Friday, January 13
Bozeman, Mont. / Crosscut Mountain Sports Center
University of Denver
vs
15K Classic
Photo by: NCAA Photos via Getty Images
DU Heads to Montana for First Skiing Meet of the Season
1/12/2023 3:18:00 PM | Skiing
Pioneers begin Nordic portion of Montana State Invitational on Friday and Saturday
BOZEMAN, Mont. – The University of Denver ski team begins its first meet of the collegiate season this weekend as the Pioneers open the Montana State Invitational with Nordic events at Crosscut Mountain Sports Center.
The two-day cross country competition begins with classic mass start races on Friday morning, with both the men and women skiing a distance of 15 kilometers. The men's race starts at 10 a.m. MT while the women begin their event at 11 a.m. MT.
Saturday features the freestyle races, as the women's 5K is at 10 a.m. MT and men's 10K begins at 11 a.m. MT. Both races will be conducted with an interval start.
The Pios were in third place after the Nordic portion of last year's MSU Invite, which was held in Sun Valley, Idaho, in conjunction with the U.S. Super Tour series. Now senior Bernhard Flaschberger swept the top spot of the podium by winning both the men's 10K freestyle and 15K classic, while then-freshman Andreas Kirkeng earned his first career podium in third place in the classic race.
Kirkeng opened the 2023 NCAA season by winning the 10K freestyle at the RMISA Nordic Qualifiers and U.S. Cross Country National Championships on Jan. 2 in Houghton, Michigan. He placed 10th in the RMISA Qualifier classic sprints and came in fourth overall in freestyle sprints and ninth in the 20K classic to wrap up the week of racing at U.S. Nationals.
Denver and the rest of the RMISA squads will be a bit shorthanded this weekend in Montana, as several of their athletes will be competing for their respective countries at the Winter World University Games in Lake Placid, New York. Representing the Nordic Pioneers at the games are Kirkeng and freshman Selma Andersen for Norway and junior Hanna Ray for Finland.
DU is still expected to field a strong team in Montana, as seniors Flaschberger, Emma Larsson and Vera Norli are all expected to race.
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
The two-day cross country competition begins with classic mass start races on Friday morning, with both the men and women skiing a distance of 15 kilometers. The men's race starts at 10 a.m. MT while the women begin their event at 11 a.m. MT.
Saturday features the freestyle races, as the women's 5K is at 10 a.m. MT and men's 10K begins at 11 a.m. MT. Both races will be conducted with an interval start.
The Pios were in third place after the Nordic portion of last year's MSU Invite, which was held in Sun Valley, Idaho, in conjunction with the U.S. Super Tour series. Now senior Bernhard Flaschberger swept the top spot of the podium by winning both the men's 10K freestyle and 15K classic, while then-freshman Andreas Kirkeng earned his first career podium in third place in the classic race.
Kirkeng opened the 2023 NCAA season by winning the 10K freestyle at the RMISA Nordic Qualifiers and U.S. Cross Country National Championships on Jan. 2 in Houghton, Michigan. He placed 10th in the RMISA Qualifier classic sprints and came in fourth overall in freestyle sprints and ninth in the 20K classic to wrap up the week of racing at U.S. Nationals.
Denver and the rest of the RMISA squads will be a bit shorthanded this weekend in Montana, as several of their athletes will be competing for their respective countries at the Winter World University Games in Lake Placid, New York. Representing the Nordic Pioneers at the games are Kirkeng and freshman Selma Andersen for Norway and junior Hanna Ray for Finland.
DU is still expected to field a strong team in Montana, as seniors Flaschberger, Emma Larsson and Vera Norli are all expected to race.
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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