Colorado Takes Commanding Lead At DU Invitational

Wednesday, January 8, 2025 • by Curtis Snyder, RMISA

GEORGETOWN and FRISCO, Colo.—The Colorado Buffaloes opened up the alpine portion of the 2025 season in style, taking a 63 point lead in the Denver Invitational and winning four of the six races including an alpine qualifier race here the last three days at Loveland Ski Area and Copper Mountain Resort.

In nearly identical podiums to Sunday's qualifier race, Colorado's Filip Wahlqvist and Denver's Sara Rash both repeated as race winners Monday to pace their teams.

The women's podium remained exactly the same with Alaska Anchorage's Ella Bromee finishing second and Colorado's Ashley Campbell taking third. CU was boosted by Louison Accambray's fourth place finish while Montana State's Tea Kiesel rounded out the top five.

Behind Wahlqivst, the two podium performers flipped positions from Sunday's quailifer race with CU's Etienne Mazellier edging out Utah's Harry Hoffman for second place. Utah's Wilhelm Normannseth took fourth and Denver's Loic Chabel rounded out the top five.

Tuesday's racing turned to GS and to Copper Mountain, as freezing temperatures made for a tough day of racing. Accambray picked up her first college win by throwing down the fastest second run and moving past the top three from the first run to win by just over four-tenths of a second over Utah's Claire Timmermann. Denver's Nicola Rountree-Williams finished third with Colorado's Hannah Saethereng and Utah's Eveliina Fredricsson, both transfers from Westminster, rounded out the top five.

Colorado's Louis Fausa won the men's GS race after having the fastest first run and holding on for the victory. He edged out Montana State's Isak Staurset by 33-hundredths with Westminster's Alejandro Puente Tasias completing the podium and Wahlqvist and Mazellier giving CU three of the top five as they took command of the team scoring.

After the alpine events, Colorado led with 379 points, the second most alpine points scored in a meet under the current scoring system dating back to 2014. The Buffs hold a 63 point advantage over Utah (316) with Denver (290.5) sitting in third. Alaska Anchorage (210) and Montana State (195) round out the top five of the team scoring.

This is the only alpine racing this month, as teams hit the NorAm and World Cup circuits and some will participate in World University Games.

Nordic teams are up next at the Utah Invitational next weekend and alpine teams will next be in action in early February with a Montana State and Utah series back to back.