STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo.—The host University of Colorado held onto its lead and won its own Spencer James Nelson CU Invitational on Saturday at Howelsen Hill Ski Area.
Day 2 of the meet was just as busy as the first, but the collegiate action entirely took place at the legendary Howelsen Hill, with men's and women's Nordic 20K classical opening the day in the morning before alpine slalom wrapped up the two-day competition in the afternoon and evening.
The Buffaloes held 22.5-point lead over in-state rival Denver at the halfway point on Friday night and stayed in front and extended their advantage. Colorado finished with 671.5 points, besting second-place Denver (635) by 36.5 points. Utah came in third and just 85 points off the top spot by gaining 586.5 points over the eight events.
CU's win ended a 12-meet winning streak for Utah, as the Utes' last loss was to Colorado at the Nordic-only 2022 Alaska Fairbanks Nanook Invitational. The last time UU lost in a full alpine-Nordic competition was the 2020 RMISA Championships that Denver won.
The victory for Colorado was its first in a full alpine-Nordic event since the 2019 Montana State Invitational, and it was the program's first win at its own Spencer James Nelson meet since 2015.
Montana State (495) and Alaska Anchorage (428) rounded out the top five in the team scores. Westminster University was sixth (238), Alaska Fairbanks placed seventh (219), Nevada finished eighth (127) and Colorado Mountain College came in ninth (86).
CU opened the day with Hanna Abrahamsson picking up an individual win in the women's Nordic 20K classic mass start and finished day 2 with five podiums, including two student-athletes on the stage in both the men's and women's Nordic events. Anna-Maria Dietze, the winner of Friday's 7.5K freestyle, joined her Abrahamsson on the stand in third, and Montana State's Tilde Baangman finished second.
Denver picked up two individual victories, led by Andreas Kirkeng sweeping CU's Nordic races. After winning the interval 7.5K freestyle on Friday, the Pioneer finished the 20K in 1:00:29.3, nearly 10 seconds ahead of two Buffs in Magnus Boee (1:00.38.7) and Will Koch (1:00:39.0).
Nora Brand picked up DU's other win in alpine women's slalom, besting Colorado's Magdalena Luczak and Utah Kaja Norbye, who were separated for second and third by just one-hundredths of a second.
The Utes' Oliver Parazette won the men's slalom, while Alaska Anchorage's Leon Nikic was second and Westminster's Jeremie Lagier was third.
Sunday is an off day for the RMISA circuit before the Denver Invitational begins on Monday and Tuesday with a pair of alpine slalom races at Loveland Ski Area. The DU Invite concludes with the Nordic competition at Maloit Park in Minturn, Colorado, as the 10K classic mass start is Friday, Feb. 9 and interval 5K freestyle on Saturday, Feb. 10.
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS (through 8-of-8 events): 1. Colorado 671.5; 2. Denver 635; 3. Utah 586.5; 4. Montana State 495; 5. Alaska Anchorage 428; 6. Westminster 238; 7. Alaska Fairbanks 219; 8. Nevada 127; 9. Colorado Mountain College 86.
MEN'S 20K CLASSIC TOP 10 (28 finishers): 1. Andreas Kirkeng, DU; 2. Magnus Boee, CU; 3. Will Koch, CU; 4. Tom Mancini, UU; 5. Florian Knopf, DU; 6. Kai Meyers, MSU; 7. Krystof Zatloukal, DU; 8. Johannes Flaaten, CU; 9. Christopher Kalev, UAF; 10. Florian Winker, MSU.
WOMEN'S 20K CLASSIC TOP 10 (32 finishers): 1. Hanna Abrahamsson, CU; 2. Tilde Baangman, MSU; 3. Anna-Maria Dietze, CU; 4. Sydney Palmer-Leger, UU; 5. Karianne Dengerud, UU; 6. Kate Oldham, MSU; 7. Astrid Stav, UAA; 8. Mariel Pulles, UAF; 9. Weronika Kaleta, CU; 10. Selma Andersen, DU.
MEN'S SLALOM TOP 10 (34 finishers): 1. Oliver Parazette, UU; 2. Leon Nikic, UAA; 3. Jeremie Lagier, WMU; 4. Mikkel Solbakken, UU; 5. Christian Soevik, DU; 6. Thomas Hoffman, DU; 7. Enzo Cenerelli, WMU; 8. Etienne Mazellier, CU; 9. Raphael Lessard, UU; 10. Jacob Dilling, CU.
WOMEN'S SLALOM TOP 10 (27 finishers): 1. Nora Brand, DU; 2. Magdalena Luczak, CU; 3. Kaja Norbye, UU; 4. Ainsley Proffit, UAA; 5. Michelle Kerven, UU: 6. Hannah Saethereng, WMU; 7. Sara Rask, DU; 8. Carlotta Marcora, WMU; 9. Julia Toiviainen, CU; 10. Melanie Dahlberg, UU.
| Date | Race |
|---|---|
| Feb. 2 | Women's 7.5K Freestyle |
| Feb. 2 | Women's Giant Slalom |
| Feb. 2 | Men's 7.5K Freestyle |
| Feb. 2 | Men's Giant Slalom |
| Feb. 3 | Women's 20K Classic |
| Feb. 3 | Women's Slalom |
| Feb. 3 | Men's 20K Classic |
| Feb. 3 | Men's Slalom |