Six Top 10 Finishes Lift Bobcats to Fourth Place at RMISA/NCAA West Regional

Saturday, February 27

Minturn, CO

9 a.m.

Montana State University

RMISA Champ/NCAA Regional - Nordic Classical

Benedicte Lyche, middle, celebrates her women's giant slalom title on Friday.

Six Top 10 Finishes Lift Bobcats to Fourth Place at RMISA/NCAA West Regional

2/27/2016 5:09:00 PM | Men's Skiing, Women's Skiing, Skiing

By: Tom Schulz

The Montana State ski team received six top 10 finishes on the final day of action at the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association/NCAA West Regional Championships, Saturday afternoon to place fourth in the team standings, its highest showing since 2004.

Montana State's women's alpine squad led the way with two top 10 finishes in slalom. Freshman Jocelyn McCarthy placed eighth with a two-run total of 1:58.70, while teammate Tenaya Driller finished tenth in 1:59.11. Stephanie Gartner, 12^th, 2:00.54, completed MSU's scoring.

Denver's Monica Huebner won the women's slalom title in 1:54.22.

Freshman Morten Bakke continued his hot February placing eighth in the slalom with a two-run clocking of 1:43.03. He was followed by Garret Driller, 11^th, 1:43.49, and Jeffrey Bell, 13^th, 1:44.53.

Colorado's Max Luukko took the men's slalom crown in 1:41.37.

Senior Sawyer Kesselheim posted the best performance for the Bobcat Nordic squad finishing sixth in the 20-kilometer classic in 52:47.8. Kesselheim's sixth place showing was his eighth top 10 placing of the season.

Also notching points for the MSU men were Forrest Mahlen, 12^th, 53:40.8, and Karsten Hokanson, 15^th, 54:01.8.

Colorado's Mads Stroem won the event in 51:08.6.

Cambria McDermott paced the Bobcat women's contingent, who also had a pair of top 10 showings, finishing seventh in the 15-kilometer classic in 47:56.8. Anika Miller placed tenth overall in 48:32.3, while Lina Hultin completed MSU's scoring finishing 11^th in 48:55.3

Utah's Veronika Mayerhofer captured the women's classic title in 45:05.0.

Utah took the RMISA/NCAA West Regional team titles with 662 points. The Utes were followed by Colorado 634, Denver 595, MSU 521, New Mexico 473, Alaska Anchorage 449, Colorado Mountain 101, and Wyoming 83.

The Bobcats will compete at the NCAA Skiing Championships March 9-12 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Other MSU Finishers: Women's Slalom – Mia Henry, DNF; Benedicte Lyche, DQ; Kari Hole, DNF. Men's Slalom – David Neuhauser, 33^rd, 2:32.40; Andrew Kircher, DNS. Women's 15K Classic – Johanna Taliharm, 12^th, 49:05.3; Gretchen Burkholder, 15^th, 49:51.7; Olivia Ekblad, 19^th, 51:11.7. Men's 20K Classic – Martin Muan, 20^th, 55:40.5; Erik Axelsson, 21^st, 55:40.8; Noah Andersen, DNF.