STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. – Senior
Bernhard Flaschberger picked up his second podium of the season on Saturday and the Denver Pioneers ski team is in third place at the conclusion of the Nordic portion of the Spencer James Nelson Memorial Colorado Invitational at Howelsen Hill Ski Area.
Flaschberger finished second in the men's 10K freestyle (26:02.9), coming 10 seconds behind winner Samuel Hendry of Utah (25:52.3) in the interval start race. The Utes' Walker Hall placed third.
The performance by Flaschberger earned him a season-best result and his 11th career podium, with 10 coming in the freestyle discipline. He placed third in the 10K freestyle at the Montana State Invitational earlier this season on Jan. 13.
As a team, the Pioneers came in second in the men's race with 79 points as sophomore
Andreas Kirkeng also earned a top 10 in sixth place (26:39.8).
Elijah Weenig was the squad's third scorer in 18th, while
Jonah Steinberg was 20th and
Sivert Wulff came in 21st.
After the four Nordic events of the CU Invite, DU has garnered 276 points and trails leader and host Colorado (360) by only 84 points heading into next week's alpine races. Utah is second place with 303 points after having three men's skiers place in the top five and two in the top eight in the women's race.
Denver was led in the women's 5K freestyle interval start by junior
Hanna Ray in 13th place, clocking in at 16:53.0. The Pioneers had two other finishers in the race of the day, as
Bettina Burgess came in 17th and
Sidney Barbier in 20th.
Anna-Maria Dietze of CU won the 5K and was joined on the podium by teammate Hanna Abrahamsson in second place and Alaska Fairbanks' Mariel Pulles in third. The Buffaloes won the women's team event with 108 points, as Weronika Kaleta was the squad's third scorer in fourth place.
UP NEXT: The Colorado Invite concludes with two days of men's and women's giant slalom races on Thursday and Friday at Eldora Mountain Resort. The next Nordic events come in the form of the 10K classic and 5/10K freestyle at the Denver Invitational next Friday and Saturday at Maloit Park in Minturn, Colorado. The alpine races of the DU Invite are Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 11-12, at Loveland Ski Area (two slaloms).
NOTES
- Senior Bernhard Flaschberger has now placed in the top six in all five distance races this season (non-sprints).
- Andreas Kirkeng has come in the top 10 in all four RMISA events he's raced in this season.
- DU women placed fourth as a team with 53 points.
- The Pioneer men recorded the second-most Nordic points over the two races with 164. Only Utah's men had more (196).
- Jonah Steinberg raced on Saturday after not competing in the 20K classic on Friday.
DENVER MEN INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
2.
Bernhard Flaschberger, 26:02.9
6.
Andreas Kirkeng, 27:07.7
18
Elijah Weenig, 28:47.8
20.
Jonah Steinberg, 29:17.4
21.
Sivert Wulff, 30:15.7
DENVER WOMEN INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
13.
Hanna Ray, 16:53.0
17.
Bettina Burgess, 17:44.5
20.
Sidney Barbier, 18:12.8
DNF:
Selma Andersen
DNS:
Vera Norli,
Emma Larsson
TEAM STANDINGS (through 4-of-8 events): 1. Colorado 360; 2. Utah 303;
3. Denver 276; 4. Montana State 244; 5. Alaska Fairbanks 231; 6. Alaska Anchorage 174; 7. Wyoming 30
MEN'S 10K FREESTYLE TOP 10 (23 finishers): 1. Sam Hendry, UU, 25:52.3;
2. Bernhard Flaschberger, DU, 26:02.9; 3. Walker Hall, UU, 26:21.2; 4. Magnus Boee, CU, 26:37.5; 5. Brian Bushey, UU, 26:39.8;
6. Andreas Kirkeng, DU, 27:07.7; 7. Oyvind Haugan, CU, 27:12.5; 8. Magnus Noroey, UAA, 27:27.7; 9. Ari Endestad, UAA, 27:29.7; 10. Matt Seline, UAA, 27:29.7.
WOMEN'S 5K FREESTYLE TOP 10 (20 finishers): 1. Anna-Maria Dietze, CU, 15:07.9; 2. Hanna Abrahamsson, CU, 15:16.1; 3. Mariel Pulles, UAF, 15:32.3; 4. Weronika Kaleta, CU, 15:54.8; 5. Tilde Baangman, MSU, 16:00.7; 6. Kendall Kramer, UAF, 16:06.2; 7. Celine Mayer, UU, 16:07.9; 8. Ezra Smith, UU, 16:08.8; 9. Pascale Paradis, UAA, 16:12.2; 10. Anna Pryce, MSU, 16:31.8.
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