March 8, 2006
The University of New Mexico ski team sits in fifth place after the first day of competition at the 2006 NCAA Championships in Steamboat Springs, Colo. Junior Lars Loeseth led the men’s Alpine team to a tie for third place in the giant slalom with an All-American performance. The women’s team struggled at Mt. Werner, placing ninth overall. The Lobos totaled 126 points in the GS and trail first place New Hampshire (161) by 35 points. Defending national champion Denver (159.5) is in second place, followed by Utah (148) and Vermont (130). Colorado, the 2006 Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association Champion and host school, finished fifth (109).
Loeseth posted a two-run time of 2:13.57, good enough for third place overall and his third All-American honor in three years. It was also his best showing in the GS in three tries. He becomes the 12th three-time All-American in school history and has five top-5 finishes in the giant slalom this season. Utah’s Scott Veenis won the race with a two-run mark of 2:12.19. Freshman Tor Fodnesbergene was two spots away from All-American status with his 12th place time of 2:15.81, despite slipping in his second run. He was sixth overall after his first run. Fodnesbergene’s mark was disappointing after winning the last two GS races. Junior Alex Mach fell on his first run and placed 25th overall (2:20.50).
Sophomore Amy Beresford had the highest finish for the Lobo women, placing 19th overall with a two-run time of 2:26.28. Colby’s Abbi Lathrop won the race with a time of 2:16.85. Senior Kathrin Spendier placed 25th overall with a time of 2:29.98 while freshman Karin Ohlin finished 30th (3:26.38).
“It wasn’t a very good day for us,” stated head coach George Brooks. “However, we are not out of it yet. The slalom is our strongest event and hopefully the Nordic group can ski well tomorrow. I look for Denver and Colorado to make a move and hopefully we can stay with them.”
An early morning snowfall blanketed Mount Werner, the site of the giant slalom, with fresh snow, with it tapering off after sunrise. Visibility was not affected for the women’s race, but the snow for the first run was soft with it hardening for the second run. The snow returned in the afternoon for the men and made for much poorer visibility from the last third of the first run through the completion of the race.
The Nordic teams hit the trails tomorrow on Howelsen Hill with the men’s 10K and women’s 5K classic races. The women’s race begins at 9:30 a.m. (M.S.T.) and is followed by the men’s 10K. The 2006 NCAA Championships run through March 11 with the slalom races on Friday and the freestyle events on Saturday.
Overall Team Standings – Day 1
1 New Hampshire 161
2 Denver 159½
3 Utah 148
4 Vermont 130
5 New Mexico 126
6 Colorado 109
6 Middlebury 109
8 Dartmouth 103
9 Bates 85
10 Alaska-Anchorage 82
11 Nevada 80
12 Williams 64½
13 Colby 59
14 Montana State 44
15 Boise State 24
16 Western State 19
17 Alaska-Fairbanks 0
17 Gustavus Adolphus 0
17 Michigan Tech 0
17 Northern Michigan 0
17 St. Lawrence 0
17 St. Olaf 0
17 Whitman 0
17 Wisconsin-Green Bay 0
Women’s Giant Slalom Team Scores
1. New Hampshire 88
2. Colorado 84
3. Vermont 80
4. Denver 74
5. Alaska-Anchorage 70
6. Bates 57
7. Utah 56
8. Middlebury 48
9. New Mexico 46
10. Dartmouth 44
11. Colby 39
12. Montana State 34
13. Boise State 24
14. Williams 0
Women’s Giant Slalom Individual Finishes
1. Abbi Lathrop, Colby, 2:16.85
2. Florence Roujas, DU, 2:16.95
3. Jamie Kingsbury, UVM, 2:17.68
4. Lucie Zikova, CU, 2:18.21
5. Lisa Perricone, CU, 2:19.22
6. Spela Bertoncelj, MSU, 2:20.41
7. Kristina Repcinova, UAA, 2:20.47
8. Stephanie Vaughan, UNH,2:20.75
9. Jilyne McDonald, UVM, 2:21.59
10. Michelanne Shields, Dart., 2:21.80
UNM Finishers
19. Amy Beresford, UNM, 2:26.28
25. Kathrin Spendier, UNM, 2:29.98
30. Karin Ohlin, UNM, 3:26.38
Men’s Giant Slalom Individual Finishes
1. Scott Veenis, Utah, 2:12.19
2. Francesco Ghedina, Denver, 2:13.13
3. Lars Loeseth, UNM, 2:13.57
4. Scott Hume, NEV, 2:13.75
5. Sean McNamara, UNH, 2:13.86
6. Karl Johnson, Dartmouth, 2:14.00
6. Eric Mann, Williams, 2:14.00
8. Paul Epstein, UVM, 2:14.68
9. Christianson, WIL, 2:14.98
10. Luke Patterson, UNR, 2:15.13
12 Tor Fodnesbergene, UNM, 2:15.81
25 Alex Mach, UNM, 2:20.50