Three More All-Americans As Skiing Leaps to Sixth
Saturday, March 10
NC Skiing: Freestyle
9 a.m. MT/11 a.m. ET Men’s 20K | 11 a.m. MT/1 p.m. ET Women’s 15K
http://www.ncaa.com/live/player?vid=2018/3387&date=2018/03/10
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. — The Lobos picked up three more All-Americans on Friday night, but none are a better story than senior Rob Greig, who overcame the heartache of a missed gate in the giant slalom on Wednesday with a national title on the line to bounce back and earn his second career All-America honor.
The three top-10 finishes, including First Team All-America honors and second team honors for Greig and Rebecca Fiegl pushed New Mexico into sixth place at the championships with 239 points. The Lobos are 40 points behind Vermont for fifth place and 20 points ahead of Montana State, which is in seventh.
The slalom at the NCAAs is a competitor and fan favorite, as it takes place on Howelson Hill at night under the lights, making for a very festive atmosphere, including tailgating. After the opening women’s run the women had no one in the top-10, which is the mark for All-America status. Rebecca Fiegl was the top Lobo in 15th. Fiegl would need a big run and she got it, turning in the seventh-best run of the second go, pushing her to eighth place, earning 23 points and Second Team All-America status.
Haley Cutler was 21st overall, scoring 10 points, and Katharine Irwin, who was the national runner-up in the giant slalom, was 23rd, scoring eight. Overall, the Lobos scored 41 points to finish sixth in the event.
For the men, Vegard Busengdal finished in fifth place, giving the Lobos their second First Team All-America of the championships. The honor was sweet vindication for Busengdal, who missed the championships last year due to an injury suffered at the NCAAs during a practice run. The honor was the first of the sophomore’s career. However, there isn’t a better Lobo story than Greig.
Two years ago in his first year with UNM, he earned All-America status in the giant slalom. After a struggle in 2017, Greig blitzed the field at the giant slalom first run and was second. Tearing down the mountain on his second run, he came around a gate a little wide and caught slight edge. That was enough for him to skid and miss a gate as he hit the home stretch. To make matters worse, the only skier ahead of him crashed, meaning a national title was in the offing.
Fast forward to Friday night and Greig was sitting 13th after his opening run, but his second run placed him second, and he slid to fourth, but skier after skier finished behind him. SIttin gin fourth with just six skiers left, he was guaranteed at least a 10th place finish, and that’s right where he ended up, earning Second Team All-America in his final collegiate race.
Busendgal scored 29 points and Greig 21, and Tyler Theis added eight more with a 23rd place finish as the Lobos were fourth in the event with 58 points.
The final events are Saturday, the 15K women’s and 20K men’s freestyle races, which are both mass starts. The women’s Nordic squad didn’t score in the Nordic Classical, but the squad is stronger in freestyle.
NOTES: New Mexico’s five All-Americans is already two more than the team picked up all last year.