MINTURN/LOVELAND SKI AREA, Colo. – The Denver Pioneers ski team is in second place at its own meet following a full day of alpine and Nordic racing on Saturday. DU picked up a pair of wins in both disciplines for the second straight day, as sophomore Andreas Kirkeng won the men's classical and freshman Sara Rask earned her third consecutive victory by taking the top spot in the first women's slalom race of the Denver Invitational.
 
The Pioneers earned 308 points on the second day of the meet and have a 44-point lead over third-place Colorado in the team standings. Denver is 102 points behind leader Utah (559) heading into the final day of competition on Sunday.
 
The Nordic portion of the Denver Invite wrapped up at Maloit Park in Minturn with Kirkeng beating out Utah's Sam Hendry in a sprint to the finish in the 10-kilometer classic mass start. The Norwegian posted a time of 31:36.8, finishing three-tenths of a second ahead of the Ute for his third win of the season
 
Senior Bernhard Flaschberger came in fourth in 31:50.6, but Utah earned the team win by having three skiers inside the top five with also Luke Jager in third and Brian Bushey in fifth.
 
DU's Jonah Steinberg scored in 23rd, while fellow sophomore Elijah Weenig was 24th and freshman Sivert Wulff came in 25th.
 
In the women's 10K classical, junior Hanna Ray and freshman Selma Andersen produced a pair of top-10 results in eighth and ninth place, respectively. Sophomore Bettina Burgess was DU's third women's scorer in 16th and senior Emma Larsson came in 18th.
 
Approximately 50 miles to the east, the alpine portion of the Denver Invitational began on the eastside of the Continental Divide at Loveland Ski Area.
 
A trio of Pioneers ended up in the top five in women's slalom as junior Nora Brand picked up her first career podium in third (1:30.66) and senior Eleri Smart placed fifth (1:31.82). Rask used the fastest second run of the day to move up from fourth in the morning session, finishing with a total time of 1:30.29 and grabbing her fourth overall victory and fifth podium in six races this season.
 
Freshmen Mia Hunt and Josephine Trueblood came in 21st and 26th, respectively, and senior Galena Wardle did not finish after skiing out in her first run.
 
Denver's three men's scorers were inside the top 20, with senior Simon Fournier leading the group in 11th, senior Cole Puckett coming in 14th and freshman Jack Bowers placing 17th. Sophomore Cooper Cornelius was 22nd, junior Trey Seymour was 26th and both freshmen Thomas Hoffman and Adrian Minde Hunshammer posted DNFs.
 
In the overall alpine standings at the Denver Invitational, the Pios garnered 157 points on Saturday and hold a one-point lead over second-place Utah (156).
 
The DU Invite concludes on Sunday with alpine-only events as both the men and women take part in the second day of slalom racing at Loveland Ski Area.
 
 
DENVER INVITATIONAL TEAM STANDINGS (through 6-of-8 events): 1. Utah 559; 2. Denver 457; 3. Colorado 413; 4. Montana State 343; 5. Alaska Anchorage 326; 6. Alaska Fairbanks 220; 7. Westminster 137; 8. Wyoming 68; 9. Colorado Mountain College 67; 10. Nevada 49
 
WOMEN'S 20K CLASSIC INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
8. Hanna Ray
9. Selma Andersen
16. Bettina Burgess
18. Emma Larsson
Did Not Race: Sidney Barbier, Vera Norli
 
MEN'S 20K CLASSIC INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Andreas Kirkeng
4. Bernhard Flaschberger
23. Jonah Steinberg
24. Elijah Weenig
25. Sivert Wulff
 
WOMEN'S SLALOM 1 INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Sara Rask
3. Nora Brand
5. Eleri Smart
21. Mia Hunt
26. Josephine Trueblood
DNF: Galena Wardle
 
MEN'S SLALOM 1 INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
11. Simon Fournier
14. Cole Puckett
17. Jack Bowers
22. Cooper Cornelius
26. Trey Seymour
DNF: Thomas Hoffman, Adrian Minde Hunshammer
 

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