January 14, 2013 (Steamboat Springs, CO) – Senior Miles Havlick recorded his seventh career victory in the 10-km Classical at the CU/Spencer Nelson Invitational on Sunday in Steamboat Springs, Colo.

The Utes ended up fourth in the team standings with 723 points, which trailed third-place New Mexico by 18.5 points. Host Colorado came away with the meet title with 878 points. Utah put up a meet-high 124 points in the men’s 10-km classical race on Sunday with a pair of Utes in the top three and three in the top 10.

Havlick turned in his second straight podium finish to start this season and he has finished third or better 21 times during his career as a Ute. The Boulder, Colo., native won the race by more than 10 seconds.

“Today, our team really demonstrated the grit and determination that make us so strong,” Havlick said. “When it’s -3F at the start of the race and there are smiles all around, you know it is going to be a great day.

“I want to dedicate my race today to my former teammate Charlie Smith, who finished on the podium at the NCAA Championships in the 15-km classical on this same course in 2010. He passed away over the holidays, but continues to be an inspiration to us all and constantly in our thoughts.”

In his first year at Utah, senior Einar Ulsund turned in his first top-three effort with a third-place finish. Ulsund, a Trondheim, Norway native, finished fourth yesterday in the 20-km freestyle to cap an impressive debut weekend.

Noe Bellet and Tucker McCrerey finished 10th and 11th, respectively. Bellet rounded out Utah’s scoring as its third finisher with his second consecutive 10th-place finish to start the 2013 season. Freshman Niklas Persson rounded out the Ute effort on the day with a 16th-place finish.

On the women’s side in the 5-km Classical race, the Utes ranked second in the meet with 107 points as a pair of Utes finished among the top eight.

Senior Rose Kemp registered a third-place finish for her second straight top-10 effort to start this season. The Boise, Idaho native has now finished third or better three times over her Ute career.

Freshman Sloan Storey turned in the first top-10 finish of her career with an eighth-place effort after coming in 12th in yesterday’s 15-km Freestyle event.

Senior Parker Tyler was Utah’s third scorer with a 13th-place finish for her 18th career top-20 finish as a Ute. Marta Larsen completed Utah’s effort with a 28th-place finish.

The Ute Alpine squad concluded its races for the Denver Invitational in Winter Park, Colo., on Sunday. Heading into next weekend’s Nordic events, Utah stands in fourth place with 376 points, which is just eight points shy of third-place New Mexico. Host Denver leads the way with 457 points halfway through the meet.

“Congratulations to the whole team for their effort this whole weekend,” Utah Head Alpine coach Jaka Korencan said. “We could not be more proud of this small group of athletes. We scored a lot of great results for NCAA qualification and performed well as a team at the same time. Unfortunately, Tim [Hribar] was not able to help us because he suffered a knee injury last weekend in Eldora. We all just hope he can return in Loveland in a couple of weeks.”

In the ladies’ slalom race, a pair of newcomers led the way for the Utes. Sophomore Ana Kobal turned in a fourth-place effort for her second top-five effort of the young season and the fourth top-10 performance.

“I am really impressed with our small women’s team performing so consistently and glad that I can do my part,” Kobal said. “I’m still not completely satisfied with my own performance. I know I can be much faster, but now I’m just looking forward to some rest and training.”

Kobal’s classmate, Kristiina Rove followed in fifth place as the Utes’ second competitor among the top 10. Rove, an Espoo, Finland native, has been among the top 10 four times already in 2013. Junior Jaime DuPratt capped Utah’s performance with a 26th-place finish.

“Our women’s team again had a very solid performance today in the slalom,” Korencan said. “To compete with just three women and have them all strong and safe in the finish is just a great accomplishment. They did an awesome job.”

Utah’s performance in the men’s slalom was highlighted by freshman Andy Trow and junior Jeremy Elliot, who took 10th and 11th place, respectively. Trow has already finished in the top 10 three times in 2013. Senior Ryan Wilson placed 24th, while Eian Sandvik was disqualified during his second run.

