Colorado Wins Nevada Invitational

Sunday, February 21, 2010 – by Curtis Snyder, RMISASkiing.com

Results Available On Schedule/Results Page

NORDEN & SODA SPRINGS, Calif. – The second-ranked University of Colorado ski team used three race wins to pull away and win the 2010 Nevada Invitational here Saturday with the slalom races being held at Sugar Bowl and freestyle races at the Auburn Ski Club.

The Buffaloes finish the meet racking up 913.5 points while top-ranked New Mexico finished second with 834 points. Denver had a solid day to pull away in a three-way race for third with 852 points while Utah (728.5) and Alaska Anchorage (701) were both in that race, as well. Montana State (619.5) and host Nevada (583.5) round out the scoring.

The Buffs won three of the four races, but New Mexico dominated the women’s slalom race with a 1-4-5 finish to earn 130 points. Malin Hemmingsson won her eighth career collegiate race in a time of 1:26.16 while Utah’s Eva Huckova took second in 1:26.49 and Denver’s Lindsay Cone also reaching the podium in 1:26.61. Hemmingsson was joined by Anne Cecile Brusletto (1:26.92) and Kate Williams (1:26.93) in the top five. Utah (107) and Denver (106) both racked up 100-plus points in the race, as well.

In men’s slalom action, the top five skiers were from different teams as Alaska-Anchorage’s Andreas Adde won the race in a time of 1:17.93, just 12 one-hundredths ahead of Colorado’s Gabriel Rivas (1:18.05). Denver’s Andreas Kilde earned a podium appearance in a time of 1:18.29 while Utah’s Torjus Krogdahl finished in 1:18.53 and New Mexico’s Petter Brenna in 1:18.60 to round out the top five. The Buffs used two more top 10 performances to earn 116 points in the race while Alaska Anchorage hit triple digits, as well, with 103 points.

In women’s freestyle action, Denver’s Antje Maempel won her second straight and fifth overall race of the season in a time of 37:54.6 in the 15K race. Colorado then took 2-3-4 with Eliska Hajkova coming in with a time of 38:03.1, Alexa Turzian in 38:13.3 and Joanne Reid in 38:26.1. Denver’s Kate Dolan rounds out the top five in 38:32.1. Denver’s Mari Elden took sixth as the Buffs edge the Pioneers 132-126 in the race, both about 40 points ahead of the next team (Montana State, 87).

Colorado’s Matt Gelso continued his dominance on his home course by completing the sweep with a win in the 20K freestyle race in a time of 44:27.1. The top 10 finishers were all within 15 seconds of each other and the Buffaloes had five of those 10 racers. New Mexico’s Martin Kaas took second in 44:28.0 while Denver’s Harald Lovenskiold earned a podium appearance in 44:32.3. Utah’s Martin Liljemark took fourth in 44:33.0 and New Mexico’s Simon Reissmann fifth in 44:36.2. Colorado then had spots 6-7-8-10 while edging out the Lobos, 122-110 for the race win. Utah also hit triple figures with 104 points.

Action in the Nevada Invitational is over but before alpine teams can begin to focus on next week’s RMISA Championships, the teams will compete in another slalom race at Sugar Bowl on Sunday as a qualifier only with no team scoring.