ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Denver Pioneers ski team begins the 2025 campaign on Thursday with the Nordic portion of the Alaska Anchorage Invitational at Kincaid Park.
This year's UAA Invite is being held in conjunction with the U.S. Cross Country National Championship from Jan. 2-5. The competition begins on Thursday with the 10K freestyle interval start and the college meet concludes on Sunday with the 20K classic mass start.
In addition, a non-NCAA classic sprints race will be held on Saturday as part of the national championships and there is also a U.S. Super Tour-only freestyle sprints event set for Tuesday, Jan. 7.
The Alaska Anchorage Invitational will stretch across the entire regular season, as the meet concludes with the alpine races on Feb. 19-21 prior to the RMISA Championships that will also be hosted by the UAA Seawolves in Anchorage.
Denver is returning eight Nordic skiers from a season ago, including 2024 All-Americans
Selma Andersen,
Andreas Kirkeng,
Florian Knopf and
Krystof Zatloukal. Kirkeng has won a championship race at the U.S. Cross Country Nationals in each of the last two seasons, winning the 10K freestyle in 2023 in Houghton, Michigan, and 10K classic in 2024 in Midway, Utah.
The Pioneers are welcoming five newcomers this year in freshmen
Eve-Ondine Duchaufour,
Joe Graziadei,
Anna Stewart and
Landon Wyatt and graduate-transfer
Lea Wenaas, who previously competed in NCAA Championships while a member of New Hampshire.
Denver last raced at Kincaid Park in 2023 for the UAA Invite and finished fourth as a team in the Nordic portion of the meet.
This will be the first of three meets in Alaska for the Pioneers, as they'll return to America's Last Frontier for the Nordic-only Alaska Fairbanks Invitational on Feb. 16-17 before the RMISA Championships on Feb. 20-22.
Alaska Anchorage Invitational/U.S. Cross Country National Championships Schedule
Thursday, Jan. 2
Freestyle 10K Interval Start
1 p.m. MT (11 a.m. AKT) – Men
3 p.m. MT (1 p.m. AKT) – Women
Saturday, Jan. 4
Classic Sprints (non-college race)
12 p.m. MT (10 a.m. AKT) – Qualification begins
2:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. AKT) – Finals begin
Sunday, Jan. 5
Classic 20K Mass Start
1 p.m. MT (11 a.m. AKT) – Men
2:30 p.m. MT (12:30 p.m. AKT) – Women
Classic Junior 10K Mass Start
4 p.m. MT (2 p.m. AKT) – U20 Men
4:30 p.m. MT (2:30 p.m. AKT) – U20 Women
Tuesday, Jan. 7
U.S. Super Tour Freestyle Sprints (non-college & U.S. Nationals race)
12 p.m. MT (10 a.m. AKT) – Qualification begins
2:30 p.m. MT (12:30 p.m. AKT) – Finals begin
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