Saturday, January 18
Midway, Utah / Soldier Hollow Nordic Center
9 a.m. MT
University of Denver
at
7.5K Classic
Photo by: NCAA Photos
Pioneers Begin Utah Invitational This Weekend
1/17/2025 12:49:00 PM | Skiing
Denver skiing ready for Nordic races at Soldier Hollow
MIDWAY, Utah – University of Denver skiing begins the 2025 Utah Invitational this weekend with a pair of cross-country races at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center.
The collegiate events begin on Saturday with the men's and women's 7.5-kilometer classical interval start and the Nordic portion of the UU Invite wraps up on Sunday with the 15K freestyle mass start. Races on both days begin at 9 a.m. MT.
Denver is racing its first Nordic events after opening the season with the Alaska Anchorage Invitational and U.S. Cross Country National Championships on Jan. 2-4. The Pioneers won the Nordic races at the UAA Invite with 341 points, seven more than the second-place Utah Utes. It was the first time that DU has won the Nordic portion of a meet since it did so in the 2018 NCAA Championships, and it was the first such win in a RMISA race since the 2017 RMISA Championships that Denver hosted at Maloit Park in Minturn, Colorado.
The Pioneers were led in Alaska by individual wins by senior Andreas Kirkeng in both the 10K freestyle and 20K classic while graduate student Florian Knopf recorded two top-10 finishes, which included placing runner-up behind Kirkeng in the classical discipline.
Overall, Denver had 12 total skiers earn top-10 results, including three in each women's race. Sophomore Maja Moland posted a career best in fifth in the women's 10K freestyle and freshman Eve-Ondine Duchaufour was just off the podium in fourth in the 20K classic.
Denver placed third in the Nordic events at the 2024 Utah Invite at Soldier Hollow, but the team also had a good showing earlier last season by finishing second at the Westminster Invitational, which was also held at the course in Midway.
The 2025 Utah Invitational is the third active meet that is going on in the RMISA season, as the Alaska Anchorage Invite and Denver Invite will conclude next month. After this weekend, the Pioneers will travel north to Bozeman for the start of the Montana State Invite at Crosscut Mountain Sports Center on Jan. 24-26.
UTAH INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE
Saturday, Jan. 18
9:00 a.m. – Women's 7.5K Classic, interval start
Men's 7.5K Classic, interval start begins after women's races
Sunday, Jan 19
9:00 a.m. – Men's 15K Freestyle, mass start
10:30 a.m. – Women's 15K Freestyle, mass start
DONATE: Fans interested in donating to the Pioneers Athletic Fund can do so by clicking here. Your gift will transform the lives of our student-athletes by giving them the first-class resources needed to excel in the classroom and beyond. Thank you for Building Pioneers for Life!
The collegiate events begin on Saturday with the men's and women's 7.5-kilometer classical interval start and the Nordic portion of the UU Invite wraps up on Sunday with the 15K freestyle mass start. Races on both days begin at 9 a.m. MT.
Denver is racing its first Nordic events after opening the season with the Alaska Anchorage Invitational and U.S. Cross Country National Championships on Jan. 2-4. The Pioneers won the Nordic races at the UAA Invite with 341 points, seven more than the second-place Utah Utes. It was the first time that DU has won the Nordic portion of a meet since it did so in the 2018 NCAA Championships, and it was the first such win in a RMISA race since the 2017 RMISA Championships that Denver hosted at Maloit Park in Minturn, Colorado.
The Pioneers were led in Alaska by individual wins by senior Andreas Kirkeng in both the 10K freestyle and 20K classic while graduate student Florian Knopf recorded two top-10 finishes, which included placing runner-up behind Kirkeng in the classical discipline.
Overall, Denver had 12 total skiers earn top-10 results, including three in each women's race. Sophomore Maja Moland posted a career best in fifth in the women's 10K freestyle and freshman Eve-Ondine Duchaufour was just off the podium in fourth in the 20K classic.
Denver placed third in the Nordic events at the 2024 Utah Invite at Soldier Hollow, but the team also had a good showing earlier last season by finishing second at the Westminster Invitational, which was also held at the course in Midway.
The 2025 Utah Invitational is the third active meet that is going on in the RMISA season, as the Alaska Anchorage Invite and Denver Invite will conclude next month. After this weekend, the Pioneers will travel north to Bozeman for the start of the Montana State Invite at Crosscut Mountain Sports Center on Jan. 24-26.
UTAH INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE
Saturday, Jan. 18
9:00 a.m. – Women's 7.5K Classic, interval start
Men's 7.5K Classic, interval start begins after women's races
Sunday, Jan 19
9:00 a.m. – Men's 15K Freestyle, mass start
10:30 a.m. – Women's 15K Freestyle, mass start
DONATE: Fans interested in donating to the Pioneers Athletic Fund can do so by clicking here. Your gift will transform the lives of our student-athletes by giving them the first-class resources needed to excel in the classroom and beyond. Thank you for Building Pioneers for Life!
DENVER'S HOME FOR COLLEGE SPORTS
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
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Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Skiing on Twitter
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_Skiing on Instagram
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Skiing on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_Skiing on Twitter
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_Skiing on Instagram
Players Mentioned
Nordic
/ Skiing
Nordic
/ Skiing
Nordic
/ Skiing
Nordic
/ SkiingFriday, March 13
Thursday, March 12
Wednesday, March 11
Monday, February 23
