FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The University of Denver ski team wraps up the Nordic regular season this week with a pair of meets in Alaska. The Pioneers compete in the inaugural Alaska Fairbanks Invitational on Tuesday and Wednesday before wrapping up the RMISA Invitational on Saturday and Sunday. Both races are taking place at the Birch Hill course.
These will be the first races for DU's Nordic squad since competing in the Montana State Invitational on Jan. 15-16 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Denver finished third in the Nordic portion of that meet and came in fourth a week earlier in the Nordic side of the Utah Invitational on Jan. 2 and 6.
This week's races begin with a wave team start in classical at the UAF Invite on Tuesday, featuring one 5K lap at Birch Hill. The results from that race will then determine the order for Wednesday's 10K freestyle pursuit start. Tuesday's winner will have however much of a head start on the second-place finisher for Wednesday's race based on the previous day's finishing times, and so on throughout the competitors.
RMISA scoring will be determined in both UAF races, but NCAA qualification will just be scored based on the results from Wednesday's freestyle results.
The start times for the Alaska Fairbanks Invitational are set for 4 p.m. MT and 4:45 p.m. MT (2 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. in Alaska) each day. The Fairbanks Invite is a Nordic-only meet.
The week wraps up with the RMISA Invitational on different courses at Birch Hill on Saturday and Sunday, with those races also being part of the Besh Cup. RMISA schools' results will be pulled from the overall meet to score the collegiate competition.
Saturday will feature an interval start for the women's 5K and men's 10K freestyle races. Sunday will be a mass start in the 10K classic for both genders. Racing is set to begin at 1 p.m. MT (11 a.m. in Alaska) in the two races over the weekend.
As expected, there will be frigid temperatures this week in Fairbanks, as the highs this week are set to be between -15 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-25 to -14 Celsius).
Denver is presently second in the RMISA Invitational after completing the alpine races in Bozeman, Montana, on Jan. 20 and in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 23. The Pioneers have gained 307 points and trail leader Utah by just 26 points.
After this week, DU will close the season at the RMISA Championships in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, from Feb. 23-26 and the NCAA Championships in Utah on March 9-12.
SCHEDULE
Tuesday, Feb. 1 – Alaska Fairbanks Invitational
Women's & Men's 5K Freestyle
Wave Start
Begins at 4 p.m. MT
Wednesday, Feb. 2 – Alaska Fairbanks Invitational
Women's & Men's 10K Classic
Pursuit Start
Begins at 4 p.m. MT
Saturday, Feb. 5 – RMISA Invitational
Women's 5K/Men's 10K Freestyle
Part of Besh Cup (Interval Start)
Begins at 1 p.m. MT
Sunday, Feb. 6 – RMISA Invitational
Women's & Men's 10K Classic
Part of Besh Cup (Mass Start)
Begins at 1 p.m. MT
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