Friday, February 25
Steamboat Springs, Colo. / Howelsen Hill Ski Area
ALL DAY
University of Denver
vs
Slalom
Photo by: Tobias Albigtsen
Andreas Kirkeng Wins Conference Championship in Men's 10K Classic
2/25/2022 7:26:00 PM | Skiing
Busy day at Howelsen Hill with cross country and alpine slalom taking place on Friday
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. – Freshman Andreas Kirkeng claimed his first conference title on Friday by winning the men's Nordic 10-kilometer classic race at the 2022 RMISA Championships at Howelsen Hill Ski Area.
Kirkeng led a strong performance by the Pioneer men as all three scorers finished in the top 10 to also give DU the win in the men's team event. Denver registered 92 points, 17 more than Colorado and 27 ahead of third-place Utah, though the Utes only had two athletes compete in the men's event.
UU still leads the overall meet with 510 points, while Denver is second with 443 points heading into the final day of competition on Saturday.
"On the men's side, it was a great day all around, with Andreas leading us," said Denver Nordic Head Coach Rogan Brown. "He skied strong all race long, and it was a very commanding win by him. It's awesome to see him progress throughout the season and where he's at going into these last couple of races and the NCAA Championships next month.
"Another strong performance from Bernie and Ole Marius and the rest of the men's team. Some really good skiing as well by our seniors, Jimmy Colfer and Nick Sweeney, as they finished off their last 10K classic of their DU season."
Kirkeng finished the interval start event in a time of 27:29.5, nearly 17 seconds ahead of CU's Magnus Boee in second place (27:50.8). U.S. Olympian Luke Jager of Utah was third in 27:50.8.
It was the Denver freshman's second win of the season and his fourth podium in the last five races. He won the men's 5K classic at the Alaska Fairbanks Nanook Invitational on Feb. 1 before following it up with a second-place result in the 10K freestyle the next day. He finished third at the Montana State Invitational on Jan. 16.
Junior Bernhard Flaschberger finished in sixth place and senior Ole Marius Kirkeng came in one spot behind in seventh. Ole Marius Kirkeng has now placed in the top 10 in each of his last four races, while Flaschberger has been in the top six in five of the last six races—with the four others being wins.
Four other DU men finished the race, with Elijah Weenig in 18th, Jonah Steinberg in 23rd, Nick Sweeney in 24th and Jimmy Colfer in 27th.
In the women's 5K classical, sophomore Hanna Ray recorded a career-best finish in eighth place after completing the course in 16:09.4. It was her second top 10 of the season and the fifth of her career, as she placed ninth in classic sprints in a RMISA Qualifier on Jan. 9.
Junior Vera Norli (16:26.8) and freshman Sidney Barbier (16:57.2) were the other two scorers for Denver in 10th and 15th place, respectively. Norli picked up her second top 10 of the season, while Barbier earned her first career top-15 result.
Bettina Burgess was 19th, Sadie Cotton was 21st and Gracie Shanley was 26th.
"It was a very solid day on the women's side with Hanna Ray leading us in eighth. It's great to see her in the top 10," Brown said. "The course here in Steamboat is pretty difficult, and it's quite a grind from the very start. The ladies did a great job in battling to the end and pushing themselves.
The University of Utah swept the women's podium, with Novie McCabe in first, Sophia Laulki in second and Julia Richter in third.
SLALOM ALPINE QUALIFIER
While the Nordic teams were competing on the cross-country course at Howelsen Hill, the alpine squads took part in their final qualifying race before next month's national championships at the same ski area.
Four Denver men finished in the top 12 in the slalom with senior Tobias Kogler in fifth, senior Simon Fournier in ninth, senior Tristan Lane tying for 10th and junior Cole Puckett in 12th. Sophomore Trey Seymour came in 21st and freshman Cooper Cornelius was 26th.
In women's slalom, junior Eleri Smart ended up fifth, while sophomore Nora Brand was 13th and junior Galena Wardle was 16th.
Montana State's Kristiane Bekkestad won the women's race while Utah's Wilhelm Normannseth was first in the men's competition.
The slalom race results won't count for the team score at the RMISA Championships, as it was strictly an individual race for athletes to boost their standings before nationals.
UP NEXT: The RMISA Championships conclude on Saturday with the women's 15K and men's 20K freestyle races at Howelsen Hill. The distances at the conference meet are the same ones that the athletes will face at the NCAA Championships on March 9-12.
The alpine squads will also be competing on Saturday as they'll take part in a parallel slalom event as an exhibition. It will be a test event to see if it could possibly be part of the national championships in the future.
