Ski team leads heading into last day of championships
With three days down and one to go, the Buffs sit in first place at the NCAA Ski Championships in Montana.
After starting off strong on Wednesday, the Buffs slipped on the second day of competition. Friday brought out some of the top performances, though, allowing them to regain the top spot.
As the team gears up for their final day of competition, they meet the part of the championships that they have previously performed well at- slalom.
The slalom races are scheduled for Saturday morning. They will be the team’s final effort to remain in the coveted championship position.
The Buffs finished the first day in first place with a 33-point lead, led by
standout seniors Maria Grevsgaar and Lenka Planova.
Grevsgaar won the Nordic 5-kilometer freestyle race and Palanova finished second.
Though senior Lucie Zikova helped to keep the team score high with a win in the giant slalom, the team slipped into third on Thursday. While the team was still able to score points, they had to compete through several setbacks.
Colorado only qualified 11 of a maximum 12 skiers allowed per school, which made gaining extra points difficult. Also, there were some difficulties in starts for some of the players.
On Friday, the Buffs fought back to regain the lead.
Grevsgaard won the 15-kilometer classical course by nearly 55 seconds. Senior Kit Richmond finished second in the men’s 20-kilometer classical race.
On Saturday, the Buffs will wrap up the championship with the slalom races.
Though the first place standing is ideal for Rokos and his team at this point, he said in a press release at CUBuffs.com that he realizes a lead on Friday does not mean a lead Saturday, and it’s important for his team to stay focused.
“Anything can happen in the slalom,” Rokos said. “One team’s misery can turn into another team’s gold.”
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Rachael Fischer at
rachael.fischer@colorado.edu.
