BOZEMAN, Mont. — Thanks to five finishers in the top five of the classical cross country races, including a 2-3-4 finish by the men, the University of Colorado ski team holds the lead here Friday after the first day of the Montana State Invitational.
The Buffaloes racked up 245 points, well outdistancing New Mexico (203) at this point; Denver (190), Alaska-Anchorage (186) and host Montana State (173) round out the top five, with Utah (159) and Nevada (146) also participating. The Lobos held the lead after the alpine portion of Utah’s Invitational earlier this week, followed DU and Utah; when comparing those alpine results with the first day of Nordic competition, it appears that no less than five teams appear well-stocked at the outset of the season.
Friday’s two Nordic races only counted toward meet scoring; the giant slalom races were the first of two extra alpine qualifiers inserted into the schedule to match the same number in the east.
In the men’s 15k classical race, New Mexico’s Martin Kaas skied to the win in a 42:34.01 time, picking up 50 first place points for the Lobos. But the next three skiers to cross the finish line were Buffaloes, led by senior Matt Gelso taking the runner-up spot in 42:57.01. Juniors Vegard Kjoelhamar (43:04.84) and Jesper Ostensen (43:23.43) followed in the third and fourth positions to earn CU 132 points for the race.
Freshman Ian Mallams was 17th in 46:00.77 and junior Patrick Neel 19th in 46:58.63, while frosh Chris Woods did not finish. Sophomore Reid Pletcher, one of CU’s better performers, did not race Friday as he is not with the team due to illness.
In the women’s 10k version, sophomore Eliska Hajkova was second in a 32:24.06 clocking, as Denver’s Antje Maempel won in 31:51.53. Freshman Joanne Reid captured fifth in 33:47.18 to give the Buffs five top five finishers between the two races. Rounding out the CU performers were junior Alexa Turzian, who placed 13th (35:01.36) and freshman Mary Rose, 22nd (37:24.26). Another CU frosh, Katherine Ingalls, did not finish.
Though the women’s alpine didn’t score, they recorded one of the best days in school history, with four finishers in the top seven in the giant slalom, five in the top 10 and six in the top 15. New Mexico’s Anne Brusletto won in a two-run time of 1:49.65, but a parade of Buffaloes followed.
Freshman Erika Ghent took second in 1:50.12, junior Katie Hartman fourth in 1:50.59, freshman Sara Hjertman fifth in 1:50.64 and sophomore Jennifer Allen seventh in 1:50.64. Junior Carolina Nordh grabbed 10th (1:51.88) and freshman Khyla Burrows 15th (1:52.88) to give Colorado 40 percent of the finishers in the top 15, while CU’s other performer, sophomore Joelle Chevalier, was 20th (1:54.85).
Rokos may not be a historian, but he has a pretty good memory. The only other time the CU women had five finishers in the top 10 was in 1994, doing so in the giant slalom in the Denver Invitational, with only one better performance in team history, nabbing six of the top 12 spots in the slalom in the 2002 New Mexico meet.
In the men’s GS, the results weren’t nearly as good, but for several factors. Junior Gabriel Rivas, who suffered an injured calf muscle in a nasty fall earlier in the week in Park City, rebounded to finish fifth in 1:47.18. Senior Arman Serebrakian was the next Buffalo to place, grabbing 15th (1:48.66), followed by sophomores Taggart Spenst 17th (1:49.29) and Eric Davis 20th (1:50.13).
Seniors Drew Roberts (25th, 1:50.38) and Stefan Hughes (28th, 1:51.83) and freshman Spencer Nelson (32nd, 1:55.50) rounded out the action for the Buffs.
A side note, CU’s alpine team is almost entirely home grown, with 11 of the 16 skiers from Colorado, seven of nine on the women’s squad.
“It was very impressive, no question,” CU head coach Richard Rokos said. “We’re still running hot and cold from race to race, but the women have been more consistent than the men and they are really coming on. We’ve had some great women’s teams for a long time, but this demonstrates the depth of the team we have. I’m not a historian, but if this isn’t the deepest we’ve ever been, it’s very close. We’ve had three or four girls before (who were consistent top 10 finishers), but seldom six that I can recall.”
“On the other hand, on the men’s side, I’m glad the race didn’t count against the meet,” he added. “The guys just dialed in on the hill and we had some good first runs, but some struggles the second time down. But we’re pleased we got Gabriel back because earlier in the week, it looked like we could lose him for a week or longer. He’s in some pain, but he’s working through it.”
Rokos was brimming about the Nordic performance.