All RMISA Championships will be streamed live at https://YouTube.com/BuffsTV, with live-scoring available at RMISAskiing.com.
DENVER MEN'S 10K CLASSIC INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Andreas Kirkeng, 27:29.5
6. Bernhard Flaschberger, 28:29.8
7. Ole Marius Kirkeng, 28.52.5
18. Elijah Weenig, 30:30.1
23. Jonah Steinberg, 31:14.1
24. Nick Sweeney, 31.21.3
27. Jimmy Colfer, 31.43.0
DENVER WOMEN'S 5K CLASSIC INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
8. Hanna Ray, 16:09.4
10. Vera Norli, 16:26.8
15. Sidney Barbier, 16:57.2
19. Bettina Burgess, 17:13.9
21. Sadie Cotton, 17:38.0
26. Gracie Shanley, 18:50.5
TEAM STANDINGS (Through 6-of 8 events): 1. 1. Utah 510; 2. Denver 443; 3. Colorado 381.5; 4. Montana State 350; 5. Westminster 328; 6. Alaska Anchorage 323; 7. Colorado Mountain 186.5; 8. Alaska Fairbanks 122; 9. Wyoming 49.
MEN'S 10K CLASSIC TOP 10 (34 finishers): 1. Andreas Kirkeng, DU, 27:29.5; 2. Magnus Boee, CU, 27:46.3; 3. Luke Jager, UU, 27:50.8; 4. Bjorn Riksassen, UU, 28:16.0; 5. J.C. Schoonmaker, UAA, 28:21.1; 6. Bernhard Flaschberger, DU, 28:29.8; 7. Ole Marius Kirkeng, DU, 28:52.5; 8. Kai Meyers, MSU, 29:03.6; 9. Christopher Kalev, UAF, 29:11.6; 10. Reed Godfrey, MSU, 29:12.2.
WOMEN'S 5K CLASSIC TOP 10 (28 finishers): 1. Novie McCabe, UU, 14:56.3; 2. Sophie Laulki, UU, 15:05.4; 3. Julie Richter, UU, 15:32.2; 4. Hanna Abrahamsson, CU, 15:49.5; 5. Mariel Pulles, UAF, 15:50.9; 6. Astrid Stav, UAA, 15:57.8; 7. Kendall Kramer, UAF, 16:01.7; 8. Hanna Ray, DU, 16:09.4; 9. Karianne Dengerud, UU, 16:23.0; 10. Vera Norli, DU, 16:26.8.
DENVER WOMEN'S SLALOM INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
5. Eleri Smart, 1:23.85 (41.22/42.63)
12. Nora Brand, 1:24.81 (41.88/42.93)
16. Galena Wardle, 1:25.29 (42.12/43.17)
DENVER MEN'S SLALOM INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
5. Tobias Kogler, 1:26.96 (42.72/44.24)
9. Simon Fournier, 1:27.67 (43.56/44.11)
T10. Tristan Lane, 1:27.86 (43.98/43.88)
12. Cole Puckett, 1:27.89 (43.79/44.10)
21. Trey Seymour, 1:28.59 (44.00/44.59)
26: Cooper Cornelius, 1:30.85 (45.16/45.69)
WOMEN'S SLALOM TOP 10 (27 finishers): 1. Kristiane Bekkestad, MSU, 1:22.85; 2. Eveline Fredricsson, WMC, 1:23.10; 3. Denise Dingsleder, WMC, 1:23.22; 4. Kaja Norbye, UU, 1:23.30; 5. Eleri Smart, DU, 1:23.85; 6. Katie Parker, UU, 1:24.11; 7. Emma Hammergaard, CU & Magdalena Luczak, CU, 1:24.18; 9. Michelle Kerven, UU, 1:24.44; 10. Ainsley Profitt, CMC, 1:24.50.
MEN'S SLALOM TOP 10 (30 finishers): 1. Wilhelm Normannseth, UU, 1:25.69; 2. Leon Nikic, UAA, 1:26.30; 3. Louis Fausa, CU, 1:26.86; 4. Tobias Kogler, DU, 1:26.96; 5. Tobias Kogler, DU, 1:26.96; 6. Jacob Dilling, CU, 1:27.12; 7. Henry Heaydon, MSU, 1:27.22; 8. Jeremy Mathers, UU, 1:27.47; 9. Simon Fournier, DU, 1:27.67; T10. Tristan Lane, DU, 1:27.86; T10. Joey Young, CU, 1:27.86.
CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Masks are required at all indoor athletic events. For the latest University of Denver updates on the coronavirus, click here.
