BOZEMAN, Mont. — The University of Colorado ski team crowned two regional champions and swept one race here Friday as the first day of competition was completed in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association Championships, an event that doubles as the NCAA West Regional. The Buffaloes racked up 255 team points, with Utah in second (215) and host Montana State in third (189).  Colorado is bidding for its 12th RMISA/West Regional title in the 23 years that Richard Rokos as served as the program’s head coach, as its 23rd overall in the 60-plus year history of the conference.

Joanne Reid and Rune Oedegaard

Joanne Reid and Rune Oedegaard“You can hardly ask for more,” Rokos said.  “Just short of two weeks before the NCAA Championships, this is a great confidence builder.  It puts everybody in a good comfort zone, but we just can’t sleep on it.  There is no pressure for (CU skiers) qualification, and having such a good cushion, it does provide a comfort zone for going out and skiing fast in both alpine and Nordic tomorrow.”

 

All six west schools will have full 12-skier teams at the next month’s championships, as the NCAA made qualification changes to permit such; it also returns a little more significance to the regional title meets with coaches tweaking starting spots to improve seedings as opposed to attempting to qualify a full team. Senior Joanne Reid, named this week as the RMISA’s Women’s Nordic Most Valuable Skier, continued her phenomenal season, capturing her eighth race in nine attempts.  She recorded a 16:35.9 time in the women’s 5-kilometer classic, besting teammate and fellow senior Eliska Hajkova, who was timed in 16:45.5; it marked the third time the pair finished 1-2 this year.  Freshman Maria Nordstroem took the bronze spot on the podium with a 16:51.9 clocking, while senior Mary Rose rounded out the Buffalo performers with a 12th place effort in 17:49.9.   The sweep also made some school history.  It was CU’s first-ever 1-2-3 sweep in women’s Nordic action since the sport went coed in 1983; on five previous occasions, Colorado women posted 1-2-4 finishes, along with three 1-3-4 efforts.  It was the first all-podium finish by any Buffalo unit since January 10, 2009, when Nordics Jesper Ostensen, Vegard Kjoelhamar and Matt Gelso topped the standings in the 15k classic in the UAA Seawolf Invitational.

[includeme src=”http://c1n.tv/boulder/media/bouldersponsors.html” frameborder=”0″ width=”670″ height=”300″]