LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – Senior
Micah Steinberg led the Denver Pioneers ski team in the season-opening RMISA Invitational on Sunday at Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Center.
Steinberg matched a career best by placing ninth in the men's 10-kilometer classic with a time of 26:48.5. It was his third top 10 of his career, joining his 10th-place result in the 7.5K classic at the 2025 Utah Invitational and his ninth-place finish from the 7.5K classic in last year's Denver Invite.
Half of the Pioneers' 12-member Nordic group raced in the collegiate opener, with sophomore
Eemil Juntunen and senior
Krystof Zatloukal also taking part in the men's interval start event. Juntunen finished 25th in his first race as a Pioneer while Zatloukal ended up 28th.
DU freshmen
Estelle Darbellay and
Ruby Serrouya made their collegiate debuts on the women's side, with Serrouya leading that group in 15th place. Among under-20 junior athletes, Serrouya placed seventh overall in the field and third in RMISA.
Junior
Maja Moland placed 18th and Darbellay came in 20th to also score for the Pios.
The Nordic-only RMISA Invitational is taking place in conjunction with the annual U.S. Cross Country National Championships, with the RMISA athletes results being pulled from the overall race to score the meet.
Utah holds the overall lead after Day 1 of the invitational with 202 points, as they were led by seven total skiers in the top 10, including each of its six scorers. Alaska Anchorage is second with 202 points, while Colorado is third (137), Montana State is fourth (128), Alaska Fairbanks is fifth (122) and short-handed Denver in sixth (97).
The Utes had two on the podium in the men's classic, with Zachary Jayne picking up the win while Mons Melbye was ahead of UAA's Corbin Carpenter in the runner-up spot. Reigning classic national champion Erica Laven of Utah won the women's event, while CU's Tilde Baangman was second and Fairbanks' Rosie Fordham finished third.
UP NEXT: The U.S. National Championships continue on Tuesday with a non-college event in freestyle sprints. The next collegiate race for the Pioneers is an individual Nordic qualifier on Thursday in the 20K freestyle mass start before the RMISA Invitational concludes on Friday with classic sprints.
DENVER MEN 10K CLASSIC INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
9.
Micah Steinberg, 26:48.5
25.
Eemil Juntunen, 28:57.4
28.
Krystof Zatloukal, 29:21.8
DNS:
Joe Graziadei,
Sondre Oestervold,
Yannick Zellweger
DENVER WOMEN 10K CLASSIC INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
15. Ruby Serrourya, 32:35.1
18.
Maja Moland, 32:51.1
20.
Estelle Darbellay, 33:29.0
DNS:
Synne Bollingmo
DNR:
Eve-Ondine Duchaufour,
Anna Stewart
TEAM STANDINGS (through 2-of-4 events): 1. Utah 202; 2. Alaska Anchorage 156; 3. Colorado 137; 4. Montana State 128; 5. Alaska Fairbanks 122;
6. Denver 97.
MEN'S 10K CLASSIC TOP 10 (30 RMISA finishers): 1. Zachary Jayne, UU, 25:31.2; 2. Mons Melbye, UU, 25:55.3; 3. Corbin Carpenter, UAA, 26:01.3; 4. Erling Bjoernstad, UAA, 26:02.4; 5. Simon Chappaz, MSU, 26:05.1; 6. Benjamin Barbier, MSU, 26:16.7; 7. Walker Hall, U, 26:26.5; 8. Philipp Moosmayer, UAF, 26:43.4;
9. Micah Steinberg, DU, 26:48.5; 10. Garrett Siever, UAA, 26:52.9.
WOMEN'S 10K CLASSIC TOP 10 (26 RMISA finishers): 1. Erica Laven, UU, 29:14.4; 2. Tilde Baangman, CU, 29:23.9; 3. Rosie Fordham, UAF, 29:56.7; 4. Neve Gerard, UU, 30:25.8; 5. Sofia Pedersen, UU, 30:27.9; 6. Nina Schamberger, CU, 30:41.2; 7. Ally Wheeler, UU, 30:56.8; 8. Marit Flora, UAA, 31:07.6; 9. Constance Lapointe, UAA, 31:10.3; 10. Marlie Molinaro, UAA, 31:17.2.
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