LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – The Denver Pioneers ski team wrapped up the season-opening RMISA Invitational and its week of racing at the U.S. Cross Country National Championships on Friday with Nordic classical sprints at Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Center.
Two Pioneers registered top-10 finishes and career-best results, as sophomore
Eemil Juntunen placed sixth in the men's race and freshman
Synne Bollingmo picked up her first top 10 of her collegiate tenue by coming in 10th in the women's event.
The Nordic-only RMISA Invitational took place during the annual U.S. Cross Country National Championships, with the RMISA athletes results being pulled from the overall race to score the meet. If the RMISA skiers didn't come in the top 30 to advance to the quarterfinals, their placement in qualifying time marked their overall finish in the conference meet.
Juntunen was the only Pioneer to advance to the quarterfinals, posting the top time from RMISA (2:55.23) in qualifying and second fastest among all college athletes behind Vermont's Benon Brattebo (2:55.06). The transfer from Colorado came in third in his quarterfinal heat, just missing out on moving on to the semifinals.
It was Juntunen's fifth career top 10 and matched his personal best, as he also placed sixth in classic sprints at last year's Alaska Fairbanks Invitational on Feb. 16, 2025.
Only four total RMISA women advanced out of qualifying, with Bollingmo posting the 10th fastest time among league skiers in the opening round. DU's other two women's scorers were also freshmen in
Estelle Darbellay in 15th and
Ruby Serrouya in 18th, while junior
Maja Moland came in 22nd.
Graduate student
Sondre Oestervold picked up a season best in 12th in the men's sprints, while Vermont native
Joe Graziadei was the Pioneers' third scorer in 25th place. Freshman
Yannick Zellweger placed 28th and seniors
Micah Steinberg and
Krystof Zatloukal were 30th and 31st, respectively.
Denver finished sixth in the RMISA Invitational with 212 points while Utah was the overall team winner of the meet with 414 points and had athletes finish first and second in both races.
Erica Laven won the women's sprints and was joined on the podium by the Utes' Sofia Pedersen in the runner-up spot and CU's Tilde Baangman in the bronze position. Max Kluck took the men's event followed by teammate Zach Jayne in second and Alaska Anchorage's Erling Bjoernstad in third.
While Friday's races wrapped up the U.S. National Championships in Lake Placide, they weren't considered title events. However, the results will count for all athletes in the U.S. Super Tour season.
UP NEXT: Denver's Nordic squad now prepares for a two-week training block before it heads to Solider Hollow Nordic Center for the Utah Invitational on Jan. 24-25. The alpine squads begin their collegiate campaign on Monday and Tuesday with the slalom events of the Denver and Colorado Invitationals at Loveland Ski Area. The two meets wrap up with giant slalom racing at Aspen Highlands on Wednesday and Thursday.
DENVER WOMEN CLASSIC SPRINTS INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
10.
Synne Bollingmo, 3:45.99 QT
15.
Estelle Darbellay, 3:52.28 QT
18. Ruby Serrourya, 3:55.44 QT
22.
Maja Moland, 3:59.29 QT
DNR:
Anna Stewart,
Eve-Ondine Duchaufour
DENVER MEN CLASSIC SPRINTS INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
6.
Eemil Juntunen, 2:55.23 QT; 3:00.22 QF
12.
Sondre Oestervold, 3:00.42 QT
25.
Joe Graziadei, 3:09.83 QT
28.
Yannick Zellweger, 3:11.25 QT
30.
Micah Steinberg, 3:14.05 QT
31.
Krystof Zatloukal, 3:15.61 QT
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS (through 4-of-4 events): 1. Utah 414; 2. Alaska Anchorage 306; 3. Colorado 293; 4. Alaska Fairbanks 230; 5. Montana State 229;
6. Denver 212.
MEN'S CLASSIC SPRINTS TOP 10 (34 RMISA finishers): 1. Max Kluck, UU; 2. Zach Jayne, UU; 3. Erling Bjoernstad, UAA; 4. Carle Rune, UU; 5. Storm Pedersen CU;
6. Eemil Juntunen, DU; 7. Murphy Kimball, UAA; 8. Cole Flowers, UAF; 9. Simon Chappaz, MSU; 10. Mons Melbye, UU.
WOMEN'S CLASSIC SPRINTS TOP 10 (20 finishers): 1. Erica Laven, UU; 2. Sofia Pedersen, UU; 3. Tilda Baangman, CU; 4. Nina Schamberger, CU; 5. Marlie Molinaro, UAA; 6. Neve Gerard, UU; 7. Marit Flora, UAA; 8. Elena Grissom, CU; 9. Constance Lapointe, UAA;
10. Synne Bollingmo, DU.
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