Complete Utah Invitational Alpine Results
Park City, Utah — It was a bit of redemption on the mountain for the UNM men’s alpine team as Youri Mougel, a newcomer who missed a gate on Monday’s slalom bounced back with UNM’s top finish, coming in 19th in the giant slalom at the University of Utah Invitational in Park City. Mougel led the way as UNM picked up 49 points and was able to move into fifth place as the alpine events for the invitational finished. The four Nordic events will take place on January 10 and 11 at Soldier Hallow.
For Mougel, he ended up as UNM’s top finisher after a bad break for Rob Greig, who was looking at a potential top-five run in the first run down the mountain, but he went down just six gates from completing the course. Still, Mougel had a pair of top-20 runs to finish 19th overall, his first collegiate finish. UNM was also without Carl-Johan Öster, who sat the race out and didn’t start, meaning the top top giant slalom competitors for UNM didn’t score.
Mougel scored 18 points, and joining him in the scoring column was Patrick Brachner, who returned to competitive action after missing most of last year with an injury. Brachner finished 21st and scored 16 points, and Alex Barounos continued a nice opening meet with a 22nd place finish for 15 points. Barounos was the only male Lobo alpine skier to score in both the slalom and the giant slalom, having finished 33rd on Monday, good for 10 points.
Tyler Theis, who finished 30th on Monday, was 25th on Wednesday but didn’t score any points, as only the top three for each team score. Nick Veth came in 30th for UNM.
While the meet continues on Sunday, January 10, the alpine team is actually back in action on Saturday, January 9. That starts three days of competition at the Montana State Invitational. The slalom will take place on Saturday and the giant slalom on Sunday. A special RMISA giant slalom qualifier will than take place on Monday on the same course. The RMISA holds two giant slalom qualifiers because the Jade Enterprises/UNM Invitational doesn’t have a giant slalom as part of the meet, but two slaloms instead.
NOTES: Brachner hadn’t scored in a meet since the 2015 Utah Invitational, when he recorded 11 points for UNM in the slalom … the Lobos scored 49 points despite a DNS and a DNF from their top two skiers, just one point less than last year’s Utah Invitational giant slalom … UNM’s men were fifth this year in the Utah Invitational giant slalom, one spot better than 2015 … UNM is 32.5 points behind last year’s pace at the Utah Invitational.
Overall Standings: Denver 320, Colorado 318, Utah 268, Westminster 258, New Mexico 214, Montana State 202, Alaska-Anchorage 179, Colorado Mountain 73.
Men’s Slalom Results: WMC 90, DU 85, CU 78, MSU 68, UAA 51, UU 48, UNM 34, CMC 0.
Women’s Slalom Results: DU 101, CU 71, UNM 70, UU 66, WMC 57, MSU 51, UAA 36, CMC 19.
Women’s Giant Slalom Results: CU 77, UU 75, MSU 72, UNM 61, DU 54, UAA 48, WMC 34, CMC 23.
Men’s Giant Slalom Results: CU 92, DU 80, UU 79, WMC 77, UNM 49, UAA 44, CMC 31, MSU 11.