SOLDIER HOLLOW, UTAH — Despite once again missing four racers, including three on the women’s side, UNM scored well in the mass start classical races at the University of Utah Invitational. Aljaz Praznik finished fourth on the men’s side and Heleene Tambet picked up her first career top-10 finish with a ninth-place finish.
Overall the Lobos finished with 465.5 points, good for fourth place. Colorado won the event with 694.5 points, and Utah edged Denver 613-612 for second place. UNM was 54.5 points ahead of Alaska Anchorage for fourth.
In the men’s race the Lobos got a pair of top-10 finishes. Along with Praznik, who recorded his highest classical finish (and second career top-10 classical finish), Christian Otto finished in eighth place. For the graduate student, it marked his sixth-career top 10 finish. Mats Resaland nearly gave UNM three top-10s, finishing in 11th place just 0.7 seconds out of 10th.
UNM’s only other skier in the men’s race was Kyle Beling, who finished 26th over the 15K course. Alec Wiltz did not race in the event.
On the women’s side, UNM once again rested All-American Eva Sever Rus, and Anni Nord missed the race with an illness, giving UNM just two competitors, making Tambet’s race all the more meaningful. Heleene had never finished in the top-20 in a classical race in her short career before finishing in ninth. Jessica Gnuchtel was the only other skier on the women’s side, and she finished 13th.
Overall, the men picked up 74 points, good for third in the men’s classical. The women were last with 41, but would have finished most likely third with a third skier.
“We were better today,” said head coach Fredrick Landstedt. “A great race by Heleene, and Aljaz and Christian did great as well. Better and better every race is the goal of the season.”
NOTES: New Mexico took fourth place despite finishing fifth overall in Nordic and fifth in alpine … UNM’s top scoring events were in the women’s giant slalom and the men’s 15K classical, both with 74 points … UNM’s next event is the University of Colorado Spencer James Nelson Memorial Invitational January 23-26 at Steamboat Springs (Nordic) and Eldora (alpine), Colorado.