NCAAs: Colorado's Rehemaa, Denver's Stene win classic, set up CU-DU showdown

By Published On: March 9th, 2006Comments Off on NCAAs: Colorado's Rehemaa, Denver's Stene win classic, set up CU-DU showdown

NCAAs: Colorado’s Rehemaa, Denver’s Stene win classic, set up CU-DU showdownSTEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. – The universities of Colorado and Denver put behind them the wreckage from Wednesday’s snowy giant slalom and came into the classic races, starting and finishing in Steamboat’s rodeo arena, with guns blazing.

Denver took over the tournament lead with 337.5 points while Colorado lurks 30 points behind in second place. The University of New Mexico sits in third, an almost insurmountable 83.5 points behind Denver.

First-day leader New Hampshire fell back to eighth after Wednesday’s racing.

On another snowy day in Steamboat, Jana Rehemaa, Colorado’s top nordic skier, overcame a midrace deficit to win the women’s 5-kilometer classic title by six seconds over teammate Maria Grevsgaard. In the men’s 10 km, Denver’s tall man, John Stene, took the early lead on the rolling course and never looked back, crossing the line as the only skier to break the 28-minute mark.

‘It was really fast for me today’ Stene said. ‘I had really awesome skis. I started 37th so I had pretty good control over most of the field. So when I heard in the beginning that I was leading, I knew exactly what pace I needed to have. I just gave everything I had today and am really, really glad it helped.’

Stene said the knowledge that he gained from skiing – and winning on – this same course in January during the Colorado Invitational also helped. ‘[In that race], I opened a little bit too fast and had a really hard second lap. I learned from that and tried to keep it a little more under control today.’

The Norwegian’s teammate, defending classic (and freestyle) champion Rene Reisshauer, did his best to make the podium despite battling illness the last few weeks. He came up half-a-minute short but scored a fourth for the Pioneers. With Haavard Selseng in 10th, Denver was the only team to have three scorers in the top 10.

Colorado had a tough men’s race. Erling Christiansen finished sixth, with Henrik Hoye in seventh after he fell on a descent. The Buffaloes’ top skier, Kit Richmond, finished 19th after a rough night battling a stomach illness that was so bad he was given fluids intravenously.

But the Lady Buffs made up for points lost in men’s nordic. The cousin of Olympic gold medalist Kristina Smigun, Rehemaa didn’t know what to expect on the Howelsen Hill course. At the 2 km mark, the Estonian sat in fourth, but she said she made up time in the last two kilometers. With Grevsgaard in the runner-up spot and Lenka Palanova in seventh, the Lady Buffaloes scored 110 points, almost 40 more points than the next team, Denver, which had only Anna-Karin Maeki in the top 10.

‘This is the way they were doing throughout the year, so I was hoping for it’ Colorado head coach Richard Rokos said after the women’s race. ‘They just confirmed it.’

‘It’s hard to beat CU’ Denver nordic coach Knut Nystad said. ‘They’re a really strong team. … [Today] we put ourselves in a position where at least we have a chance. We know we’re not as complete a team as CU, so for us, it’s more damage control.’

Americans fared well in both nordic races, with two Northern Michigan University skiers taking bronze medals. Back from Torino, Lindsey Weier showed her Olympic form in taking third in the women’s race. Bryan Cook, following in his brother Chris Cook’s ski tracks, made the podium in his senior year. Chris won the NCAA classic gold in 2003.

Top Eastern skiers were UVM’s Kate Crawford, making All-American in eighth, and Dartmouth’s Ben True, taking fifth in the men’s race. True led the Big Green to a third-place finish in the event, just two points behind Colorado.

‘I thought it went pretty well’ True said. ‘I tried to go out easy, because of the altitude. I got a little out of breath, but I was able to hang in there.’ This is True’s second NCAA championship event in less than four months: In November, he finished 32nd at the NCAA cross-country championships in Indiana.

But the real race is coming down to Front Range rivals Denver and Colorado. Although the Pioneers sit 30.5 points ahead of the Buffaloes in gross scoring, the Buffs have a 1.5-point lead when the lowest three scores are dropped (which is how final results will be tallied).

‘We go out there and race’ Smitz said regarding his team’s strategy for Friday’s slalom. ‘It’s the improbabilities of tossing [scores] out. We need to get the job done, and we can’t go to sleep out there.’

Rokos is counting on his strong women’s alpine team to put the Buffs back into the lead in gross scoring. Steamboat native Lisa Perricone won on this hill under the lights in February during the Colorado Invitational and will no doubt have legions of fans ringing cowbells trailside.

‘I don’t need to remind them [that they need to finish]’ Rokos said. ‘They know what the goal is and what the expectation is.’