“The highlight of today was Jeremy, who had won the second run and proved to himself and his teammates that he can really ski slalom,” Korencan said. “I am just so excited for Jeremy to finally show what he has been doing in training in a race. Andy had a great day as well and finished strong. Unfortunately, Ryan and Eian made a few mistakes today, but I know they will return strong in Loveland.”

The Utah Nordic team completes the Denver Invitational next weekend at Minturn, Colo. The 5/10-km Freestyle will be held next Saturday and the 10/15-km Classical race will be ran on Sunday.

CU/Spencer Nelson Invitational Results HERE.
DU Invitational Results HERE.

October 10, 2012 (Steamboat Springs, CO) – Start cleaning out your garages and storage now! Mark November 9-10 on your calendar to sell your gear you no longer use or fit into and get yourself and your family some new gear! Tags will be available in just a few weeks, so get your stuff together now. We also will be looking for volunteers in a few weeks, so watch for that too.

February 16, 2012 (Steamboat Springs, CO) – Sven Wiik, a pioneer of “Ski Town USA’s” booming Nordic skiing scene, recently celebrated his 91st birthday and will mark the occasion with an open house at the Steamboat Ski Touring Center on Feb. 26.

Wiik immigrated to the US from Sweden in 1949 and went on to become the USST’s Olympic Nordic Coach. He and his family later built a Scandinavian Lodge, then called the Mount Werner Training Center, now named the Steamboat Ski Touring Center. The center is home to the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC), which has developed many Olympic skiers over its long history, including Vancouver 2010 Nordic Combined medalists Todd Lodwick and Johnny Spillane, who trained with the club in their youth. Steamboat has sent more skiers to the US Ski Team than any place else in the country and seventy-nine Olympians have accounted for 135 Olympic appearances

In 2003, Spillane won Nordic-combined 7.5km gold in Val di Fiemme, Italy, becoming the first American athlete to win a gold medal at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. In 2009 at the Nordic Worlds in Liberec, CZE, Lodwick won two NC golds. Then at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games, Spillane won the U.S.A.’s first Olympic NC medal, winning silver in the individual 10K/Normal Hill missing out on the gold medal by 4/100ths of a second, the closest margin in Olympic history in that event. Lodwick, Spillane, Billy Demong and Brett Camerota won their first Olympic team medal, a silver. Spillane took home his third Olympic silver medal in the 10K/Large Hill event, while Demong won the gold in the same event.

Over one thousand athletes are currently members of the SSWC, training in five alpine and nordic disciplines. So when Colorado Springs and the US winter sports community celebrates Wiik’s this month, they also celebrate a legacy of athletic excellence he helped create.

Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC) is featured in SkiTrax’s Feb/Mar 2012 issue now on sale – for more info on the Steamboat click HERE.

February 03, 2011 (Steamboat Springs, CO) – Olympic medalist Todd Lodwick will host a Nordic Ski Camp at The Home Ranch outside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado from February 8-12, 2011. This all-inclusive camp is designed for skiers age 12 and older who want to improve their skating skills in an inviting and inspiring environment and learn from one of the best cross-country skiers in the world. For details, see The Home Ranch Web Site HERE.

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December 19, 2010 (Ramsau, Austria) – Christmas came a week early for Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) who set himself up with a strong jump then carried his own with the big boys to finish a career best eighth in the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup in Ramsau. It was his fourth point scoring finish of the year. Austrian Mario Stecher led the jump and hung on for an 8.6 second win over a hard charging Tino Edelmann of Germany. Fellow German Eric Frenzel was third.

In the jump, Todd Lodwick (Steamboat Springs, CO) was 11th and Fletcher 13th, staring 24 and 29 seconds respectively. Lodwick held his position in the opening laps. Fletcher started moving up after the first kilometer and by 2.5k was on the heels of Lodwick and World Cup leader Jason Lamy Chappuis of France. From the back, German Tino Edelmann began moving up and the pace quickened as the field came through the stadium after the first of four 2.5k laps, featuring two huge hills and a wide track for passing.

