NCAA: Colorado leads tight race at Western regional

Colorado got another exceptional performance from its nordic teams, and despite a surprising unexpected subpar day from its women’s alpine unit, the Buffaloes own a 17-point lead at the midway point of the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association Championships.
BOZEMAN, Mont. — Colorado got another exceptional performance from its nordic teams, and despite a surprising unexpected subpar day from its women’s alpine unit, the Buffaloes own a 17-point lead at the midway point of the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association Championships.
    This meet also doubles as the NCAA West Regional/Montana State Invitational, and the NCAA Championships will be held on the same courses in just two weeks, so it’s also serving as a great test run for the Western schools.
    Colorado leads the nine-team meet with 266 points, though 54 points separate the top seven in the standings, making this easily the most contested race of the five thus far this season.  Denver is in second (249), followed by Utah (245), New Mexico (230), Nevada (219), Alaska-Anchorage (214) and host Montana State (212).
    The Buffaloes are trying to win their ninth regional title under head coach Richard Rokos, last doing so in 2006 on their way to the national title. Colorado has 21 RMISA titles, 11 men’s, one women’s and nine coed.
    Nevada’s Greg Berger captured the men’s GS in 1 minute:48.72, winning by 0.08 seconds over New Mexico’s Tor Fodnesbergene.  Just one-and-a-quarter seconds separated first through 10th in one of the tightest giant slalom races this season. Andre Hokholt of Montana State finished third.
Colorado sophomore Patrick Duran grabbed 10th in 1:49.97. Duran, who missed all of the 2007 season after suffering a nasty leg fracture during a training run for the 2006 NCAA Championships, posted his best finish since taking third in the GS at the 2006 RMISA’s.
    Denver’s Jenny Lathrop cruised to the win in the women’s GS, beating Colorado’s Lucie Zikova by nearly two seconds. Lathrop clocked 1:47.41 and Zikova crossed in 1:48.09. Katie Lyons of Nevada finished third in 1:49.03.
    In cross-country, Buffs senior Maria Grevsgaard returned to her winning ways in winning the women’s 5-kilometer freestyle race in 14:56.25, good for a 10-plus second nod over Denver’s Annelise Bailly (15:06.96). She won the first seven races of the season before a second place finish in the freestyle in New Mexico. It was her 16th career win, adding to her all-time CU record; in addition, though a senior academically, should she choose to return for school next year which is her plan, she will have another year of eligibility remaining.
    Colorado Junior Lenka Palanova finished third in 15:15.95.
    In the men’s 10 km freestyle, CU senior Kit Richmond won his second straight race, completing two loops around the layout in 27:02.10.  Alaska’s Raphael Wunderle took runner-up honors in 27:06.24.  It was also his second win of the season but the fifth of his career, with four coming in the freestyle.  He also has posted five straight top five finishes since illness forced him to miss the classic race in CU’s own invitational.
    One of CU’s top nordic performers, Matt Gelso, stayed in Boulder, as the sophomore still isn’t 100 percent after battling illness since late last month.  “He should be close to his old self in two weeks, and a healthy Matt Gelso is going to be tough,” Nordic coordinator Bruce Cranmer said.
    Junior Karl Nygren, who likely won’t be among CU’s top three for NCAA’s though he has qualified, is not here as he was selected to represent the United States this weekend at the U-23 World Championships in Italy.
    With four races left in the West this winter, Colorado is in good position to claim the most individual race titles for the second straight year.  CU skiers have won 14 races this winter to Denver’s 11; Utah (8), Nevada (3) and New Mexico (2) are the other schools with athletes reaching the top of the podium.
    The RMISA Championships conclude Saturday with the alpine slalom and classical cross-country races. The coaches then have to submit which racers will represent their teams early next week for the NCAA Championships, which are March 5-8.

 RMISA Championship/NCAA West Regional Team Scores—1. Colorado 266;  2. Denver 249;  3. Utah 245;  4. New Mexico 230;  5. Nevada 219;  6. Alaska-Anchorage 214;  7. Montana State 212;  8. Whitman 102;  9. Western State 95.

 Men’s Giant Slalom—1. Gregory Berger, UN, 1:48.72;  2. Tor Fodnesbergene, UNM, 1:48.80;  3. Andre Hokholt, MSU, 1:49.02;  4. Scott Veenis, Utah, 1:49.17;  5. Thomas Schwab, UNM, 1:49.23;  6. Egil Ismar, UAA, 1:49.44;  7. Kyle Kung, Utah, 1:49.46;  8. Tony Cesolini, CU, 1:49.51;  9. Thomas Zumbrunn, Utah, 1:49.82;  10. Patrick Duran, CU, 1:49.97.

 Women’s Giant Slalom—1. Jenny Lathrop, DU, 1:47.41;  2. Lucie Zikova, CU, 1:48.09;  3. Katie Lyons, UN, 1:49.03;  4. Allison Empey, UAA, 1:49.50;  5. Karin Ohlin, UNM, 1:49.59;  6. Malin Hemmingsson, UNM, 1:49.63;  7. Kristina Repcinova, UAA, 1:49.86;  8. Chirine Njeim, Utah, 1:50.10;  9. Smaranda Munteneau, UAA, 1:50.14;  10. Amy Harris, UN, 1:50.43.

 Men’s 10K Freestyle —1. Kit Richmond, CU, 27:02.10;  2. Raphael Wunderle, UAA, 27:06.24;  3. John Stene, DU, 27:19.88;  4. Jesper Ostensen, CU, 27:35.32;  5. Snorri Einarsson, Utah, 27:41.28;  6. Anders Folleraas, MSU, 27:49.46;  7. Gunnar Kristiansen, MSU, 27:58.69;  8. Josh Smith, CU, 28:07.27;  9. Even Sletten, Utah, 28:13.20;  10. Haavard Selseng, DU, 28:13.87.

 Women’s 5K Freestyle—1. Maria Grevsgaard, CU, 14:56.25;  2. Annelise Bailly, DU, 15:06.96;  3. Lenka Palanova, CU, 15:15.95;  4. Chelsea Holmes, UN, 15:16.87;  5. Antje Maempel, DU, 15:19.14;  Polina Ermoshina, UNM, 15:29.04;  7. Paige Brady, UN, 15:31.07;  8. Jenny Hamilton, CU, 15:33.79;  Devon Spika, Whitman, 15:39.02;  10. Sara Schweiger, Utah, 15:43.80.