Utes Claim Fourth At UNM Invitational

Saturday, February 12

Taos, N.M.

4th

University of Utah

New Mexico Invite. (SL)

2/24/2005 12:00 AM | Skiing

Feb. 24, 2005

FINAL Team Results in PDF Format
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BOZEMAN, Mont. -- After a two week delay due to weather conditions, the University of Utah alpine team finalized the New Mexico Invitational with a fourth-place overall team finish. The Utes ended with a 512.5 point total after skiing in the women's slalom and men's giant slalom.

The Utes were unable to finish the UNM Invite last week due to heavy fog and severe snow storms that engulfed the Taos Ski Valley. The two alpine events were rescheduled to be skied today, before opening the first day of the 2005 Regional Championships.

The Denver Pioneers (583) finished first, taking home their fourth consecutive team victory. Colorado (561) held on to second, while host New Mexico (526) notched third. The Utes (512.5) rallied to fourth and Montana State (386) ended the invite in fifth.

The women's downhill team skied third in the slalom with a 69.0 point score, tallying two top-10 finishes. All-American Lina Johansson led the Utes with her fifth-place performance in 1:30.71. Fellow All-American April Mancuso skied to her third eighth-place finish of the season with a time of 1:30.99. Senior Rowena Hyldahl was coming off a first-place podium spot in the GS last weekend and managed to garner 11th in the SL today with a two-run time of 1:31.40.

Local freshman Kim Stephens raced to a 17th-place finish with a time of 1:33.0, while sister Elisha Stephens was clocked in at 1:35.37 to place 22nd.

In the men's GS, the Utes finished fourth with a 56.0 point total. It was senior Mark Heinrich-Wallace posting the Utes top score, finishing sixth in 1:39.76. The Park City, Utah, native is in his first season with the Utes and this marked his best finish in the GS this season. Junior Will McDonald claimed 13th in 1:40.50, while teammate Gaspar Perricone skied 22th with a two-run time of 1:41.96. Senior All-American Ben Thornhill finished the day with a 40th-place finish in 2:53.23.

Tomorrow, Feb. 25, Utah will compete in the opening day of the West Regional Championships held in Bozeman, Mont. The alpine team will ski in the men's and women's GS, while the cross country squad will take on the 10/5-km classical. Events will be held all day.

New Mexico Invitational Team Scores: 1. Denver 583; 2. Colorado 561; 3. New Mexico 526; 4. Utah 512.5; 5. Montana State 386; 6. Nevada 359.5; 7. Whitman 218; 8. Western State 205; 9. Alaska Anchorage 153; 10. Boise State 107.