MIDWAY, Utah – The University of Denver ski team had three men place in the top 10 on Friday in the 7.5-kilometer Nordic freestyle, and the Pioneers are in third after the first day of the Utah Invitational at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center.
Junior
Andreas Kirkeng led DU with a runner-up performance in the interval start race with a time of 18:50.1, two seconds behind winner Brian Bushey of Utah. Kirkeng picked up his second podium of the season and 14th of his career. Colorado's Will Koch joined his two western rivals on the stage with the bronze.
Graduate student
Florian Knopf earned his fourth top-five of the campaign in fifth place, and junior
Elijah Weenig came in eighth to round out the Pioneers' three scorers. Freshman
Krystof Zatloukal matched a season best by placing 14th, while junior
Jonah Steinberg placed 18th and sophomore
Micah Steinberg was 28th in his season debut.
The Pioneers finished second in the men's team event with 91 points, as UU was the only school to score higher at 98 points.
Denver (145) also trails the host Utes (187) in the overall team standings by only 44 points after the first two events of the Utah Invitational. The Pios are just three points behind second-place Alaska Fairbanks (148) and hold a two-point edge over Colorado in fourth (143). The Nordic portion of the meet concludes on Saturday with the 10K classical pursuit, with the skiers' finish in Friday's freestyle determining the start order.
The DU women were led in their 7.5K freestyle by graduate student
Henriette Saeterdal Semb, who posted a season-high finish in 12th with a time of 23:13.9. Junior
Hanna Ray finished one spot behind and nearly five seconds later in 13th at 23:19.2. Freshman
Maja Moland rounded out DU's scorers in 17th, while sophomore
Selma Andersen placed 24th, junior
Sidney Barbier came in 31st and freshman
Anna Espeli was 41st in her collegiate debut.
Alaska Fairbanks won the women's race with three finishers in the top seven, as Kendall Kramer picked up the win and Rosie Fordham came in third. Utah had all three of its scorers in the top eight, with Sydney Palmer-Leger joining the two Nanooks on the podium in second.
UP NEXT: The Nordic side of the Utah Invitational wraps up on Saturday at Soldier Hollow with the men's and women's 10K classical pursuit. After this weekend, the next Nordic events will be in three weeks with the Colorado Invitational in Steamboat Springs on Feb. 2-3.
NOTES
- Denver placed second in the men's team event (91), while the women came in fifth in their team race with 54 points.
- Andreas Kirkeng has finished in the top 10 in all four races this season, with three top-five results.
- Anna Espeli made her NCAA debut in the women's race, while Micah Steinberg competed in his first event of the season.
- Snow began falling in the men's race and fell throughout the women's event.
DENVER MEN INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
2.
Andreas Kirkeng, 18:50.1
5.
Florian Knopf, 19:04.0
8.
Elijah Weenig, 19:15.8
14.
Krystof Zatloukal, 19:43.3
18.
Jonah Steinberg, 20:08.3
28.
Micah Steinberg, 20:41.2
DENVER WOMEN INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
12.
Henriette Saeterdal Semb, 23:13.9
13.
Hanna Ray, 23.19.2
17.
Maja Moland, 23:38.90
24.
Selma Andersen, 24:10.8
31.
Sidney Barbier, 24:33.3
41.
Anna Espeli, 28:22.3
TEAM STANDINGS (through 2-of-8 events): 1. Utah 187; 2. Alaska Fairbanks 148;
3. Denver 145; 4. Colorado 143; 5. Alaska Anchorage 116; 6. Montana State 103; 7. Wyoming 66.
MEN'S 7.5K FREESTYLE TOP 10 (42 finishers): 1. Brian Bushey, UU, 18:48.1;
2. Andreas Kirkeng, DU, 18:50.1; 3. Will Koch, CU, 18:54.3; 4. Joe Davies, UU, 19:00.2;
5. Florian Knopf, DU, 19:04.0; 6. Walker Hall, UU, 19:05.7; 7. Tom Mancini, UU, 19:15.8;
8. Elijah Weenig, DU, 19:15.8; 9. Ari Endestad, UAA, 19:19.6; 10. Matt Seline, UAA, 19:32.1.
WOMEN'S 7.5K FREESTYLE TOP 10 (42 finishers): 1. Kendall Kramer, UAF, 21:56.7; Sydney Palmer-Leger, 22:11.9; 3. Rosie Fordham, UAF, 22:23.4; 4. Anna-Maria Dietze, CU, 22:26.1; 5. Nina Schamberger, UU, 22:29.4; 6. Tilde Baangman, MSU, 22:30.4; 7. Mariel Pulles 22:43.3; 8. Karianne Dengerud, UU, 22:51.5; 9. Weronika Kaleta, CU, 22:54.3; 10. Astrid Stav, UAA, 22:56.1.
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