ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Home is where the heart is. But, if you are the New Mexico Ski Team, home is actually where the snow is. And that wouldn’t be Albuquerque.
No worries though as UNM’s team will head to their home mountain and trail in Red River, New Mexico where it will be warm down low, but thankfully, have snow where it’s needed for the Drew Judycki Memorial/Jade Enterprises/UNM Invitational. The Lobos are the two-time defending champions in the meet.
The meet will get started in earnest on Saturday morning on the main mountain as well as at the Enchanted Forest Nordic Center. The Nordic Classical races will start at 9:30 for the women’s 5K and 10:30 for the men’s 10K, while on the mountain, the first of two individual slalom races will start at 9 a.m. (men) and 10:15 (women). The second runs will be at 1 and 2 p.m.
Day two on Sunday moves the Nordic Freestyle starts up a half hour each to 9 and 10 a.m., with both races a 5K. The slalom times are the same.
All race updates can be found on twitter at @UNMSkiing, with alpine results at live-timing.com.
Spencer James Nelson/Colorado Invitational Recap
New Mexico had its best showing of the season, recording 514 points and finishing a very close fifth place at the 2016 Spencer James Nelson/Colorado Invitational. The Lobos were easily led by Emilie Cedervärn, who won both Nordic races to score 80 points.
Katharine Irwin also picked up a podium finish with a third place showing in the giant slalom, and the men’s alpine squad continue its improvement as Carl-Johan Öster earned the men’s alpine team a top 10 finish, coming in seventh place in the giant slalom. Overall, the Lobos had 12 top 10 finishes in the meet, easily the best showing of the season.
Cedervärn Named RMISA Skier of the Week
Emilie Cedervärn was named the RMISA Female Nordic Skier of the Week by league officials after sweeping the 5K freestyle and the 15K classical races at the Spencer James Nelson/Colorado Invitational at Steamboat Springs, Colo. Those races were also at the site of the 2016 NCAA National Championships.
Cedervärn’s two wins gave her three for the season, and eight in her career, which ties her with Martina Stursova for the most Nordic wins in school history. Emilie has six meets left to break that mark, including two races at home.
Other winners from the RMISA this week were Taylor Shiffrin, Denver (Men’s Alpine), Julie Mohagen, Utah (Women’s Alpine) and Moritz Madlener, Denver (Men’s Nordic).
Cedervärn … Swedish for “Record Setter”
Emilie Cedervärn’s two wins at the Spencer James Nelson/Colorado Invitational moved her into a tie for first place in the UNM record book for most career Nordic wins with eight. The win was her third of the season after having five wins last year. She is now tied with Martina Stursova for first place with her eight wins.
Emilie Cedervärn last year did something no Lobo skier had ever done before, and that was sweep the freestyle and classical races in a non-home meet. She finished off the feat on Thursday, February 25 at the Seawolf Invitational in Alaska. Three days later she repeated the feat at the RMISA/NCAA West Region Championships.