January 11, 2009 (Anchorage and Girwood, Alaska) – The University of Colorado ski team made some school history on Friday with the first known 1-2-3 sweep in a men’s Nordic race in school history as the Buffaloes hold second place at the three-fourths point of the University of Alaska-Anchorage Invitational.

Due to some quirky scheduling and weather issues, there are two meets being conducted simultaneously; Friday’s events were all part of the Alaska Invitational, which now through six events has host Alaska-Anchorage in the lead with 430 points. Colorado is in second (410), followed by New Mexico (378), Denver (358) and Utah (350). This meet won’t conclude until Sunday’s alpine races.

The Seawolf Invitational, which will resume Saturday with four events, has Utah ahead with 147 points, followed by host Alaska-Anchorage (135), Denver (132), Colorado (131) and Nevada (124). It will conclude on Sunday with Nordic competition.

In the men’s 10-kilometer classic, sophomore Jesper Ostensen won the interval start competition in a 28:07.1 time, scoring his first collegiate win in the process. The first-team All-American had two third place finishes last winter, including one in the freestyle at the NCAA Championships. Freshman Vegard Kjoelhamar nabbed second in 28:12.3, and junior Matt Gelso third in 28:52.1 to complete the Buffalo sweep.

It was CU’s first-ever 1-2-3 sweep in men’s Nordic action since the sport went coed in 1983, and what records are available prior to that time indicate it had never happened in school history. It was the first all-podium finish by any Buffalo unit since the women’s alpine team swept the giant slalom at the 2006 Western State Invitational; Lucie Zikova (first), Lisa Perricone (second) and Sabrina Mocellin (third) hogged the podium that day.

“That was obviously a great effort at the front end of the season,” CU Nordic Coordinator Bruce Cranmer said. “The men seem to be really strong. It was borderline as far as the temperature was concerned but we were cleared to race, and it was a tight one at that. You can’t complain with that kind of an effort and it was really awesome to see such a solid finish. It’s been so cold here that training hasn’t been great.”

In the women’s 5k classic, senior Maria Grevsgaard took fifth in 17:03.3; Denver’s Antje Maempel won in 16:35.7. The CU all-time record holder in wins with 19 is still nowhere near 100 percent after battling a stomach flu-like disorder earlier in the week. Sophomore Alexa Turzian was seventh in 17:18.4. CU only has two Nordic women on the trip, and just three others on the roster at present.

“The girls did okay,” he added. “Alexa had hip surgery this fall and is still not finished rehabbing, so she’ll likely sit out tomorrow per doctor’s orders, and Maria’s not back to 100 percent yet from illness. She’ll get better and no one is worried about her and where the team is at.”

The remaining schedule is as follows for the two competitions:

– Saturday, January 10 – Seawolf Invitational: Nordic classical races (10/15 km)
– Sunday, January 11 – Seawolf Invitational: Nordic freestyle races (10/15 km)

The action will then shift to Colorado next week for the CU Invitational, which will run Wednesday through Saturday in both Eldora and Aspen.

UAA Invitational Team Scores (6 events0

1. Alaska-Anchorage 430
2. Colorado 410
3. New Mexico 378
4. Denver 358
5. Utah 350
6. Montana State 303
7. Nevada 257
8. Whitman 138
8. Wyoming 47.

Results

Women’s 5km Classic

1. Antje Maempel (DU) 16:35.7
2. Polina Ermoshina (UNM) 16:40.5
3. Sadie Bjornsen (UAA) 16:41.7
4. Kristin Ronnestrand (UNR) 16:58.1
5. Maria Grevsgaard (CU) 17:03.3
6. Amy Glen (UAA) 17:18.1
7. Alexa Turzian (CU) 17:18.4
8. Kiesel Kaelin (MSU) 17:27.1
9. Annelies Cook (UU) 17:31.0
10. Jaime Bronga (UAA) 17:31.9.

Men’s 10km Classic

1. Jesper Ostensen (CU) 28:07.1
2. Vegard Kjoelhamar (CU) 28:12.3
3. Matt Gelso (CU) 28:52.1
4. Max Treinen (UAA) 28:57.4
5. Raphael Wunderle (UAA) 28:58.7
6. Didrik Smith (Utah) 29:04.5
7. Christoffer Calleson (UNM0 29:12.7
8. Even Sletten (Utah) 29:25.7
9. Anders Folleraas (MSU) 29:28.3
10. Simon Reissmann (UNM) 29:34.6

Other CU Results

13. Karl Nygren, 29:51.7
18. Reid Pletcher, 30:16.5
22. Josh Smith, 30:27.9
37. Patrick Neel, 32:46.6