Eight Bobcats Notch Top 10 Finishes as MSU Sits Third at New Mexico Invite

Friday, February 1

Enchanted Forest XC Area, NM

All Day

Montana State University

Slalom/Classical (7.5/7.5K)

Sophomore Eli Jensen was fourth in classic on Friday morning.

Photo by: courtesy UNM Sports Information

Eight Bobcats Notch Top 10 Finishes as MSU Sits Third at New Mexico Invite

2/1/2019 5:32:00 PM | Men's Skiing, Women's Skiing, Skiing

“We’re happy with how the team skied today,” said MSU Nordic head coach Matthew Johnson. “Kat (O’Connell) and Eli achieved their career best RMISA results and having three girls in the top 10 is something we aspire to every weekend.”

By: Tom Schulz

RED RIVER/ENCHANTED FOREST, New Mexico – Eight Montana State skiers posted top ten finishes to guide the Bobcats into third place at the University of New Mexico Drew Judycki Memorial Jade Enterprises Invitational on Friday afternoon.

The Bobcat women's Nordic squad put three racers in the top ten, including a season-best fifth place performance by Kathleen O'Connell. O'Connell covered the 7.5km classic course in 30:20.5. She was followed closely by Emma Tarbath, ninth, 30:32.4, and Anna Fake, tenth, 31:07.0.

Sophomore Eli Jensen has his best race of the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association season placing fourth in the men's 7.5km classic. Jensen clocked a time of 25:52.5, finishing 41.6-seconds behind Colorado's Alver Johannes Alev.

Also scoring points for MSU were Ti Donaldson, 15^th, 26:38.9, and Ty Godfrey, 16^th, 26:39.5. Karsten Hokanson finished 20^th in 27:21.1.

"We're happy with how the team skied today," said MSU Nordic head coach Matthew Johnson. "Kat (O'Connell) and Eli achieved their career best RMISA results and having three girls in the top 10 is something we aspire to every weekend."

The dynamic duo of Jocelyn McCarthy and Stephanie Gartner paced the alpine contingent in the slalom. McCarthy finished fourth with a two-run clocking of 1:332.42, while Gartner was fifth in 1:33.44. Gartner's second run was the third fastest of the heat, while McCarthy rattled off the fifth fastest opening run.

Also contributing to the Bobcat attack were Beatrix Lever, 20^th, 1:36.82, and Mia Henry, 22^nd, 1:37.09.

Åge Solheim and Zak Vinter finished eighth and ninth, respectively on the men's side. Solheim had a two-run total of 1:27.45. His 43.36 second run was the third fastest in the final heat. Vinter notched a clocking of 1:27.47. Also scoring for MSU was Patrick Carry, 16^th, 1:28.15.

Morten Bakke placed 18^th in 1:28.85, while Florian Szwebel was 30^th in 1:42.69.

Freshmen Louis Muhlen-Schulte recorded the fastest opening run in 42.89, but was unable to finish his second go.

At the halfway mark, Colorado sits atop the team standings with 302 points. The Buffaloes are followed by Utah 280.5, MSU, 274, New Mexico 268, Denver 261, Alaska Anchorage 209.5, Alaska Fairbanks 100, Westminster 51 and Colorado Mountain 39.

The final slalom event, along with the Nordic freestyle races will take place on Saturday.

"On Saturday, we're using a unique 'team start' format for the race where our team gets to start together and work together throughout the race. It will be another great opportunity to show what we can achieve by working as a team," Johnson said.