MSU Invitational Day One – Giant Slalom
Big Sky, Mont. — Katharine Irwin used some course knowledge to good use, flying her way to her first career top 10 finish, coming in seventh to lead the way for the UNM alpine squad at the Montana State Invitational. Irwin becomes the third member of the women’s alpine squad to record a top 10 run this season.
Both of Irwin’s runs were top 10 times, coming in with the fourth-fastest time in the first run and the ninth-fastest in the second run. Her previous-best finish this season was 23rd the day before in the RMISA Giant Slalom Qualifier.
Irwin scored 25 points for UNM as the Lobo women scored 61 points overall. Along with Irwin, Courtney Altringer finished 12th and Sydney Staples finished 14th. For Altinger, she has now finished 12th in the giant slalom in all three races this season, and for Staples and Altinger, they both now have four top 20 finishes in four races. Sara Ottosson was the only other Lobo to complete the race, coming in 22nd. Karoline Søvik Myklebust and Taylor Grauer didn’t complete the course.
On the men’s side, it was another struggle without Carl-Johan Öster and Youri Mougel as UNM picked up 37 points. Patrick Brancher bounced back from yesterday’s DNF to lead the way with a 24th place finish, recording 14 points. Nick Veth improved for the fourth straight race, coming in 25th. Veth this season has finishes in order; 34th, 30th, 29th and now 25th.
The 13 points recorded by Veth were his first career points. Tyler Theis rounded out UNM’s scoring with 10 points with a 35th place finish. Rob Greig, who was 24th yesterday in the qualifier recorded a DNF in the first run.
The Lobos are currently seventh after the first two events. The slalom takes place at Big Sky Resort tomorrow and then there is a one-week break before the Invitational continues with the Nordic events.
NOTES: With Veth scoring, six of UNM’s seven men’s skiers have now scored this season through three scoring races … Irwin became the first Lobo women’s skier other than Staples/Altringer/Myklebust to score this season … UNM’s 61 points in the women’s giant slalom is identical to what they scored in the Utah Invitational last week.
Overall Standings (through 2 of 8): Denver 163, Colorado 161, Utah 146, Westminister 122, Montana State 107, Alaska-Anchorage 107, New Mexico 98, Colorado Mountain 38.
Women’s Giant Slalom Scores: CU 75, DU 73, MSU 69, UU 69, UNM 61, WMC 60, UAA 47, CMC 17.
Men’s Giant Slalom Scores: DU 90, CU 86, UU 77, WMC 62, UAA 60, MSU 38, UNM 37, CMC 21.