Utah wins Pat Miller Invitational in closest meet since 2008

SOLDIER HOLLOW, Utah – The host University of Utah held on to defeat Denver in what turned out to be the closest RMISA meet since 2008, as the Utes outscored the Pioneers, 657.5-649, to win the 2014 Pat Miller Invitational by just 8.5 points.

“I’m ecstatic for us to take the win in the Pat Miller Invitational,” Utah director of skiing Kevin Sweeney said. “I’m very pleased with how well we scored in all disciplines. Probably most significant is that we garnered some excellent NCAA qualifying points.”

Statisticians would have to go back to the 2008 New Mexico Invitational when Denver edged Colorado by just 3.5 points to find a closer meet. Utah held a 71 point lead at the mid-point and cut the lead to 36.5 points after the conclusion of the alpine meet, then outscored the Utes by 28 points Wednesday (Jan. 8) in the 20K women’s and 30K men’s freestyle race as results were pulled from the U.S. Cross Country National Championships.

New Mexico finished third with 566.5 points while Alaska Anchorage (477), Montana State (415) and Colorado (372) round out the NCAA teams from the RMISA and then associate members Westminster (243), Wyoming (14) and Colorado Mountain College (0) rounded out the team scoring.

In the women’s 20K freestyle race, Denver’s Sylvia Nordskar was the top RMISA finisher in a time of 1:00:19.8 with Alaska Anchorage’s Marine Dusser took second. New Mexico’s Eva Severrus was third while Montana State’s Kate Backstrum and the Seawolves’ MacKenzie Kanady rounded out the top five.

Denver and Alaska Anchorage tied for the race victory with 82 points each while Montana State (77) and New Mexico (76) both had solid results, as well.

In the 30K men’s freestyle race, New Mexico’s Aku Nikander won in a time of 1:20:48.0, just 12.9 seconds ahead of Alaska Anchorage’s Lukas Ebner (1:20:52.9). Utah’s Oscar Ivars, fourth, was sandwiched by a pair of Pioneers in Joergen Brevik who rounded out the podium and Pierre Guedon who finished fifth.

Denver won the race with 84 points, followed by New Mexico (81), Utah (78) and Alaska Anchorage (76).

This weekend includes alpine and nordic races and also signifies the mid-way point of the regular season for the RMISA.

Release courtesy of RMISA