“That was an absolute confidence builder, and might show that our Nordic team is one of the best right now in the nation,” Rokos said. “But there are so many variables, you obviously want to be the best at the end of the year. Between now and then, you have to deal with injury, illness and working toward the right time to peak.”
The Nordic portion of the meet concludes Saturday with the freestyle races, the men’s 10k set for 10 a.m. with the women’s 5k version to follow. The GS is again on tap for the alpiners, the first runs commencing at 9:45 a.m. and the second at 1 p.m., with the slaloms set for Sunday at the same times.
ELSEWHERE IN NCAA SKIING: Dartmouth took the lead after the first day of the St. Lawrence Carnival, as the Big Green amassed 475 points. Vermont holds down second with 425, followed by New Hampshire (392), Middlebury (356), host St. Lawrence (284.5), Bates (278) and Williams (275). Dartmouth skiers won both Nordic races, in fact, sweeping the top five spots in the women’s 5K classic, while UVM racers captured both giant slalom races, with the Catamounts placing five in the top seven in the men’s race and four in the top six in the women’s competition. Colorado hosts the NCAA Championships this March 10-13 in Steamboat Springs.
Montana State Invitational Team Scores (2 events)—1. Colorado 245; 2. New Mexico 203; 3. Denver 190;
4. Alaska-Anchorage 186; 5. Montana State 173; 6. Utah 159; 7. Nevada 146.
Women’s 10k Classical (29 finishers)—1. Antje Maempel, DU, 31:51.53; 2. Eliska Hajkova, CU, 32:24.06; 3. Laura Rombach, UAA, 32:32.94; 4. Polisha Ermoshina, UNM, 32:53.64; 5. Joanne Reid, CU, 33:47.18; 6. Maria Graefnings, UNR, 33:52.68; 7. Jamie Bronga, UAA, 33:57.12; 8. Kate Dolan, DU, 33:59.92; 9. Sarah MacCarthy, Utah, 34:49.33; 10. Casey Kutz, MSU, 34:51.21 Other CU Finishers: 13. Alexa Turzian, 35:01.36; 22, Mary Rose, 37:24.26. Did Not Finish: Katherine Ingalls.
Men’s 15k Classical (32 finishers)—1. Martin Kaas, UNM, 42:34.01; 2. Matt Gelso, CU, 42:57.01; 3. Vegard Kjoelhamar, CU, 43:04.84; 4. Jesper Ostensen, CU, 43:23.43; 5. Michael Schallinger, UAA, 44:04.57; 6. Simon Reissmann, UNM, 44:13.81; 7. Ryan Scott, MSU, 44:18.59; 8. Bernhard Roenning, MSU, 44:39.34; 9. Didrik Smith, Utah, 44:41.96; 10. Tyler Reinking, MSU, 44:43.51. Other CU Finishers: 17. Ian Mallams, 46:00.77; 19. Patrick Neel, 46:58.63. Did Not Finish: Chris Woods.
Women’s Giant Slalom (Qualifier No. 1; 38 finishers)—1. Anne Brusletto, UNM, 1:49.65; 2. Erika Ghent, CU, 1:50.12; 3. Lindsay Cone, DU, 1:50.20; 4. Katie Hartman, CU, 1:50.59; 5. Sara Hjertman, CU, 1:50.64; 6. Stefanie Demetz, UNM, 1:50.93; 7. Jennifer Allen, CU, 1:51.20; 8. Eva Huckova, UU, 1:51.39; 9. Malin Hemmingsson, UNM, 1:51.42; 10. Carolina Nordh, CU, 1:51.88; Other CU Finishers: 15. Khyla Burrows, 1:52.88; 20. Joelle Chevalier, 1:54.85.
Men’s Giant Slalom (Qualifier No. 1; 35 finishers)—1. Andreas Kilde, DU, 1:45.91; 2. Leif Haugen, DU, 1:46.14; 3. Petter Brenna, UNM, 1:46.55; 4. Chris Salbu, UNM, 1:47.16; 5. Gabriel Rivas, CU, 1:47.18; 6. Ryan Wilson, Utah, 1:47.79; 7. Andreas Adde, UAA, 1:47.81; 8. Thomas Zumbrunn, Utah, 1:47.83; 9. Kyle Kung, Utah, 1:47.95; 10. Nick Cohee, Utah, 1:48.06. Other CU Finishers: 15. Arman Serebrakian, 1:48.66; 17. Taggart Spenst, 1:49.29; 20. Eric Davis, 1:50.13; 25. Drew Roberts, 1:50.38; 28. Stefan Hughes, 1:51.83; 32. Spencer Nelson, 1:55.50.
