Bobcat Nordies Pace Skiers at New Mexico

Sunday, February 21

Red River, NM

9 a.m.

Montana State University

New Mexico Invitational - Slalom

Montana State senior Cambria McDermott

2/22/2016 9:31:00 AM | Men's Skiing, Women's Skiing, Skiing

By: Tom Schulz

A pair of seniors paced the Montana State ski team at the University of New Mexico Invitational to lift the Bobcats into a fifth place team finish, Sunday afternoon at the Enchanted Forrest Cross Country Ski Area.

Cambria McDermott posted the best performance of the weekend for MSU finishing third in the five-kilometer freestyle with a clocking of 16:08.1. Also scoring for the Bobcats were Anika Miller, 14^th, 17:22.1, and Johanna Taliharm, 15^th, 17:27.6.

Denver's Linn Eriksen won the women's individual title in 15:43.6.

Bozeman product Sawyer Kesselheim guided the men's squad with his sixth top ten performance of the season finishing fifth in the 5k freestyle in 14:03.0. Karsten Hokanson, tenth, 14:09.5, and Forrest Mahlen, 16^th, 14:30.5 rounded-out MSU's scoring.

Colorado's Mads Stroem won the men's title in 13:35.2.

Sophomore Kari Hole recorded a top 10 finish as the Bobcat alpine team competed in its second slalom race of the weekend at Red River. Hole posted a two-run total of 1:41.89. Benedicte Lyche also notched a top 10 showing, finishing tenth in 1:42.61. Also scoring for MSU was Stephanie Gartner, 16^th, 1:44.05.

Utah's Julie Mohagen won the women's slalom crown in 1:39.29.

The MSU men were led for the second straight day by freshman Morten Bakke. The native of Oslo, Norway placed 12^th with a two-run clocking of 1:37.84. Jeffrey Bell, 20^th, 1:39.83, and Garret Driller, 27^th, 1:46.61, completed Montana State's scoring in the event.

Colorado's Ola Johansen won the men's slalom title in 1:35.97.

"We came into Red River skiing well and with a lot of confidence," said MSU Alpine Head Coach Kevin Francis. "Saturday we started off on the wrong foot with (David) Neuhauser, the first skier out of the gate, losing an inside ski. That almost never happens. The rest of the team struggled.

"Overnight, it got cold and when we arrived in the morning the hill was very icy," Francis added. "Perfect conditions for a slalom race. Everyone skied well on the first run and almost everyone moved up in the second run."

Colorado captured the team title with 676 points. The Buffaloes were followed by Utah 646, Denver 595, New Mexico 462, MSU 423, Alaska Anchorage 362, Westminster 229, Wyoming 152, and Colorado Mountain 36.

The Bobcats will compete at the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Championships/NCAA West Regional this weekend in Minturn/Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Other MSU Finishers: Men's Slalom – Andrew Kircher, DNF; David Neuhauser, DNF; Women's Slalom – Mia Henry, 17^th, 1:44.95; Tenaya Driller, 23^rd, 1:55.28; Jocelyn McCarthy, DNF. Men's 5k Freestyle – Erik Axelsson, 17^th, 14:32.4; Martin Muan, 19^th, 14:35.2; Noah Andersen, 20^th, 14:40.9. Women's 5k Freestyle – Lina Hultin, 17^th, 17:35.1; Gretchen Burkholder, 18^th, 17:37.1; Olivia Ekblad, 22^nd, 18:13.9.