Denver Holds Slim Two Point Margin Over Colorado After Alpine Events Complete At Utah

Wednesday, January 6, 2016 • by Curtis Snyder, RMISA

PARK CITY, Utah—Colorado again closed the margin on the Denver as the two duked it out yet again at the Utah Invitational Wednesday. With alpine action complete, the Pioneers hold a two point lead over the Buffaloes at the conclusion of the alpine events. Nordic events will take place next week.

Colorado’s Ola Johansen won the race in a time of 1:51.20, just .08 ahead of the Pioneer’s Erik Read, who was second in 1:51.28. The Buffs placed three in the top eight to win the race with 92 points. Denver was second with 80 and leads the meet with 320 points through four races. Colorado has 318 points.

Host Utah surged up again Wednesday, moving into third place with 268 points. The Utes were fifth after the slalom events and climbed a spot to fourth after Tuesday’s women’s giant slalom. Westminster College is in fourth with 258 points and New Mexico moved up to fifth with 214 points. Montana State had a rough day, with just one skier finishing, and the Bobcats are in sixth place with 202 points, ahead of Alaska Anchorage (179) and Colorado Mountain College (73).

The individual standings mirror the team standings through four places, as Utah’s Ty Sprock was third in a time of 1:51.49 followed by Westminster’s Giulio Bosca (1:51.58). The Buffs Max Luukko was fifth in a time of 1:51.78.

Read and Johansen both continued their impressive young seasons, flipping places from Monday’s slalom where Read won and Johansen was second. Bosca was also in the top five in both races, taking fourth in the slalom along with Wednesday’s fourth place showing.

The CU men also edged Westminster by three points in the men’s alpine standings after the Griffins had won the slalom race Monday by 12 points, CU edged them by 15 today. DU was third just two points back of Westminster with 165 combined points.

The Utah Invitational continues Sunday with the Nordic teams kicking their season off at Soldier Hollow. While that’s happening, the alpine teams will have arrived at Montana State for its invitational, which begins Saturday and runs through Monday with an extra RMISA Alpine Qualifier also taking place there.