Colorado Leads After First Day Of New Mexico Invitational

Saturday, February 3, 2018 • by Brooke Frederickson, RMISA

RED RIVER, N.M. & CRESTED BUTTE, Colo.—After one day and four races at the New Mexico Invitational, Colorado stands first in the overall team standings.

The Buffs swept the alpine races with Tonje Trulsrud winning the women’s slalom and Ola Johnasen taking the men’s slalom. Utah’s Haakon Hjelstuen won his second-straight race in the men’s 21-km freestyle while Denver’s Linn Eriksen won her first race since winning the 2016 NCAA classic championship in the women’s 21-km freestyle.

Colorado holds a slim lead over Denver, 327-322 with Utah third (292.5). Host New Mexico (274) and Montana State (257) round out the top five followed by Alaska Anchorage (175.5), Westminster College (78), Wyoming (69) and Colorado Mountain College (24).

Women’s 21-km Classic

1. Linn Eriksen, Denver
2. Emma Tarbath, Montana State
3. Guro Jordheim, Utah
4. Taeler McCrerey, Denver
5. Anne Siri Lervik, Colorado
6. Mariah Bredal, Utah
7. Leah Lange, Utah
8. Christina Rolendsen, Colorado
9. Andrea Klementova, New Mexico
10. Ane Johnsen, Colorado

• Race points: Denver 87, Utah 86, Colorado 73, Montana State 69, New Mexico 60, Alaska Anchorage 44, Wyoming 35
• Denver’s Linn Eriksen won her first race of the year to become the fifth different winner in women’s Nordic this year. It was her first win since winning the 2016 NCAA classic championship.
• Montana State’s Emma Tarbath earned her first podium of the year.
• Utah’s Guro Jordheim has five-straight podium finishes, tied for the league lead in women’s Nordic.
• Denver’s Taeler McCrerey earned her first top-five finish of the year.
• Colorado’s Anne Siri Lervik earned her fourth top-five finish of the year.
• New Mexico’s Andrea Klementova and Colorado’s Ane Johnsen each earned their first top-10 finish of the year.

Men’s 21-km Classic

1. Haakon Hjelstuen, Utah
2. Martin Bergstroem, Utah
3. Sindre Tungesvik, New Mexico
4. Eivind Kvaale, Denver
5. Alvar Johannes Alev, Colorado
6. Sondre Bollum, Colorado
7. Dag Frode Trolleboe, Denver
8. Bjorn Riksaasen, Utah
9. Eli Jensen, Montana State
10. Karsten Hokanson, Montana State

• Race points: Utah 100, Denver 76, Colorado 72, New Mexico 69, Montana State 62, Alaska Anchorage 41, Wyoming 34
• Utah’s Haakon Hjelstuen won his second-straight race on the circuit. He has won both races of 20+ kilometers.
• Utah’s Martin Bergstroem earned his fifth podium finish of the year.
• New Mexico’s Sindre Tungesvik, in his third race this season after joining the Lobos midyear, earned his first career podium.
• Denver’s Eivind Kvaale has six top five finishes.
• Colorado’s Alvar Alev earned his second top-five finish of the year.
• Montana State’s Eli Jensen earned his first top 10 finish of the year.

Women’s Slalom

1. Tonje Trulsrud, Colorado
2. Andrea Komsic, Denver
3. Nora Christensen, Colorado
4. Jocelyn McCarthy, Montana State
5. Rebecca Fiegl, New Mexico
6. Julie Mohagen, Utah
7. Anne-Solene Bregou, Westminster
8. Georgia Burgess, Alaska Anchorage
9. Tuva Norbye, Denver
10. Ann-Kathrin Breuning, Utah

• Race points: Colorado 93, Denver 72, Utah 64, Montana State 63, New Mexico 60, Alaska Anchorage 56, Westminster 25
• Colorado’s Tonje Trulsrud earned her second victory of the season, the first women’s alpine skier to win two races this year and leads the women’s alpine skiers with four podium finishes.
• Denver’s Andrea Komsic earned her second podium finish of the year.
• Colorado’s Nora Christensen earned her third podium of the year.
• Montana State’s Jocelyn McCarthy has two top five finishes this year.
• New Mexico’s Rebecca Fiegl has three top five finishes this year.
• Utah’s Ann-Kathrin Breuning finished outside of the top five for the first time this season.

Men’s Slalom

1. Ola Johansen, Colorado
2. Vegard Busengdal, New Mexico
3. Alex Leever, Denver
4. Nick Santaniello, Denver
5. Max Luukko, Colorado
6. Rob Greig, New Mexico
7. Morten Bakke, Montana State
8. Garret Driller, Montana State
9. Tobias Kogler, Denver
10. Youri Mougel, New Mexico

• Race points: Colorado 89, Denver 87, New Mexico 85, Westminster 53, Utah 42.5, Alaska Anchorage 34, Colorado Mountain 24.
• Colorado’s Ola Johnasen won his third race of the season to tie for the RMISA lead. He has five podium finishes this year.
• New Mexico’s Vegard Busengdal has four podium finishes this year.
• Denver’s Alex Leever earned his first podium finish of the season.
• Denver’s Nick Santaniello has two top five finishes this year.
• Colorado’s Max Luukko earned his first top-five finish of the season.
• New Mexico’s Rob Greig and Youri Mougel each earned their first top 10 finishes of the season.