Racing continues Friday evening with the men’s slalom at 5:15 p.m. – Schladming-style – on Howelsen Hill. First run of women’s slalom begins at 6:30 p.m.

NCAA Championships

Women’s 5 km classic results

PL BIB NAME                    TEAM             TIME      PTS
1    38 REHEMAA, Jana           CU            16:29.6  39.0
2    30 GREVSGAARD, Maria       CU            16:36.0  38.0
3    33 WEIER, Lindsey          NMU           16:54.3  37.0
4    35 MAEKI, Annakarin       DU            16:55.8  36.0
5    29 RICE, Kasandra D        UAA           17:06.0  35.0
6    24 KOCHEN, Tami            NMU           17:06.5  34.0
7    39 PALANOVA, Lenka         CU            17:17.5  33.0
8    12 CRAWFORD, Kate          UVM           17:19.4  32.0
9    17 OWEN, Kristina          MTU           17:19.7  31.0
10    26 SCHWEIGER, Sara         UU            17:20.3  30.0
11    32 ENGESLAND, Ingvild      DU            17:24.3  29.0
12    19 NAEF, Nicole            UU            17:26.8  28.0
13    36 CROCKER, Alison         DAR           17:33.1  26.5
13    28 VALAAS, Laura           WHT           17:33.1  26.5
15    25 EDWARDS, Cassidy        MID           17:35.6  25.0
16    21 JAQUES, Crystin         UNM           17:37.4  24.0
17    31 TURUNEN, Johanna        UAF           17:38.6  23.0
18    34 DUNKLEE, Susan          DAR        Â
 Â Â 17:42.9  22.0
19    27 HAVLOVA, Pavla          UAF           17:51.6  21.0
20    20 HAMEL, Carina           UVM           17:53.5  20.0
21    11 VAN ALST, Laura         UNM           18:00.0  19.0
22     9 QUIGGLE, Ashley         WSC           18:12.3  18.0
23    15 DONG, Evelyn            MID           18:13.2  17.0
24    37 JOKELA, Anja            UVM           18:16.3  16.0
25     1 DEYONG, Nicole          UAA           18:21.3  15.0
26    23 ROGNMO, Marit           UNM           18:22.3  14.0
27    13 JOHNSON, Sally          UNR           18:22.6  13.0
28     5 MCQUEEN, Ashley         UU            18:27.4  12.0
29    16 BOHMOVA, Eva            UNR           18:30.4  11.0
30    14 WINTERS, Johanna R      UWGB          18:41.2  10.0
31     6 KINSMAN, Joanna         UNH           18:42.9   9.0
32    18 NILSSON, Karin          DU            18:47.0   8.0
33     7 BOWDEN, Mandy           MSU           18:53.8   7.0
34     3 RENNIE, Claire          MSU           18:56.1   6.0
35     2 HOLMES, Chelsea         UNR           19:10.0   5.0
36     4 MCELROY, Kaitlyn        BAT           19:35.1   4.0
37    10 HAMILTON, Jenny         MID           20:07.0   3.0
38     8 DAW, Chandra            GAC           22:29.2   2.0
Did Not Start
*** TRYGSTADSAARI, Kris    DAR             : 0.0
 
