ANCHORAGE, Alaska—Colorado’s Petra Hyncicova and Denver’s Dag Trolleboe won the women’s and men’s 10-km and 15-km freestyle races as the RMISA opened its season at the U.S. Cross Country Championships on Wednesday, Jan. 3.
The U.S. Cross Country Championship races are being held independent of a team meet and races will not be scored, but results will be used for NCAA qualification.
The 2017 NCAA freestyle and classic champion, Hyncicova opened the 2018 season right where she left off with her sixth career victory. The Buffs were the top team on the day with Christina Rolandsen finishing second and Hedda Baangman placing fourth. Anne Siri Lervik was also in the top 10 for CU with an eighth-place finish. Alaska-Anchorage’s Hailey Swirbul earned her first career podium with a third-place finish. Utah’s Guro Jordheim was fifth, followed by a pair of Montana State skiers in sixth (Emma Tarbath) and seventh (Johanna Taliharm). Jasmi Joensuu of Denver placed ninth with Utah’s Mariah Bredal rounding out the top 10.
For the men, Trolleboe earned his third career victory. Denver took two of the three podium spots as Eivind Kvaale placed third for a career-best finish. Erik Axelsson of Montana State was also on the podium with a second-place finish. A pair of Utes, Martin Bergstroem and Haakon Hjelstuen, placed fourth and fifth. Toomas Kollo of Alaska-Anchorage finished sixth, followed by Alaska Fairbanks’ Seiji Takaji in seventh, Colorado’s Alvar Johannes Alev in eighth and Petter Reistad in ninth with UAF’s Max Donaldson in 10th.
The RMISA continues in Alaska on Friday, Jan. 5, for the men’s and women’s freestyle sprint races. Live results and are both available.
| Date | Race |
|---|---|
| Jan. 3 | Women's 10K Freestyle |
| Jan. 3 | Men's 15 K Freestyle |
| Jan. 5 | Women's Freestyle Sprints |
| Jan. 5 | Men's Freestyle Sprints |