But then the race took a dramatic turn. At the start of the second lap, a ski tip or tail from another racer in the pack clipped one of Lodwick’s bindings. As he took a skate step, his ski released. He was forced to wait out the pack, scramble back, clean his boot and re-attach the ski. By that time, he had been dropped.

“It happens sometimes,” said Lodwick. “I had good technique on the jump for this early [in the season]. While I was able to catch up to the back of the pack I was skiing with the guys who were getting dropped. It was panic mode to keep going.”

By midway through the second lap there was a chase group of five battling for second with another pack of seven a few seconds back. Midway through the race, with Lodwick dropping back, Fletcher settled in with a growing chase group that was hot on the heels of leader Stecher.

Moving into the second half of the race, Fletcher found himself in an unusual position – leading an aggressive pack of veterans. He held his own, pacing the group into the final two kilometers before Edelmann sprinted ahead to breakup the group in a field sprint to the finish for second. No one could catch Stecher.

“It was pretty crazy,” said an excited Fletcher. “I kept thinking to myself, ‘Holy Cow! I’m in second.’ At the same time I was still thinking race strategy. Our train was messing around a little bit with what to do. Dave [Nordic Combined Head Coach Dave Jarrett] said it was time to hammer and get moving. I felt good and said ‘why not try to bridge the gap.’ I got into the front, started pulling and was surprised I was feeling so good.”

“Bryan jumped well and he’s really stepped up since summer,” said Jarrett. “Summer Grand Prix was a big step for him. In Kuusamo, he stepped right in there. Yesterday and today he was really solid.”

“Now I  know what’s possible for me to do every weekend,” said Fletcher. “I don’t feel like what I did today was anything really special. I still don’t think I’ve shown my best jumps. And the cross-country race was where I was expecting myself to be. Knowing I was able to do it today gives me confidence.”

Fletcher opened the season in Kuusamo, Finland three weeks ago with a then career best 18th. That started a string of four points finishes leading up to his top 10 in Ramsau.

He also credits a more disciplined approach to fitness and greater focus on nutrition. “I’m eating better and have lost close to 20 pounds,” he said. “That puts my actual weight closer to my BMI (body mass index) which is a big help on the jump hill and I feel better in cross country.”

Lodwick, who just missed the podium in fourth Saturday, ending up 18th. Bryan Fletcher’s brother, Taylor, had an impressive cross country segment – sixth fastest to move up from 58th in jumping to take 37th. Young Nick Hendrickson (Park City, UT) was 22nd in cross country to finish 45th overall.

“Taylor had a great race today – more like what we have had for expectations,” said Jarrett. Taylor Fletcher finished third a week ago in a Continental Cup in Utah.

Lamy Chappuis was fourth and continued to lead the World Cup at the midway point in the season.

The Team will now head back to the USA for the holidays before the World Cup resumes in Schonach, Germany Jan. 8-9. The main focus for the U.S. athletes will be the FIS Nordic Ski World Championships in Oslo, Norway with the opening nordic combined event on Feb. 26.

Lodwick plans to sit out the Schonach weekend, but come back for Seefeld, Austria and Chaux-Neuve, France later in January. Olympic champion Billy Demong is also expected to be on a very selective schedule leading to Worlds, anticipating the birth of his first child. Three-time Olympic silver medalist Johnny Spillane is still recovering from a summer knee injury but is back training and hopeful to be back in action soon.

Full results HERE.

Results (brief)
Individual Normal Hill/10k Gundersen

1. Mario Stecher, Austria (1/20) 24:22.3
2. Tino Edelmann, Germany (20/8) +8.6 seconds
3. Eric Frenzel, Germany (7/14) +10.2
4. Jason Lamy Chappuis, France (8/16) +12.4
5. Johannes Rydzek, Germany (5/21) +17.3

8. Bryan Fletcher, Steamboat Springs, CO (13/15) +19.0
18. Todd Lodwick, Steamboat Springs, CO (10/33) +46.0
37. Taylor Fletcher, Steamboat Springs, CO (58/6) +1:47.5 minutes
45. Nick Hendrickson, Park City, UT (59/22) +2:32.8
59. Eric Camerota, Park City, UT (44/59) +5:17.0