DONATE: Fans interested in making a donation to the Pioneers Athletic Fund can do so by clicking here. Your gift will transform the lives of our student-athletes by giving them the first-class resources needed to excel in the classroom and beyond. Thank you for Building Pioneers for Life!
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
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Kirkeng led a strong performance by the Pioneer men as all three scorers finished in the top 10 to also give DU the win in the men's team event. Denver registered 92 points, 17 more than Colorado and 27 ahead of third-place Utah, though the Utes only had two athletes compete in the men's event.
UU still leads the overall meet with 510 points, while Denver is second with 443 points heading into the final day of competition on Saturday.
"On the men's side, it was a great day all around, with Andreas leading us," said Denver Nordic Head Coach Rogan Brown. "He skied strong all race long, and it was a very commanding win by him. It's awesome to see him progress throughout the season and where he's at going into these last couple of races and the NCAA Championships next month.
"Another strong performance from Bernie and Ole Marius and the rest of the men's team. Some really good skiing as well by our seniors, Jimmy Colfer and Nick Sweeney, as they finished off their last 10K classic of their DU season."
Kirkeng finished the interval start event in a time of 27:29.5, nearly 17 seconds ahead of CU's Magnus Boee in second place (27:50.8). U.S. Olympian Luke Jager of Utah was third in 27:50.8.
It was the Denver freshman's second win of the season and his fourth podium in the last five races. He won the men's 5K classic at the Alaska Fairbanks Nanook Invitational on Feb. 1 before following it up with a second-place result in the 10K freestyle the next day. He finished third at the Montana State Invitational on Jan. 16.
Junior Bernhard Flaschberger finished in sixth place and senior Ole Marius Kirkeng came in one spot behind in seventh. Ole Marius Kirkeng has now placed in the top 10 in each of his last four races, while Flaschberger has been in the top six in five of the last six races—with the four others being wins.
Four other DU men finished the race, with Elijah Weenig in 18th, Jonah Steinberg in 23rd, Nick Sweeney in 24th and Jimmy Colfer in 27th.
In the women's 5K classical, sophomore Hanna Ray recorded a career-best finish in eighth place after completing the course in 16:09.4. It was her second top 10 of the season and the fifth of her career, as she placed ninth in classic sprints in a RMISA Qualifier on Jan. 9.
Junior Vera Norli (16:26.8) and freshman Sidney Barbier (16:57.2) were the other two scorers for Denver in 10th and 15th place, respectively. Norli picked up her second top 10 of the season, while Barbier earned her first career top-15 result.
Bettina Burgess was 19th, Sadie Cotton was 21st and Gracie Shanley was 26th.
"It was a very solid day on the women's side with Hanna Ray leading us in eighth. It's great to see her in the top 10," Brown said. "The course here in Steamboat is pretty difficult, and it's quite a grind from the very start. The ladies did a great job in battling to the end and pushing themselves.
The University of Utah swept the women's podium, with Novie McCabe in first, Sophia Laulki in second and Julia Richter in third.
SLALOM ALPINE QUALIFIER
While the Nordic teams were competing on the cross-country course at Howelsen Hill, the alpine squads took part in their final qualifying race before next month's national championships at the same ski area.
Four Denver men finished in the top 12 in the slalom with senior Tobias Kogler in fifth, senior Simon Fournier in ninth, senior Tristan Lane tying for 10th and junior Cole Puckett in 12th. Sophomore Trey Seymour came in 21st and freshman Cooper Cornelius was 26th.
In women's slalom, junior Eleri Smart ended up fifth, while sophomore Nora Brand was 13th and junior Galena Wardle was 16th.
Montana State's Kristiane Bekkestad won the women's race while Utah's Wilhelm Normannseth was first in the men's competition.
The slalom race results won't count for the team score at the RMISA Championships, as it was strictly an individual race for athletes to boost their standings before nationals.
UP NEXT: The RMISA Championships conclude on Saturday with the women's 15K and men's 20K freestyle races at Howelsen Hill. The distances at the conference meet are the same ones that the athletes will face at the NCAA Championships on March 9-12.
The alpine squads will also be competing on Saturday as they'll take part in a parallel slalom event as an exhibition. It will be a test event to see if it could possibly be part of the national championships in the future.
All RMISA Championships will be streamed live at https://YouTube.com/BuffsTV, with live-scoring available at RMISAskiing.com.
