DU Pioneer Sara Rask photo credit University of Denver Athletics

The RMISA circuit headed south after the Bridger Bowl, MT cancellation. In Colorado, they participated in the back-to-back series that included the Colorado University and Denver University Invitationals.

This season the Utes seem unstoppable; they have won all the division-scored collegiate invitationals.

CU Hosts the GS Invite at Eldora, Day 1

Eldora hosted the CU Giant Slalom race, where, once again, DU’s Sara Rask and Utah’s Maddi Hoffman battled for the top spot. Rask was early to set the pace, nearly .70 seconds ahead of Hoffman in the first run. CU’s Emma Hammergaard sat in third. U.S. Stifel team member Mary Bocock had a challenge in the first run, sitting her in 13^th.

In the second run, Rask extended her lead over Hoffman, with Hammergaard falling behind Westminster’s Evelina Fredricsson, who finished third. Behind Hoffman were four other Utes in the top 20, adding to their daily point total. Bocock moved into fifth behind Hammergaard with the third-fastest second run.

Colorado took advantage of their home hill in the men’s race. Filip Forejtek and Jacob Dilling led the Buffaloes in a 1-2 first run and kept their lead to finish in the top spots. The Utes were neck-and-neck in third and fourth. Wilhlem Normannseth led over teammate Gustav Rosberg Voello in the first run before Normannseth fell behind on the second run. He landed just behind Voello in fourth. Both CU and Utah had four men in the top 20.

CU Invite, Day 2

It was a mirror image podium for the second day of GS racing on the women’s side. Hoffman led Rask in the first run while Alaska’s Ashleigh Alexander held onto the third. Hoffman fell behind her pace in the second run, opening up a gap for Rask to win the day. Once again, Evelina Fredricsson landed third in the second run, moving up five positions. And, like the day before, five Utes finished in the top 20.

The men’s side had a bit of a shake-up after leader Forejtek didn’t finish his second run. And teammate Dilling’s colossal mistake in the final run that moved him from second back to 24th on the run left room for Voello to grab gold. His teammate Normannseth got his podium spot in third, while independent Tristan Lane finished second. CU’s mistakes opened up a points opportunity for Utah, and combined with their Nordic team, won the invite with 655 points to CU’s 643. DU finished in third with 540 points.

DU Invite at Loveland, Day 1

The teams then headed west to Loveland for two days of slalom races. Rask was again undeniably on fire, as was DU teammate Nora Brand. Brand led the first run ahead of two other Pioneers in the top four, Rask and Eleri Smart. Utah’s Michelle Kervén sat in second. On the second run, Rask came back for the win ahead of Kervén, and Brand rounded out the podium in third. On the men’s side, Dilling and Normannseth battled for first and second, each winning a run. Normannseth’s first run lead was enough to keep the lead, with Dilling second and Gianluca  Boehm in third. It was Boehm’s first collegiate podium as a freshman skiing for MSU

On the men’s side, Dilling and Normannseth battled for first and second, each winning a run. Normannseth’s first run lead was enough to keep the lead, with Dilling second and Glanluca Boehm in third. It was Boehm’s first collegiate podium as a freshman skiing for MSU.

DU Slalom, Day 2

After not finishing the day before, Hoffman returned for redemption on the final day of the series. Brand led the first run again, with Hoffman sitting in second and Rask in third. This time, Hoffman hit the gas and left both DU skiers in the dust, winning the race by half a second. Rask finished second ahead of Brand in third. Fellow Ute Kervén missed the podium by 0.02 seconds and landed in fourth.

On the men’s side, Normannseth was again untouched, winning the second slalom day to extend the Ute’s overall lead. MSU was the wild card of the day. Boehm grabbed silver and his second podium, and teammate Henry Heaydon fell behind into third. It was his first time on the podium this season.

Despite the battle with DU, Utah pulled ahead to win the invite with 734 points, ahead of Denver’s 608. Colorado finished in third with 518 points. Utah’s Alpine and Nordic teams collectively lead the overall standings by 500 points ahead of Colorado in second and Denver in third. Next, the teams head north for the Alaska Invitational at Alyeska Resort.