ANCHORAGE & GIRDWOOD, Alaska – The University of Denver ski team moved up to second place in the Alaska Anchorage Invitational on Tuesday as both alpine and Nordic competitions took place on the second day of the meet.
DU earned 278 points in men's and women's Nordic 10K classic and alpine giant slalom races in the greater Anchorage area and has 407 points heading into the final day of the UAA meet. The Pioneers jumped over Colorado (403) in overall team standings and trail leader Utah by 92 points (499).
The UAA Invite will pause for a day, as the alpiners begin the RMISA Championships on Wednesday with giant slalom events before concluding the UAA competition with slalom on Thursday.
This week's races serve as a final tune-up and the last chance for athletes to qualify for the NCAA Championships on March 8-11 in Lake Placid, New York. Nearly all schools are being represented in Alaska by their full, healthy rosters.
Three Denver skiers earned individual podiums on Tuesday, as freshman
Sara Rask (first) and junior
Nora Brand (third) doing so in women's giant slalom and sophomore
Andreas Kirkeng placing second in the men's Nordic classic.
Rask picked up her third-straight victory in the GS discipline and has placed on the podium in seven of the eight events this year, including in each of the last five races. The Stockholm, Sweden, native posted the fastest time in run 1 at 45.90 seconds and held onto her advantage by having the third-fastest second run (48.28) at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood. She finished with a total time of 1:34.18, besting second-place Hannah Saethereng of Westminster College (1:34.63).
Brand posted her first career podium in giant slalom in third place by clocking in a two-run total of 1:35.26. She had the fastest second run (48.04) to secure her three consecutive podium—the first ones of her career—with her previous two coming in slalom at the Denver Invitational on Feb. 11-12.
Freshman
Mia Hunt was the third Pioneer scorer in women's slalom in 15th, while fellow rookie
Josephine Trueblood finished in 21st, a season-best result for her.
In men's giant slalom, sophomore
Cooper Cornelius led the Pioneers in fifth place, finishing his two runs in 1:33.50. Freshman
Adrian Minde Hunshammer (16th) and junior
Trey Seymour (18th) were DU's other scorers, while
Jack Bowers also completed both runs and came in 29th.
At the Nordic events at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Kirkeng's second-place finish helped Denver to second in the team competition (86 points). Kirkeng finished the mass start 10K in 26:29.4 and came 2.4 seconds behind winner Luke Jager of Utah, which won the team competition with 91 points.
For Kirkeng, it was his second podium of the meet after also coming in second in freestyle sprints on Monday. Overall, the Norwegian has placed on the stand six times this season, with three coming in classical (previous two were wins).
Senior
Bernhard Flaschberger placed sixth in the classic competition for the Pioneers, his eighth-straight top 10 of the season. He finished in 26:49.4 and was part of a group of four skiers that crossed the finish line within three seconds of one another.
Freshman
Sivert Wulff scored for the first time in his career in 21st for the DU men, while
Elijah Weenig was 22nd,
Jonah Steinberg finished 25th and
Micah Steinberg came in 33rd.
In the women's 10K Classic, junior
Hanna Ray (15th), senior
Vera Norli (21st) and freshman
Selma Andersen (22nd) were the team's scorers. Senior
Emma Larsson came in 24th, while sophomores
Bettina Burgess and
Sidney Barbier placed 27th and 30th, respectively.
UP NEXT: The Alaska Anchorage Invitational resumes on Thursday with alpine slalom at Alyeska Resort after beginning the RMISA Championships on Wednesday with giant slalom events. The Nordic squads will now prep for their conference championships, with the women's 5K and men's 10K freestyle on Friday and 20K classic on Saturday.
DENVER MEN 10K CLASSIC INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
2.
Andreas Kirkeng, 26:29.4
6.
Bernhard Flaschberger, 26:49.4
21.
Sivert Wulff, 28:19.3
22.
Elijah Weenig, 28:27.3
25.
Jonah Steinberg, 28:44.4
33.
Micah Steinberg, 30:29.0
DENVER WOMEN 10K CLASSIC INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
15.
