Featured Image: Magdalena Luczak. Credit: Bob Eastaugh
The Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA) is competing in the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) Invitational and the 76th Annual RMISA Championships at Alyeska Resort, Alaska.
The alpine athletes kicked off with two giant slaloms on February 19th and 20th. They kicked off with the UAA Invitational GS first and then the GS for the RMISA Champs on the second day.
The athletes were met with sunshine and blue skies for the first two days of GS, which gave them the confidence to give it their all on each course set.
The University of Colorado athletes gave winning performances in the giant slalom. Magdalena Luczak was the standout performance of the two days, achieving back-to-back victories. Her teammates, Jacob Dilling and Louis Gustav Fausa, also secured individual wins.
Women’s First Day of GS-UAA Invitational
Sara Rask of the University of Denver was the first athlete to start. She executed a solid first run, setting the pace at 45.05. However, the lead was quickly snatched by University of Utah athlete Kaja Norbye.
Norbye was able to hold onto the leading time of the first run until bib 16, when Magdalena Luczak came through -0.64 ahead. Also, Montana State University athlete Keely Cashman, wearing bib 17, posted a faster first run time, merely sneaking into second by -0.03.
The women would have to fight on the second run to maintain a podium position. Norbye unveiled consistency as she executed her second run; Cashman, unfortunately, did not finish, and Luczak did not back down from furthering her winning gap.
Luczak concluded the day with a victory that was -0.84 ahead of Norbye.
Claire Timmermann of the University of Utah joined the two on the podium, finishing one second off the lead in third place.
For Luczak, this win marked her sixth victory of her college career. Within just twelve collegiate races, she has won half of them.
Men’s First Day of GS-UAA Invitational
The men were second on the hill, and the weather remained consistent for the athletes, but the athletes thought the conditions were pretty tough. Jacob Dilling of the University of Colorado established his lead in the first run and was able to execute a solid second run to secure victory.
This was an emotional day for Dilling as it marked a year since his dad’s passing, and he shared that he was racing in his honor.
“This was much more than a win for me, as it was the one-year anniversary since my dad passed away. I won for him,” Dilling stated.
He further explained, “I was filled with emotions and ready to break at any moment, so I just kept reminding myself of my cues (feet underneath me, go deep, and relax), and most of all to ski for my dad.”
This marked the Buffalo’s second collegiate win: “It felt great to be back on the top of the podium.”
Jamie Casselman of Montana State University raced into second place, +0.51 behind the lead. This marked Casselman’s first podium on the college circuit.
University of Denver Freshman Pietro Motterlini and Simen Strand of the University of Utah rounded out the podium, +1.13 off the fastest combined time.
This marked Moterlini’s first top-3 result of his college career and Strand’s 14th podium on the circuit.
Women’s Second Day of GS- RMISA Championships
The first day of the 76th Annual RMISA Championships was fierce as the athletes were pushing it to their limits to secure a spot on the leaderboard. The weather continued to cooperate, so the athletes were able to go all out.
CU Buffs Magdalena Luczak skied fantastically, winning both runs and the combined. The three-time national champion dominated the field by -0.91.
In the first run, Kaja Norbye of the University of Utah was hot on Luczak’s heels, just +0.12 behind. Unfortunately, in the second run, Norbye lost time, moving back and finishing in the day in 5th place.
Norbye’s teammate, Claire Timmerman, was in third after the first run but ignited in the second run, moving up to 2nd-place position. This marked her 5th top 3 finish on the college circuit.
Westminster University athlete Elise Hitter achieved her first podium, concluding the day in 3rd place.
Men’s Second Day of GS-RMISA Championships
The men concluded the giant slalom portion of the RMISA Championships with a competitively tight race. The top four finished the day with only 0.31 separating them.
The men had to fight from top to bottom through bumpy conditions to earn a top spot on the leaderboard.
After a winning first run, Louis Gustav Fausa of the University of Colorado set himself up to take the victory, but he still needed to gun it on the second run. He threw down a solid second run and finished the day achieving his third college win of the season.
He stated, “It felt great, especially with the team performing so well.”
Fausa has achieved winning success this season. He stated, “[My winning success] comes from this competitive team that we have. When you have fast skiers around you that constantly push hard and want the best for one another, the results start to come. Our coaches also play a crucial role, and they genuinely care about our development, focusing on little things that add up.”
Johs Braathen Herland of the University of Utah finished the day in 2nd place, earning his fourth podium on the college circuit.
Rounding out the podium was Jamie Casselman from Montana State University. This was his second podium of his college career and the weekend. This marked the most success Casselman has achieved in a college series thus far.
The athletes will finish off the racing today with the last day of slalom, so stay tuned for the recap. A lot of work went into this race with a combined effort from the host school, UAA, and Alyeska Ski Club who has been the organizational host. The races are headquartered in the club’s training center, and almost all of the club’s professional and volunteer staff are working the races.
About the Author: Ellie Hartman