DENVER MEN'S 10K CLASSIC INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Andreas Kirkeng, 27:29.5
6. Bernhard Flaschberger, 28:29.8
7. Ole Marius Kirkeng, 28.52.5
18. Elijah Weenig, 30:30.1
23. Jonah Steinberg, 31:14.1
24. Nick Sweeney, 31.21.3
27. Jimmy Colfer, 31.43.0
DENVER WOMEN'S 5K CLASSIC INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
8. Hanna Ray, 16:09.4
10. Vera Norli, 16:26.8
15. Sidney Barbier, 16:57.2
19. Bettina Burgess, 17:13.9
21. Sadie Cotton, 17:38.0
26. Gracie Shanley, 18:50.5
TEAM STANDINGS (Through 6-of 8 events): 1. 1. Utah 510; 2. Denver 443; 3. Colorado 381.5; 4. Montana State 350; 5. Westminster 328; 6. Alaska Anchorage 323; 7. Colorado Mountain 186.5; 8. Alaska Fairbanks 122; 9. Wyoming 49.
MEN'S 10K CLASSIC TOP 10 (34 finishers): 1. Andreas Kirkeng, DU, 27:29.5; 2. Magnus Boee, CU, 27:46.3; 3. Luke Jager, UU, 27:50.8; 4. Bjorn Riksassen, UU, 28:16.0; 5. J.C. Schoonmaker, UAA, 28:21.1; 6. Bernhard Flaschberger, DU, 28:29.8; 7. Ole Marius Kirkeng, DU, 28:52.5; 8. Kai Meyers, MSU, 29:03.6; 9. Christopher Kalev, UAF, 29:11.6; 10. Reed Godfrey, MSU, 29:12.2.
WOMEN'S 5K CLASSIC TOP 10 (28 finishers): 1. Novie McCabe, UU, 14:56.3; 2. Sophie Laulki, UU, 15:05.4; 3. Julie Richter, UU, 15:32.2; 4. Hanna Abrahamsson, CU, 15:49.5; 5. Mariel Pulles, UAF, 15:50.9; 6. Astrid Stav, UAA, 15:57.8; 7. Kendall Kramer, UAF, 16:01.7; 8. Hanna Ray, DU, 16:09.4; 9. Karianne Dengerud, UU, 16:23.0; 10. Vera Norli, DU, 16:26.8.
DENVER WOMEN'S SLALOM INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
5. Eleri Smart, 1:23.85 (41.22/42.63)
12. Nora Brand, 1:24.81 (41.88/42.93)
16. Galena Wardle, 1:25.29 (42.12/43.17)
DENVER MEN'S SLALOM INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
5. Tobias Kogler, 1:26.96 (42.72/44.24)
9. Simon Fournier, 1:27.67 (43.56/44.11)
T10. Tristan Lane, 1:27.86 (43.98/43.88)
12. Cole Puckett, 1:27.89 (43.79/44.10)
21. Trey Seymour, 1:28.59 (44.00/44.59)
26: Cooper Cornelius, 1:30.85 (45.16/45.69)
WOMEN'S SLALOM TOP 10 (27 finishers): 1. Kristiane Bekkestad, MSU, 1:22.85; 2. Eveline Fredricsson, WMC, 1:23.10; 3. Denise Dingsleder, WMC, 1:23.22; 4. Kaja Norbye, UU, 1:23.30; 5. Eleri Smart, DU, 1:23.85; 6. Katie Parker, UU, 1:24.11; 7. Emma Hammergaard, CU & Magdalena Luczak, CU, 1:24.18; 9. Michelle Kerven, UU, 1:24.44; 10. Ainsley Profitt, CMC, 1:24.50.
MEN'S SLALOM TOP 10 (30 finishers): 1. Wilhelm Normannseth, UU, 1:25.69; 2. Leon Nikic, UAA, 1:26.30; 3. Louis Fausa, CU, 1:26.86; 4. Tobias Kogler, DU, 1:26.96; 5. Tobias Kogler, DU, 1:26.96; 6. Jacob Dilling, CU, 1:27.12; 7. Henry Heaydon, MSU, 1:27.22; 8. Jeremy Mathers, UU, 1:27.47; 9. Simon Fournier, DU, 1:27.67; T10. Tristan Lane, DU, 1:27.86; T10. Joey Young, CU, 1:27.86.
CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Masks are required at all indoor athletic events. For the latest University of Denver updates on the coronavirus, click here.
DONATE: Fans interested in making a donation to the Pioneers Athletic Fund can do so by clicking here. Your gift will transform the lives of our student-athletes by giving them the first-class resources needed to excel in the classroom and beyond. Thank you for Building Pioneers for Life!
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Skiing on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Skiing on Twitter
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_Skiing on Instagram
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