Hanna Ray, 32:27.8
21.
Vera Norli, 32:56.7
22.
Selma Andersen, 33:02.8
24.
Emma Larsson, 33:48.6
27.
Bettina Burgess, 35:14.1
30.
Sidney Barbier, 36:54.6
DENVER WOMEN GIANT SLALOM INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1.
Sara Rask, 1:34.18 (45.90/48.28)
3.
Nora Brand, 1:35.26 (47.22/48.04)
15.
Mia Hunt, 1:38.70 (48.64/50.06)
21.
Josephine Trueblood, 1:40.24 (50.36/49.88)
DNF:
Galena Wardle (Run 1)
DENVER MEN GIANT SLALOM INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
5.
Cooper Cornelius, 1:33.50 (46.00/47.50)
16.
Adrian Minde Hunshammer, 1:34.87 (47.13/47.74)
18.
Trey Seymour, 1:34.92 (47.43/47.49)
29.
Jack Bowers, 1:36.78 (47.63/49.15)
DNF:
Thomas Hoffman (Run 1),
Cole Puckett (47.74/DNF Run 2)
TEAM STANDINGS (through 6-of-8 events): 1. Utah 499;
2. Denver 407; 3. Colorado 403; 4. Montana State 351; 5. Alaska Anchorage 348; 6. Alaska Fairbanks 273; 7. Westminster 170; 8. Colorado Mountain College 84; 9. Nevada 74
MEN'S 10K CLASSIC TOP 10 (34 finishers): 1. Luke Jager, UU, 26:27.0;
2. Andreas Kirkeng, DU, 26:29.4; 3. Christopher Kalev, UAF, 26:46.3; 4. Walker Hall, UU, 26:46.7; 5. Mike Ophoff, UAF, 26:48.1; 6.
Bernhard Flaschberger, DU, 26:49.4; 7. Hugo Hinckfuss, 26:55.4; 8. Magnus Boee, CU, 26:55.4; 9. Reed Godfrey, MSU, 26:56.7; 10. Will Koch, CU, 27:15.6.
WOMEN'S 10K CLASSIC TOP 10 (31 finishers): 1. Novie McCabe, UU, 30:41.0; 2. Hanna Abrahamsson, CU, 31:01.2; 3. Mariel Pulles, UAF, 31:26.1; 4. Anna-Maria Dietze, CU, 31:27.2; 5. Celine Mayer, UU, 31:30.0; 6. Kendall Kramer, UAF, 31:47.3; 7. Karianne Dengerud, UU, 31:52.5; 8. Tilde Baangman, MSU, 31:54.7; 9. Sophia Mazzoni, MSU, 31.58.1; 10. Anna Pryce, MSU, 31:59.1.
WOMEN'S GIANT SLALOM TOP 10 (29 finishers): 1. Sara Rask, DU, 1:34.18; 2. Hannah Saethereng, WMC, 1:34.63;
3. Nora Brand, DU, 1:35.26; 4. Justine LaMontagne, MSU, 1:36.03; 5. Katie Parker, UU, 1:36.08; 6. Elena Exenberger, CU, 1:36.42; 7. Evelina Fredricsson, WMC, 1:36.43; 8. Lana Zbasnik, WMC, 1:36.49; 9. Denise Dingsleder, WMC, 1:36.73; 10. Nicola Rountree-Williams, CMC, 1:37.06.
MEN'S GIANT SLALOM TOP 10 (32 finishers): 1. Gustav Vollo, UU, 1: 32.85; 2. Jeremie Lagier, WMC, 1:33.34; 3. Leon Nikic, UAA, 1:33.35; 4. Mathew Macaluso, CMC, 1:33.35;
5. Cooper Cornelius, DU, 1:33.50; 6. Fracesco Galdiolo, WMC, 1:33.67; 7. Ralpael Lessard, UU, 1:34.15; 8. Bjoern Brudevoll, UN, 1:34.18; 9. Gianluca Boehm, MSU, 1:34.23; 10. Mikkel Solbakken, WMC, 1:34.25.
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