March 6, 2007
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The University of New Mexico ski team is set to compete in the 2007 NCAA Championships this week in Jackson, N.H., hosted by the University of New Hampshire. The Lobos qualified nine of a possible 12 skiers for this year’s championships.
Action begins on Wednesday, March 7, at 7:00 a.m. (M.S.T.) at Jackson XC with the men’s 10K freestyle race. The women ski a 5K freestyle at 9:00 a.m. (M.S.T.) also at Jackson XC. The Alpine teams hit the slopes at Attitash on Thursday with the men’s and women’s giant slalom beginning at 7:00 a.m. Racing return to Jackson XC on Friday with the Nordic classic races. The women start the day with a 15K at 7:00 a.m. (M.S.T.) while the men ski a 20K at 9:00 a.m. The event concludes on Saturday at Attitash with the men’s and women’s slalom races beginning at 7:00 a.m. (M.S.T.)
Live results will be available on the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association web site www.eisaskiing.org or by clicking here.
After finishing second at the 2006 NCAA Championships, the Lobo will be looking to extend its streak of top-5 marks to nine consecutive seasons. Despite only qualifying nine skiers, the Lobos will have five All-Americans racing at the championships, including all three members of the 2006 men’s Alpine slalom team champion.
Brooks’ Last Stand
Head coach George Brooks has announced that the 2007 season will be his last at the helm of the Lobo ski team. He is currently in his 37th year at UNM, the longest tenure of any current member of the Lobo athletics department.
NCAA Runner-Up in 2006
After winning the school’s first NCAA title in any sport in 2004, the Lobo ski team placed second in 2006. It is just the third second place finish for any Lobo team in any NCAA sport in school history. The ski team was second in 1992 and the men’s soccer team made it to the NCAA finals in 2005.
Men’s Alpine Leading the Way
The Lobo men’s Alpine team has the potential to sweep both events at the NCAA Championships. Senior Lars Loeseth is one of the favorites to win the men’s giant slalom. The top-ranked GS skier in the west, Loeseth posted two wins in the regular season. Fellow senior Alex Mach and sophomore Tor Fodnesbergene both earned All-American honors in 2006 and return for this year’s championships.
ALPINE TEAM NOTES
Overall, the Alpine team finished in fourth place in the RMISA with 1,084 points, 43 points behind third place Utah. Denver led the conference with 1,267 points. The men placed second while the women tied for fifth. The women ranked fifth in the giant slalom and sixth in the slalom in the RMISA. The men’s team was first in the slalom and second in the giant slalom.
ALPINE INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Lars Loeseth (Sr.) – 2007 RMISA men’s Alpine Skier of the Year…Won the Denver GS…Won the New Mexico GS…ranked No. 1 in the GS and tied for No. 8 in the slalom in the RMISA…trying to become just the second four-year Alpine All-American (4th overall) at UNM…Six career Alpine wins is tied for the most all-time at UNM…best NCAA slalom finish is third in 2004…best NCAA giant slalom finish is third in 2006…part of the 2006 and 2004 NCAA slalom team champions. Alex Mach (Sr.) – All-American in the slalom in 2006, placing seventh for his best career showing in the slalom at the NCAAs…Top-ranked slalom skier in the RMISA last season…three top-5s in 2007 and currently tied for eighth in the RMISA slalom…part of the 2006 NCAA slalom team champions…best NCAA giant slalom finish is 25th in 2006…appeared last two NCAA Championships…ranked 12th in the RMISA giant slalom Tor Fodnesbergene (So.) – All-American in 2006 in the slalom, placing third…part of the 2006 NCAA slalom team champions…Won the New Mexico slalom…Four top-5s in 2007…Five career Alpine wins is third all-time at UNM…Ranked No. 5 in the RMISA slalom and giant slalom Karin Ohlin (So.) – All-American in the slalom at the 2006 NCAAs, placing fifth…finished 30th in the giant slalom at the 2006 NCAAs…5th in the MSU slalom for her best showing in 2007…ranks 13th in the RMISA slalom and 25th in the giant slalom Malin Hemmingson (Fr.) – Won the New Mexico slalom…Ranks 4th in the slalom and 8th in the giant slalom in the RMISA
NORDIC TEAM NOTES
The Nordic squad finished in sixth place overall in the RMISA with 928 points, 178 points behind fifth place Montana State. The women finished fifth and the men eighth. The women were fourth in the freestyle and classic events after winning the 5K classic at New Mexico during the regular season. The men were eighth in both the classic and freestyle events.
NORDIC INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Erlend Saetre (Fr.) – Only men’s Nordic skier to qualify for the NCAAs…12th place finish in the MSU classic is the top finish for any of the Lobo men in 2007…ranked 19th in the classic after three events…ranked 40th in the freestyle in the RMISA during the regular season Laura Van Alst (Jr.) – All-American in 2006, placing 10th at the NCAAs…also finished 21st in the classic at the 2006 NCAAs…5th in the freestyle at Denver for her top mark in 2007…ranked 11th in the RMISA freestyle and 25th in the classic Melanie Zemp (So.) – Has been very consistent this season with 10 top-20 showings…8th in the New Mexico classic and NCAA West Regionals are her best finishes…ranked 10th in the classic and 22nd in the freestyle in the RMISA Polina Ermoshina (Fr.) – Top skier for the Lobo women…Ranked 2nd in the classic and 12th in the freestyle in the RMISA…Seven top-10s on the year…2nd in the classic at Denver and New Mexico are her best finishes