NCAA: Colorado wins Utah Invite; Montana St. fourth

PARK CITY, Utah — Sparked by wins from nordic racers Matt Gelso and Maria Grevsgaard, the University of Colorado ski team won its fifth straight meet spanning the past two seasons Sunday by topping the field at the University of Utah Invitational, the first full meet of the RMISA season.
PARK CITY, Utah — Sparked by wins from nordic racers Matt Gelso and Maria Grevsgaard, the University of Colorado ski team won its fifth straight meet spanning the past two seasons Sunday by topping the field at the University of Utah Invitational, the first full meet of the RMISA season.
    The Buffaloes beat second-place Utah by 15 points, compiling 552 points to the Utes’ 537. The University of Denver finished third with 522. Montana State (441) and Alaska-Anchorage (411) rounded out the top five.
    Montana State’s fourth-place result was the program’s best since 1994 when the women’s team was resurrected. The men’s squad was added four seasons ago.
    “This was our first meet of the season where alpine and Nordic skied on the same week, and our kids really stood up to the challenge,” MSU director of skiing and alpine coach Dan Brelsford said. “It is the result of our fall training and a great recruiting class.
    “It was exciting to see it all pan out. It’s rewarding to see the program flourish. We turned a lot of heads and received a lot of attention.”
    Colorado won the final four meets last winter, including the NCAA Championships, and is also leading the in-progress Montana State meet, which started last weekend and resumes this Friday in Bozeman, Montana. It’s Colorado’s longest winning streak since 1995, when the Buffs won all six meets that winter en route to the national crown.
    “It’s good to start the season with a win, especially without a full team, to build some confidence right at the start and also post some good finishes toward NCAA qualification,” CU head coach Richard Rokos said of Colorado’s first season-opening win since 1999.  “The Nordics did a great job and were very consistent, and did well dealing with a delay. It’s good to see everyone healthy and everyone charging.”  
    Rokos referred to a delay of more than 60 minutes for the cross-country races, which were held in nearby Soldier Hollow where temperatures were at minus-24 just prior to the scheduled start of the day’s events.
    Utah freshman Tague Thorson stole the show on the men’s alpine side, sweeping both races at Park City Mountain Resort, Saturday, he won the GS in 1 minute, 53.93 seconds in a dominating performance. New Mexico’s Lars Loeseth finished second but well back in 1:55.02. CU’s Stefan Hughes placed third in 1:55.60.
    Sunday, Thorson topped the slalom with a time of 1:32.13, edging Hughes in second at 1:32.35. New Mexico’s Alex Mach was third in 1:32.21 and Lobos’ teammate Loeseth was fourth.
    “He was pumping his fists and had a huge grin on his face as he crossed the line,” Utah head coach Eli Brown said of Thorson. “He’s definitely excited.”
    Rokos also was excited about Hughes’ performance in both races. The freshman finished second in the slalom at the Montana State meet (behind teammate Drew Roberts) and hasn’t finished off the podium in any college or FIS race this winter.
    “We have some rising stars in men’s alpine, and they’re finishing everything,” Rokos said. “Stefan is even surprised with how he is doing. We’ve kidded him that one he put on his ‘Buffalo’ (racing) suit it’s changed his way of life.”
    In women’s alpine, Alaska-Anchorage’s Stefanie Klocker won Saturday’s slalom in 1:29.97, topping defending national champ Lucie Zikova of Colorado in second (1:30.30). Nevada’s Katie Lyons continued her strong start to the season in third (1:30.31), missing a second-place tie by 0.01 seconds. Denver’s Claire Abbe was fourth.
    Western State’s Sarah Schaedler won Sunday’s GS in 2:02.92, easily topping Montana State’s Carmel McElroy in second (2:05.04). DU’s Chirine Neim was third (2:05.21) and Lyons fourth (2:05.66).
