Busengdal Wins First Collegiate Slalom Title
Utah Invitational Alpine Results
PARK CITY, Utah & WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. — It reads like a litany of ‘oh-so-close’ moment so many times.
2017 Utah Invitational Slalom – Second Place
2017 Utah RMISA Slalom Qualifier – Second Place
2017 Alaska Anchorage Invitational Slalom – Second Place
2017 RMISA Championships Slalom – Second Place
2018 Montana State Invitational Slalom – Third Place
Five podiums, but never a title in the slalom for Vegard Busengdal.
Until today.
Busengdal took the lead after a strong opening run, and then he did more than enough on the flip to keep that lead, securing his first career slalom win and second overall, leading the men’s team to a team title in the slalom at the Utah Invitational, and helping the Lobos take over fourth place overall in the meet.
For Busengdal, it marked his sixth podium in the slalom and 10th overall, including his third this season. The win increased his team lead in points to 139, but he needed some help, and his teammates delivered, including his NCAA replacement from a year ago Isak Klein.
Klein, who hadn’t completed any of his previous four races this season, turned in a career performance, finishing tied for sixth, his third career top-10 finish, scoring 25 points. Needing just 11 more for the win, it was Youri Mougel, who would clearly be the NCAA’s “Comeback Skier of the Year” if they had one, who clinched it with a career-best 15th place finish, scoring 18 points for UNM. Mougel, who missed all of the last two seasons save two races due to knee injuries, equaled his career points in the race.
UNM also got a non-scoring top-20 finish from Rob Greig, who finished 17. Nick Veth was 31st and Tyler Theis 33rd. Alex Barounos was the only non-finisher.
On the women’s side, Rebecca Fiegl was at it again, tying her career-best finish by coming in fifth, scoring 29 points for the second time this season, and bettering her best slalom finish by four spots. Katharine Irwin and Haley Cutler were 18th and 19th respectively, scoring 15 and 14 points, and Alexandra Sjöström coming in 26th. Overall the women’s team tied for fourth.
With the alpine events complete, the Lobos are now fourth halfway through the Utah Invitational, with the Nordic events happening next week in West Yellowstone, Montana due to a lack of snowpack in Soldier Hallow.
The Nordic teams also competed in West Yellowstone as a part of the Montana State Invitational, but UNM won’t field a complete Nordic squad until its own home meet in February. In the women’s race, the Lobos finished seventh, scoring 33 points. Andrea Klementová, who just arrived at UNM, was the top finisher in 30th place, Brenna Egan was 32nd and Carolyn Lucca was 33rd. On the men’s side, only Niklas Rombock competed, finishing 27th.
The Lobos dropped to fifth at the Montana State Invitational with the lack of Nordic skiers at the meet.
NOTES: Kyle Beling is listed on the UNM roster but will not compete due to school requirements as he is majoring in nuclear engineering … UNM is expected to add five new Nordic skiers in the midseason break between the Utah meet and the UNM meet.