NCAA Championships

Men’s 10 km classic results

PL BIB NAME                    TEAM             TIME      PTS

1    37 STENE, John             DU            27:57.7  39.0
2    38 KORTHAUER, Marius       UAF           28:10.0  38.0
3    31 COOK, Bryan             NMU           28:10.6  37.0
4    29 REISSHAUER, Rene        DU            28:39.7  36.0
5    30 TRUE, Benjamin          DAR           28:43.1  35.0
6    21 CHRISTIANSEN, Erling    CU            28:56.8  34.0
7    34 HOYE, Henrik Wol        CU            28:58.9  33.0
8    27 GRIMM, Dirk             UNM           29:06.4  32.0
9    33 ROGN, Geir Endre        UNM           29:15.6  31.0
10    25 SELSENG, Haavard        DU            29:25.4  30.0
11    39 DAMMEN, Kjetil Hag      UAA           29:26.0  29.0
12    26 SINNOTT, Michael        DAR           29:34.5  28.0
13    24 WICKSTROM, Erik         UAF           29:50.8  27.0
14    12 PREUSSLER, Lutz         UN            29:54.4  26.0
15    19 GREGG, Brian            UAA           29:55.3  25.0
16    36 UHL, Juergen            UVM           30:07.0  24.0
17    20 RANDALL, Glenn          DAR           30:08.5  23.0
18    23 SONNTAG, Benjamin       UAA           30:10.8  22.0
19    32 RICHMOND, Kit           CU            30:13.5  21.0
20    17 DENGEL, Bart            UAF           30:22.8  20.0
21    16 GJOEMLE, Erik           UU            30:24.4  19.0
22    11 ELLEFSON, Sylvan        BAT           30:35.5  18.0
23    14 COE, Christian          MSU           30:41.8  17.0
24    13 FOSTER, Ryan            UVM           30:42.4  16.0
5    22 OSTHUS, Anders          UVM           30:45.5  15.0
26     9 IVERSON, Mark           MSU           30:52.1  14.0
27     7 DAYTON, Joshua E        WSC           30:57.5  13.0
28    28 NYGREN, Karl            STO           31:05.9  12.0
29     5 RICHMOND, Andrew R      WSC           31:07.8  11.0
30    35 KUZZY, Garrott          MID           31:15.8  10.0
31    10 KIESEL, Jess            UU            31:22.7  
 9.0
32     3 YOUNG, Jeddediah        UNM           31:41.3   8.0
33    18 FIGI, Fabian            UU            31:55.7   7.0
34     8 DITTY, Aaron            MTU           31:55.8   6.0
35     2 KARNEDY, Hunter         SLU           32:08.8   5.0
36    15 REYNOLDS, Tim           MID           32:47.7   4.0
37     4 HUBBARD, Seth           BAT           32:57.7   3.0
38     1 KURTZ, David            WSC           33:49.9   2.0
39     6 WHITCOMB, Jacob A       MID           35:24.3   1.0

2006 NCAA SKIING CHAMPIONSHIPS
DAY 2 TEAM RESULTS

Team GIANT SL Classic SLALOM Freestyle TOTAL TOTAL

1 DU WOMEN 11.0 25.0 38.0 8.0 29.0 36.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 147.0
MEN 22.0 25.5 38.0 30.0 36.0 39.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 190.5 337.5

2 CU WOMEN 13.0 35.0 36.0 33.0 38.0 39.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 194.0
MEN 9.0 16.0 0.0 21.0 33.0 34.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 113.0 307.0

3 UNM WOMEN 10.0 15.0 21.0 14.0 19.0 24.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 103.0
MEN 15.0 28.0 37.0 8.0 31.0 32.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 151.0 254.0

4 UU WOMEN 17.0 19.0 20.0 12.0 28.0 30.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 126.0
MEN 24.0 29.0 39.0 7.0 9.0 19.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 127.0 253.0

5 UVM WOMEN 12.0 31.0 37.0 16.0 20.0 32.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 148.0
MEN 18.0 32.0 0.0 15.0 16.0 24.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 105.0 253.0

6 DAR WOMEN 14.0 30.0 0.0 22.0 26.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 92.5
MEN 25.5 33.5 0.0 23.0 28.0 35.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 145.0 237.5

7 UAA WOMEN 9.0 28.0 33.0 15.0 35.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 120.0
MEN 12.0 0.0 0.0 22.0 25.0 29.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 88.0 208.0

8 UNH WOMEN 27.0 29.0 32.0 9.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 97.0
MEN 17.0 21.0 35.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 73.0 170.0

9 MID WOMEN 22.0 26.0 0.0 3.0 17.0 25.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 93.0
MEN 11.0 23.0 27.0 1.0 4.0 10.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 76.0 169.0

10 UNR WOMEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.0 11.0 13.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 29.0
MEN 14.0 30.0 36.0 26.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 106.0 135.0

11 UAF WOMEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 21.0 23.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 44.0
MEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 20.0 27.0 38.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 85.0 129.0

12 BAT WOMEN 16.0 18.0 23.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 61.0
MEN 8.0 20.0 0.0 3.0 18.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 49.0 110.0

13 NMU WOMEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 34.0 37.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 71.0
MEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 37.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 37.0 108.0

14 MSU WOMEN 34.0 0.0 0.0 6.0 7.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 47.0
MEN 10.0 0.0 0.0 14.0 17.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 41.0 88.0

15 WIL WOMEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
MEN 31.0 33.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 64.5 64.5

16 WSC WOMEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 18.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 18.0
MEN 19.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 11.0 13.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 45.0 63.0

17 CBC WOMEN 39.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 39.0
MEN 7.0 13.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 20.0 59.0

18 MTU WOMEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 31.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 31.0
MEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.0 37.0

19 WHT WOMEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 26.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 26.5
MEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 26.5

20 BSU WOMEN 24.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 24.0
MEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 24.0

21 STO WOMEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
MEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 12.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 12.0 12.0

22 UWGBWOMEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 10.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 10.0
MEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 10.0

23 SLU WOMEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
MEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.0 5.0

24 GAC WOMEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0
MEN 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0

Share This Article

About the Author: Pete Rugh