Colorado University Athletics

Slalom Races Postponed At Colorado Invitational

Slalom Races Postponed At Colorado Invitational
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ELDORA, Colo. GÇô Due to an unsatisfactory racing condition, the menGÇÖs and womenGÇÖs slalom races for the University of Colorado/Spencer Nelson Invitational have been postponed and will not be run on Sunday, race officials decided. 

GÇ£There were unfavorable snow conditions that were putting skiers in a little bit of danger,GÇ¥ CU head coach Richard Rokos said. GÇ£We wanted to put a fair race on, we are obligated to excellence and in terms of putting on a race, that rule absolutely applies.GÇ¥

Just more than 40 of a scheduled 74 menGÇÖs racers made it through their first run, with several having to hike or not finishing before officials cancelled the race.  The initial plan was to still run the womenGÇÖs race at 11:30 a.m. and at approximately 11:15 a.m., that race was also called off for the same reason. 

The tentative plan is to run the slalom races for the CU Invitational this coming Friday before the start of the Denver Invitational at Winter Park.  A final decision should be made sometime in the next day or two.  If that plan doesnGÇÖt pan out, the races will be made up at some point during the season in either Alaska or Montana.

Regardless of the alpine schedule, the Colorado Invitational will continue on Friday with the seasonGÇÖs first Nordic action at Steamboat Springs, Colo.  FridayGÇÖs freestyle races will be an interval start, 5-kilometers for the women and 10-kilometers for the men.  Saturday is scheduled for a mass start classical race, 15-kilometers for the women and 20-kilometers for the men. 

At the conclusion of the races, individual awards were still handed out for the giant slalom races from Saturday.  Erika Ghent, who won the GS race, and Katie Hartman, who finished third, both received commemorative belt buckles given out by Peter and Peggy Nelson, parents of fallen CU skier Spencer Nelson, to whom the invitational is now named. CU freshman Adam Zika also got a buckle on the men's side for his third place finish (second amongst collegians).