KETCHUM, Idaho – Junior Bernhard Flaschberger won the men's Nordic 10-kilometer freestyle race for the Denver Pioneers ski team on Saturday as the Montana State Invitational got underway at Lake Creek Ski Center.
 
Flaschberger picked up his third career victory and his first since winning the 10K freestyle as a freshman at the 2020 RMISA Championships. Saturday's result marked his sixth collegiate podium, with all three of his wins coming in the 10K freestyle (also in a 2020 RMISA Nordic Qualifier).
 
Overall, Flaschberger finished third in the men's competition as the Nordic portion of the Montana Invitational is also part of a USSS Super Tour Event in Sun Valley. He finished in 26:42.5, posting a 49.6-second lead ahead of the next closest collegian.
 
Denver is fifth after the first two events of the Montana meet with 121 points and is one of four teams that are within 20 points of one another. Alaska Fairbanks is second in the team standings with 140 points, while Colorado has 139 and Alaska Anchorage as 129.
 
The University of Utah is leading the meet with 204 points after sweeping the women's podium and placing Walker Hall (second) and Sam Hendry (third) behind Flaschberger on the men's stand.
 
DU recorded the second most points in the men's event with 76 as freshmen Andreas Kirkeng and Elijah Weenig also scored for the squad in 13th and 18th place, respectively. Ole Marius Kirkeng (20th), Jonah Steinberg (31st), Jimmy Colfer (36th) and Nick Sweeney (37th) also competed for the men's team.
 
Emma Larsson led Denver in the women's 10K freestyle race in 16th place (17:12.0). Vera Norli (18th) and Sadie Cotton (23rd) were the other two scorers for the Pios, while Hanna Ray (25th), Sidney Barbier (26th) and Bettina Burgess (29th) finished the race as well.
 
Utah's Sophia Laluki picked up her first career victory in the women's event, and UU teammates Novie McCabe (second) and Sydney Palmer-Leger (third) joined her on the podium. The Utes had five athletes in the top 15, with Julia Richter placing ninth and Karianne Dengerud 15th.
 
UP NEXT: The Nordic portion of the Montana State Invitational wraps up on Sunday with the women's 10K and men's 15K classical races. It's the final events for the cross-country squads until the Nordic-only Alaska Fairbanks Invitational on Feb. 1-2.
 
NOTES

• Emma Larsson recorded a career-high result in a freestyle race (16th)
• Jimmy Colfer competed in his first race of the season
• Denver finished sixth in the women's race with 45 points

 
DENVER WOMEN INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
16. Emma Larsson, 17:12.0
18. Vera Norli, 17:13.9
23. Sadie Cotton, 17:55.9
25. Hanna Ray, 18:11.5
26. Sidney Barbier, 18:24.5
29. Bettina Burgess, 18:45.6
 
DENVER MEN INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Bernhard Flaschberger, 26:42.5
13. Andreas Kirkeng, 28:25.1
18. Elijah Weenig, 28:50.0
20. Ole Marius Kirkeng, 28:54.5
31. Jonah Steinberg, 30:10.0
36. Jimmy Colfer, 31:05.6
37. Nick Sweeney, 31:26.8
 
TEAM STANDINGS (through 2-of-8 events): 1. Utah 204; 2. Alaska Fairbanks 140; 3. Colorado 139; 4. Alaska Anchorage 129; 5. Denver 121; 6. Montana State 109; 7. Wyoming 56
 
WOMEN'S 5K FREESTYLE (34 finishers): 1. Sophia Laluki, UU, 15:17.2; Novie McCabe, UU, 15:19.1; 3. Sydney Palmer-Leger, UU, 16:02.1; 4. Hanna Abrahamsson, CU, 16:10.7; 5. Mariel Pulles, UAF, 16:12.6; 6. Pascale Paradis, UAA, 16:15.2; 7. Kendall Kramer, UAF, 16:16.3; 8. Rosie Fordham, UAF, 16:38.1; 9. Julia Richter, UU, 16:44.5; 10. Isobel Hendry, MSU, 16:52.1
 
MEN'S 10K FREESTYLE (45 finishers): 1. Bernhard Flaschberger, DU, 26:42.5; 2. Walker Hall, UU 27:32.1; 3. Sam Hendry, UU, 27:35.5; 4. Magnus Boee, CU, 27:44.0; 5. Joe Davies, UAF, 27:48.8; 6. Reed Godfrey, MSU, 27:52.0; 7. Will Koch, CU, 27:56.2; 8. J.C. Schoonmaker, UAA, 28:04.3; 9. Brian Bushey, UU, 28:13.3; 10. Espen Persen, UAA, 28:13.3


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