    In the men’s 20-kilometer Nordic freestyle, Gelso dueled with Denver’s Rene Reisshauer for the bulk of the race but got some separation in the final kilometer in winning his first collegiate race in 42:22.30.  Reisshauer was second in 42:27.3, Raphael Wunderle of Alaska-Anchorage was third in 42:34.00 and Colorado’s Kit Richmond was fourth in 42:43.1.
    Gelso’s win was the second by a Buff skier in the last three Nordic races — Richmond ended the 2006 season by winning the same event at the NCAA championships.
    “It was really good to see Matt win a skate race, as he’s usually a little bit better in classic,” CU Nordic coordinator Bruce Cranmer said. “He was strong within himself and he got a little break with about half a k or so to go and was able to hold on to the lead without having to sprint. He raced a tactical and smart race, and it was nice to see him win and get on the podium.”
    A day earlier in the men’s 10 km classic race, Reisshauer outclassed the field, winning in 28:21.20. Utah’s Snorri Einarsson was second (28:43.80) and Gelso third (29:08.90). Reisshauer’s teammate John Stene finished fourth.
    Grevsgaard won the first women’s Nordic race of the season in impressive fashion, topping Saturday’s 5 km classic by 18 seconds over second-place finisher Sara Schweiger of Utah. Grevsgaard’s time was 15:57.60. Kasandra Rice of Alaska-Anchorage was third in 16:29.70, followed by CU’s Kristin Ronnestrand.
    Montana State’s Jamie Woelk, meanwhile, won the women’s 10 km event on Sunday. That victory, coupled with Gelso’s 20 km win, marked the first time ever that U.S.-born skiers won both the men and women’s Nordic races on the same day in NCAA Western Region competition.   
    Woelk led a 1-2-3 sweep by Bobcat skiers, the first-ever by the school in any of the four disciplines in NCAA competition. She won in 34:16.10, and just under 11 seconds separated the top six finishers. Her teammates, Mandy Bowden and Claire Rennie, finished second and third, as the trio all finished within a second of each other.
    The sweep is believed to be a first in the Nordic event in NCAA Western Region competition.
    “When [Bobcat Nordic coach] Grethe [Hagensen] called and told me about the sweep, I thought she was pulling my leg,” Brelsford said. “That is an amazing sweep. It shows a lot of commitment by the athletes to train year round, and the team dynamic that the Nordic coaches have implemented.”
    The RMISA Nordic season continues Friday with the completion of the Montana State meet in Bozeman, Montana. Colorado leads after the men and women’s slalom races run a few weeks ago at Big Sky. The RMISA alpine schedule resumes Feb. 2-3 at Winter Park, Colorado, with the Denver Invitational.

Utah Invitational team scores — 1. Colorado 552;  2. Utah 537;  3. Denver 522;  4. Montana State 441;  5. Alaska-Anchorage 411;  6. New Mexico 390;  7. Nevada 370;  8. Western State 295;  9. Whitman 123;  10. Wyoming 29.

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bsp; Men’s giant slalom — 1. Tague Thorson, Utah, 1:53.93;  2. Lars Loeseth, New Mexico, 1:55.02;  3. Stefan Hughes, Colorado, 1:55.60;  4. Francesco Ghedina, Denver, 1:55.87;  5. Tor Fodnesbergene, New Mexico, 1:55.94;  6. John Buchar, Denver, 1:55.97;  7. Scott Hume, Nevada, 1:56.07;  8. Ian Dunlop, Denver, 1:56.42;  9. Andre Hokholt, Montana State, 1:56.63;  10. Tony Cesolini, Colorado, and Miles Cooke, Colorado, 2:21.3.
    Women’s slalom — 1. Stefanie Klocker, Alaska-Anchorage, 1:29.97;  2. Lucie Zikova, Colorado, 1:30.30;  3. Katie Lyons, Nevada, 1:30.31;  4. Claire Abbe, Denver, 1:30.63;  5. Heidi Hillenbrand, Colorado, 1:31.05;  6. Mikaela Grassl, Utah, 1:31.41;  7. Sarah Schaedler, Western State, 1:31.59;  8. Chirine Njeim, Utah, 1:32.17;  9.  Lisa Perricone, Colorado, 1:32.21;  10. Kim Stephens, Utah, 1:32.59.  
