PALMER, Alaska – The University of Denver ski team finished second overall at the 2023 RMISA Championships on Saturday as the Alaska Anchorage-hosted meet wrapped up with the men's and women's Nordic 20-kilometer classical at Government Peak Recreation Area.
 
Led by sophomore Andreas Kirkeng's victory in the men's race, the Pioneers recorded 149 points on the day and totaled 566.5 overall. DU couldn't overtake winner Utah, which finished 34 points ahead with 600.5 points. The Pios edged third-place Montana State by 3.5 points.
 
After winning the Nordic classic race at last year's RMISA Championships, Kirkeng defended his title in the mass start race by finishing the 20K in 58:15.7. He beat out second-place Mike Ophoff of Alaska Fairbanks by 16.7 seconds (58:15.7) while UU's Tom Mancini was less than a second behind in third.
 
Kirkeng earned  his fourth victory of the season and the third in classic. He now six career wins, which includes the 10K classic at last year's RMISA Championships in Steamboat Springs.
 
One day after winning the men's 10K freestyle at the RMISA Championships, senior Bernhard Flaschberger placed fourth in 58:36.0. He now has seven top-five finishes on the season and 22 in his career, with five coming in classical.
 
Sophomore Elijah Weenig was the Pioneers' third scorer in 21st, completing the four-lap, 5K course in 1:00:37.5. Freshman Sivert Wulff came in 23rd, sophomore Jonah Steinberg played 26th and freshman Micah Steinberg was 33rd. The Denver men finished second in the team standings with 86 points, two behind Utah's 88.
 
Freshman Selma Andersen was DU's top scorer in the women's 20K classic, as she posted a career-best finish in sixth place.  Andersen finished the race in 1:06:27.3 for her third top 10 of the season—all in the classical discipline.
 
Junior Hanna Ray was next across the finish line in 12th by clocking in at 1:08:39.6 and senior Vera Norli also scored in 14th with a time of 1:08:41.1. Senior Emma Larsson placed 19th and sophomore Bettina Burgess came in 26th.
 
Utah's Novie McCabe won the women's 20K in 1:04:09.0. Alaska Fairbanks' Mariel Pulles was second and Colorado's Hanna Abrahamsson placed third.
 
Saturday's Nordic events marked the last of six days of college race in the Anchorage area, with the RMISA squads competing in both the Alaska Anchorage Invitational and RMISA Championships this week. The conference championships also served as the NCAA Regional for the western schools.
 
UP NEXT: Denver now heads Lake Placid, New York, for the 2023 NCAA Championships in two weeks. The four-day national championships begin with alpine giant slalom on March 8 at Whiteface Mountain  and conclude with the Nordic 20K classic events at the Olympic Sports Complex on March 11.
 
NOTES

• Four Denver skiers earned individual wins at the RMISA Championships: Sara Rask (women's giant slalom), Nora Brand (women's slalom), Bernhard Flaschberger (men's 10K freestyle) and Andreas Kirkeng (men's 20K classic).
• Denver finished with the most points in women's alpine (172) and men's Nordic (172).
• DU's men and women both placed second overall in the gender category.
• The Pioneers entered the day in third place with 417.5 points, 28.5 points behind then-leader Montana State and 10 points behind second-place Utah.

 
DENVER MEN INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Andreas Kirkeng, 58:15.7
4. Bernhard Flaschberger, 58:36.0
21. Elijah Weenig, 1:00:37.5
23. Sivert Wulff, 1:01:18.7
26. Jonah Steinberg, 1:01:34.4
33. Micah Steinberg, 1:05:53.9
 
DENVER WOMEN INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
6. Selma Andersen, 1:06:27.3
12. Hanna Ray, 1:08:39.6
14. Vera Norli, 1:08:41.1
19. Emma Larsson, 1:09:42.5
26. Bettina Burgess, 1:14:53.0
DNS: Sidney Barbier
 
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS (through 8-of-8 events): 1. Utah 600.5; 2. Denver 566.5; 3. Montana State 563; 4. Alaska Anchorage 480; 5. Colorado 450; 6. Alaska Fairbanks 320; 7. Westminster 292.5; 8. Nevada 141.5; 9. Colorado Mountain College 116
 
MEN'S 20K CLASSIC TOP 10 (33 finishers): 1. Andreas Kirkeng, DU, 58:15.7; 2. Mike Ophoff, UAF, 58:32.4; 3. Tom Mancini, UU, 58:33.6; 4. Bernhard Flaschberger, 58:36.0; 5. Samuel Hendry, UU, 58:41.6; 6. Christopher Kalev, UAF, 58:47.1; 7. Brian Bushey, UU, 58:51.0; 8. Luke Jager, UU, 58:57.3; 9. Will Koch, CU, 59:00.0; 10. Peter Hinds, UAA, 58:58.7.
 
WOMEN'S 20K CLASSIC TOP 10 (28 finishers): 1. Novie McCabe, UU, 1:04:09.0; 2. Marial Pulles, UAF, 1:05:07.5; 3. Hanna Abrahamsson, CU, 1:05:39.9; 4. Anna-Maria Dietze, CU, 1:06:17.1; 5. Kendall Kramer, UAF, 1:06:22.3; 6. Selma Andersen, DU, 1:06:27.3; 7. Celine Mayer, UU, 1:06:53.4; 8. Sophia Mazzoni, MSU, 1:07:41.9; 9. Anna Pryce, MSU, 1:07:52.8; 10. Kate Oldham, MSU, 1:07:55.2.


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