NCAA: Buffs hold slim lead at Western St. Invite

There are times where too much snow can cancel a ski race.  That’s what happened Friday as the University of Colorado emerged with the lead at the midway point of the Western State Invitational.
CRESTED BUTTE, Colorado — There are times where too much snow can cancel a ski race.  That’s what happened Friday as the University of Colorado emerged with the lead at the midway point of the Western State Invitational.
    The Crested Butte area has been hammered with snow in recent weeks, and received a foot of fresh snow overnight on Thursday.  But the storm would not relent Friday, at first delaying the giant slalom and then wiping out the second run of the women’s race and the entire men’s competition.
    Skiers were flying off the course in the men’s race and the coaches decided the poor visibility made things too dangerous and called things off, deferring to and declaring the women’s morning results final.  The men’s GS will be made up at a later date.
Colorado owns a slim lead with 234.5 team points, just ahead of Utah, which closed the day with 228. Denver is in third (218.5), followed by New Mexico (161), Nevada (144), Montana State (137) and Alaska-Anchorage (134).
    The Nordic races went off as scheduled, and the Buffs won both races over the Utes by a the slimmest of margins, one point in the women’s race and a half-point in the men’s.
    Colorado senior Maria Grevsgaard cruised to her fifth straight victory in as many races by claiming the 5-kilometer classic in 19:03.7. In defeating Denver’s Antje Maempel by 26 seconds, she tied Per Kare Jakobsen for the most individual wins in the 59-year history of the CU ski team.  Jakobsen, also a Norwegian like Grevsgaard, claimed 13 cross-country events from 1988-90. The win was her ninth classical triumph, pulling her into a tie for the most wins in a single discipline. Jakobsen won nine freestyle races, and current teammate Lucie Zikova as won nine slaloms. Zikova is also in the hunt for the all-time mark, as she has 12 career wins.
    Grevsgaard has now won a career-best five straight races, and is the first Colorado skier to string that many in succession to start the year since 1999, when Ove Erik Tronvoll also won the first five cross country races of the season.
     “It always exciting to make a record, but it’s kind of just like the cherry on top,” Grevsgaard said.  “I just go out and try to do my best, I‘m not thinking about records.  I didn’t even realize it until someone told me afterwards.”
    In the men’s 10-kilometer classical race, Utah swept the top two spots a second straight race, this time in reverse order with Even Sletten grabbing the win in 29:10.3, topping teammate Snorri Einarsson by 12 seconds.  CU junior Karl Nygren posted his collegiate best finish in taking third in 29:27.7.
    The alpine women managed to sneak in one run of their giant slalom, with 51 skiers finishing the course. New Mexico’s Malin Hemmingsson was declared the winner in 1:11.15, besting Utah’s Eva Huckova (1:12.21) and CU junior Lisa Perricone (1:12.47).
Colorado won the event by five points over Utah, 78-73; the Buffs had three finishers in the top eight in all three disciplines completed Friday for consistent scoring across the board (earning 78.5, 78 and 78 points for each race).
 
Western State Invitational Team Scores—1. Colorado 234.5;  2. Utah 228;  3. Denver 218.5;  4. New Mexico 161;  5. Nevada 144;  6. Montana State 137;  6. Alaska-Anchorage 134;  8. Whitman 77;  9. Western State 45;  10. Wyoming 20.

 
Women’s 5K Classical—1. Maria Grevsgaard, CU, 19:03.7;  2. Antje Maempel, DU, 19:29.6;  3. Annelise Bailly, DU, 19:42.3;  4. Zoe Roy, Utah, 20:17.1;  5. Kjersti Boe, Utah, 20:19.8;  6. Lenka Palanova, CU, 20:23.8;  7. Sarah MacCarthy, Utah, 20:24.3;  8. Mia Gaw, CU, 20:26.1;  9. Jenny Hamilton, CU, 20:29.8;  10. Annelies Cook, Utah, 20:33.3.
 
Men’s 10K Classical—1. Even Sletten, Utah, 29:10.3;  2. Snorri Einarsson, Utah, 29:22.0;  3. Karl Nygren, CU, 29:27.7;  4. Mike Hinckley, DU, 29:48.2;  5. Kit Richmond, CU, 29:51.9;  6. Jesper Ostensen, CU, and John Stene, DU, 29:53.0;  8. Havard Selseng, DU, 29:55.4;  9. Anders Folleraas, MSU, 29:58.4;  10. Raphael Wunderle, UAA, 30:13.6.  
 
Women’s Giant Slalom—1. Malin Hemmingsson, UNM, 1:11.15;  2. Eva Huckova, Utah, 1:12.21;  3. Lisa Perricone, CU, 1:12.47;  4. Jenny Tank, DU, 1:12.62;  5. Lucie Zikova, CU, 1:12.84;  6. Karin Ohlin, UNM, 1:13.05;  7. Katie Hartman, CU, 1:13.27;  8. Mikaela Grassl, Utah, 1:13.52;  9. Jenny Lathrop, DU, 1:13.73;  10. Chirine Njeim, Utah, 1:13.75.
 
Men’s Giant Slalom—Cancelled due to poor visibility and snow conditions.