Irwin’s GS Title Leads Way as Lobos in First
MSU Invitational Giant Slalom Results
BIG SKY, Mont. — Katharine Irwin earned her first collegiate victory and was one of five Lobos to finish in the top 10 as New Mexico blistered Big Sky Resorts giant slalom course and took the lead after the opening two events of the Montana State Invitational as both the women and the men won their respective giant slaloms.
The double wins were the first time that UNM swept both alpine races in the same day since February 8, 2014 when the men and women swept the slalom at the Jade Enterprises/UNM Invitational.
The women’s race got off to a rousing start when Irwin, who finished third yesterday in the GS qualifier, went fifth down the mountain and put up a top time of 1:03.45. From there, 76 other skiers went, including 25 other RMISA skiers, but none topped that, putting her in the lead. Rookie teammates Rebecca Fiegl and Haley Cutler stay with Irwin, with Fiegl posting the sixth-best opening run and Cutler 10th. Alexandra Sjöström was 25th, putting UNM in solid shape to get key points, and the ladies didn’t disappoint.
Cutler, sitting 10th, needed a big run to move up and she posted what was at the time the best second run of the group at 1:05.72. Feigl then stepped up and finished her second run just .25 behind Cutler, putting her briefly in first. When Charley Field of Alaska-Anchorage, yesterday’s giant slalom winner, had a slow turn after catching an edge, that clinched a top five-finish for Fiegl.
After Colorado’s Tonje Healey Trulsrud posted a 1:05.53 to take over first place, the drama was squarely on Irwin, who needed to post a run in the top 11 of the second run to claim her first collegiate victory. She nailed it, finishing fifth in the round and winning the event by .19 seconds of Trulsrud.
Irwin’s win was good for 40 points, Fiegl scored 29 and Cutler 25. Sjöström’s finish of 25th didn’t score points. Overall, UNM’s 94 points were the most scored by the women’s alpine team since the advent of the 40-point scoring system in 2014.
The men’s race also featured a team win, and a second podium finish of the day. Vegard Busengdal finished on the podium, coming in third, and Tyler Theis, who had never finished in the top 20 in a giant slalom in his career prior to yesterday’s fifth place finish, finished fifth again, tying with Montana State’s Jeffrey Bell.
Busengdal was eighth after the opening round, but the second runs were tough for many of the top skiers on the men’s side as seven skiers in the top 10 couldn’t post a top 10 run in the second go. Busengdal was not in that group. After skiing out yesterday in the second run, he was tactical in his approach, and took just enough chances to move all the way into third place, giving him his eighth-career podium and fourth in the giant slalom.
Busengdal scored 34 points, and Theis grabbed a career-high 28 points. Needing one more top scorer, UNM got it when Rob Greig, an All-America in the giant slalom in 2016, finished tied for 14th. That gave UNM 79 points in the event, nipping Utah 79-75. Youri Mougel tied his career-best with a 19th place finish and Nick Veth finished 22nd. Alex Barounos and Isak Klein did not finish.
Overall, the Lobos picked up 173 points on the day and they have a 20-point lead on second place Denver, which has 153.
The men’s and women’s slalom, the final two alpine events at the Montana State Invitational, will take place at Big Sky Resort tomorrow. Fans can view live results at http://www.live-timing.com.
NOTES: Busengdal’s finish was his 12th top 10 finish out of 14 career races (his two non-top 10s were DNFs) … Mougel’s other top 20 finish was 19th at the Utah Invitational in 2016 … Irwin’s win was her second career podium … the three top 10s for the women’s team was the first time the Lobos had three top 10 finishers on the women’s side since the 2016 NCAA Championships when UNM had three in women’s Nordic.