Back at Howelsen Hill for the last day of the NCAA Skiing Championships and the Nordic 20k Classic. It was a bluebird day but a tough result for the DU ski team as they fell from second place to a distant third. Going into the day, second-place Denver was a long shot to close the gap on Utah but third-place CU proved it could be done in the women’s 20k as they narrowed the Utes lead to 17 points. Then, CU finished 1st and 3rd in the men’s event to jump Utah by two points for the team championship. Denver finished third. Continue reading Denver Falls to Third in Final Day of NCAA Skiing Championships, CU Jumps DU and Utah for Crown
All posts by Tim Healy
Denver Moves into Second Place at the NCAA Championships
It was an exciting night at Howelsen Hill in Steamboat as Denver skied past CU and cut into the Utes lead but trails Utah by 43.5 points heading into the final day Saturday. Denver will need an excellent Nordic 20k classic on Saturday and a lot of luck to catch defending champion Utah. Continue reading Denver Moves into Second Place at the NCAA Championships
Denver Remains in 3rd After Day 2, Utah Seizes First Place
The Utah Utes woke up today. The Utah men dominated with 2nd, 3rd and 12th place finishes in the men’s 7.5 km Interval Start Freestyle at Howelsen Hill in Steamboat. Utah women finished first in the women’s 7.5 km Interval Start Freestyle plus a 15th and 19th finish. Denver met or beat expectations on the women’s side with Selma Anderson in 10th, Henrietta Saeterdahl Semb in 11th and Hanna Ray in 14th. On the men’s side, DU’s Florian Knopf finished 5th, Andreas Kirkeng 10th and Krystof Zatioukal in 21st. I was hopeful that Andreas would make the podium. DU fell 4.5 points behind CU and the Utes pulled ahead of DU by 61.5 points. Continue reading Denver Remains in 3rd After Day 2, Utah Seizes First Place
Denver Ski Team Sits in 3rd Place After Day 1 of NCAA Championships
O.K., let me begin with an apology. I have not done a good job keeping LetsGoDU readers up to date on the DU ski team this season. Work (and procrastination) has put me behind the eight ball and we are already into day one of the NCAA Championships in Steamboat – the scene of Denver’s last NCAA ski championship (#24). I nervously followed the team today in their first event from Denver (ugh). The Giant Slalom was completed today and three days remain. I am headed up to Steamboat to provide live coverage on Friday. Continue reading Denver Ski Team Sits in 3rd Place After Day 1 of NCAA Championships
Denver Fades in Final Day of NCAA Skiing Championships
Unfortunately, Denver’s Achilles heel surfaced early Saturday morning in the women’s 20k classical event at the Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid, NY. Utah (103 points) and Colorado (79 points) tore up the 20K classical course while our Pioneers (25 points) struggled to maintain contact with the leaders. Denver finished 8th as a team in the event and all hopes of a 25th NCAA Team Championship all but evaporated. Continue reading Denver Fades in Final Day of NCAA Skiing Championships
Denver Skiing Pulls Within Striking Distance (11.5 points) of Team Top Spot
Day 3 of the NCAA Championships featured men’s and women’s slalom at Whiteface Mountain Ski Resort. DU needed a big day to close the gap on Utah and Colorado. It was a mixed bag again for the Pioneers as the Denver women’s side dominated while the DU men struggled. Still, DU shut down the gap to only 11.5 points of leader, Utah. Continue reading Denver Skiing Pulls Within Striking Distance (11.5 points) of Team Top Spot
Mixed Results for DU at Halfway Point of NCAA Skiing Championships
DU’s ski team is fighting it out at Lake Placid, New York for their 25th NCAA Team Championship. On Wednesday, Denver finished second on the podium for Day 1 of the four day event, trailing only the Colorado Buffalos. However, mixed results on Day 2 sent DU into a precarious 3rd place position. Denver has little margin for error in the final two days of competition.
Midseason Ski Team Update
I never like to report on DU skiing until I have a chance to personally watch the team. I recently made it up to Loveland to watch DU’s Alpine skiers compete at the DU Invitational and learn more about the Nordic team. At this point, it looks like a three-team race between Utah, Colorado, and Denver for the team NCAA Championships in Lake Placid, NY March 8th – 11th. Continue reading Midseason Ski Team Update
Day 3 – Denver’s Quest for #25 Ends at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center
For many ski fans, it was an anxious wait today for men’s and women’s freestyle Nordic events to begin at the NCAA Championships. Heading into the final two events, Denver had held their own against the stacked field with eight Top-10 finishes, tied with Vermont and trailing CU (9) and Utah (10). DU basically needed to ‘bunch’ most of their six skiers in the front today, ahead of their rivals, especially Utah, to close the gap further. Unfortunately, it was not Denver’s day at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center. Continue reading Day 3 – Denver’s Quest for #25 Ends at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center
Day 2 – Third-Place Denver Still Chasing Utah Heading Into Final Day of NCAA Championships
Today was a bluebird day at Park City Mountain Resort for the NCAA Ski Championships. A chilly morning transformed into a sunny day, ten degrees warmer than yesterday, and 30 degrees with no wind. A perfect day for ski racing! Going into men’s and women’s slalom, this had to be ‘moving day’ for third-place Denver to make up ground on second-place Colorado’s (13.0 points) and first-place Utah (37.5 lead). Continue reading Day 2 – Third-Place Denver Still Chasing Utah Heading Into Final Day of NCAA Championships