academic Team.

Personal - Matthew Gelso was born on July 18, 1988 in Truckee, California. He is the son of Matt and Kathy Gelso, and has a younger brother, Daniel (18), who is a freshman in college.

SEASON BY SEASON RESULTS

2009 CL FS

at Alaska Invitational 3 7

at Seawolf Invitational 3 3

COLORADO INVITATIONAL 2 1

at RMISA Championships 5 2

at NCAA Championships 11 20

2008 CL FS

at Utah Invitational 3 4

at New Mexico Invitational 14 13

at NCAA Championships 9 17

2007 CL FS