    Men’s 10 km classic —1. Rene Reisshauer, Denver, 28:21.2;  2. Snorri Einarsson, Utah, 28:43.8;  3. Matt Gelso, Colorado, 29:08.9;  4. John Stene, Denver, 29:23.2;  5. Kit Richmond, Colorado, 29:41.5;  6. Andy Liebner, Alaska-Anchorage, 29:53.7;  7. Ben Fick, Utah, 29:55.3;  8. Raphael Wunderle, Alaska-Anchorage, 30:01.9;  9. Karl Nygren, Colorado, 30:21.3;  10. Christian Coe, Montana State, 30:22.6.
    Women’s 5 km classic —1. Maria Grevsgaard, Colorado, 15:57.6;  2. Sara Schweiger, Utah, 16:15.8;  3. Kasandra Rice, Alaska-Anchorage, 16:29.7;  4. Kristin Ronnestrand, Colorado, 16:51.6;  5. Annelies Cook, Utah, 16:54.1;  6. Jamie Woelk, Montana State, 16:58.1;  7. Brittany Greer, Alaska-Anchorage, 17:04.7;  8. Sarah MacCarthy, Utah, 17:05.4;  9. Claire Rennie, Montana State, 17:09.7;  10. Crystin Jaques, New Mexico, 17:10.8.
    Men’s slalom — 1. Tague Thorson, Utah, 1:32.13;  2. Stefan Hughes, Colorado, 1:32.35;  3. Alex Mach, New Mexico, 1:33.21;  4. Lars Loeseth, New Mexico, 1:33.25;  5. Francesco Ghedina, Denver, 1:33.61;  6. Drew Roberts, Colorado, 1:33.81;  7. Gaspar Perricone, Utah, 1:34.18;  8. Ian Dunlop, Denver, 1:34.29;  9. Josh Bryan, Colorado, 1:34.33;  10. Luke Patterson, Nevada, 1:34.42.
    Women’s giant slalom — 1. Sarah Schaedler, Western State, 2:02.92;  2. Carmel McElroy, Montana State, 2:05.04;  3. Chirine Njeim, Utah, 2:05.21;  4. Katie Lyons, Nevada, 2:05.66;  65. Jenny Tank, Denver, 2:06.05;  6. Lisa Perricone, Colorado, 2:06.06;  7. Karine Falck-Pedersen, Denver, 2:06.17;  8. Mikaela Grassl, Utah, 2:06.20;  9. Amy Lattimer, Montana State, 2:06.77;  10. Lindsay McClure, Denver, 2:06.95.
    Women’s 10 km freestyle — 1. Jamie Woelk, Montana State, 34:16.1;  2. Mandy Bowden, Montana State, 34:16.6;  3. Claire Rennie, Montana State, 34:16.9;  4. Annelise Bailly, Denver, 34:21.3;  5. Kasandra Rice, Alaska-Anchorage, 34:25.0;  6. Maria Grevsgaard, Colorado, 34:26.8;  7. Sara Schweiger, Utah, 34:38.7;  8. Chelsea Holmes, Nevada, 34:46.5;  9. Lenka Palanova, Colorado, 34:54.0;  10. Krista Rader, Alaska-Anchorage, 35:00.0.
    Men’s 20 km freestyle — 1. Matt Gelso, Colorado, 42:22.3;  2. Rene Reisshauer, Denver, 42:27.3;  3. Raphael Wunderle, Alaska-Anchorage, 42:34.0;  4. Kit Richmond, Colorado, 42:43.1;  5. Snorri Einarsson, Utah, 42:49.2;  6. Andy Liebner, Alaska-Anchorage, 43:17.9;  7. Mike Hinckley, Denver, 43:31.6;  8. Ben Fick, Utah, 43:42.6;  9. Taylor Sheldon, Denver, 43:43.7;  10. Nathan Park, Montana State, 43:45.5.