Meet Notes | Alpine live timing | Nordic live timing
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The 2017 season opens for The University of New Mexico ski team with a split opening, with the Nordic squad in Park City at the University of Utah Invitational, and the alpine squad in Bozeman for the Montana State Invitational. Next weekend both squads flip-flop to complete the opening two events of the season. The 2017 ski season features four regular season meets, two of which will take place in Alaska. The national championships are March 8-11 hosted by the University of New Hampshire.
This season sees a new addition to the RMISA with Alaska Fairbanks joining the league. The Nanooks only feature a Nordic squad. Their addition gives the league 10 members, with New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Denver, Montana State and Alaska-Anchorage fielding full squads, Colorado Mountain College and Westminster featuring alpine squads and Alaska Fairbanks and Wyoming featuring Nordic only squads.
The 2017 University of New Mexico Lobos return 18 letter winners from 2016’s squad which finished sixth at the NCAA Championships. The team features plenty of experience on the women’s side with 2014 NCAA Freestyle Champion Eva Sever Rus and 2016 NCAA Classical runner-up Kati Roivas.
Sever Rus will be attempting to earn All-America honors in all four seasons, having done so twice in 2014, and then also in 2015 and 2016. Along with All-Americans Sever Rus and Roivas, also returning are Brenna Egan and Julia Devaux, and they are joined by Krista Niiranen and Julie Ensrud.
The alpine squd is also deep, with NCAA participants Sydney Staples (2015 and 2016), Katharine Irwin (2016) and Karoline Søvik Myklebust (2014) back, along with vetern Taylor Grauer. Alexandra Sjöström is the lone newcomer.
The men’s side has experience as well. Aljaž Praznik is the top Nordic returner, and he is a three-time NCAA qualifier, although illness has limited him to one actual appearance. Other NCAA vets Petteri Vaherkoski and Niklas Rombock are back along with Kyle Beling. Arnaud Guyon in the lone newcomer.
For Alpine, 2016 All-American Rob Greig is back, along with NCAA participant Tyler Theis. Also back are Alex Barounos, Patrick Brachner and Nick Veth. Newcomers Vegard Busengal and Isak Klein will immediately contribute, while Youri Mougel will miss the season with a second straight knee injury.