Feb. 26, 2016 – BEAVER CREEK/MINTURN, Colorado – Montana State sophomore Benedicte Lyche won the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association/NCAA West Regional women’s giant slalom title, Friday afternoon at Beaver Creek, Colorado.
The product of Oslo, Norway notched a two-run total of 2:19.74 to edge out Denver’s Kristine Haugen by .06-seconds. Lyche secured the title with the second fastest second run of the event in a clocking of 1:10.46. She becomes the first Bobcat to win a women’s individual crown at the RMISA/NCAA West Regional championships since MSU brought back its program in 1994.
“I am so excited for Benny,” said MSU Alpine Coach Kevin Francis. “She has been skiing extremely well and today she put two smart runs together to take the win.”
Also recording points in the women’s giant slalom for MSU were Mia Henry, 11th, 2:22.13, and Tenaya Driller, 13th, 2:23.24.
“The rest of the team skied well on an extremely tough hill,” Francis said. “Regionals is being held on the Birds of Prey World Cup course. But for one mistake on one run or the other, they would have finished even better.”
The men’s alpine contingent was led by freshman Morten Bakke, who placed 15th with a two-run clocking of 2:21.66. Rounding-out MSU’s top three were Jeffrey Bell, 19th, 2:22.46, and Garret Driller, 26th, 2:25.82.
“I’m really excited for Morten,” Francis said. “He was second on the second run and he’ll take some momentum into the slalom on Saturday. It was a beautiful day in Colorado and the snow was amazing.”
Sean Alexander of Alaska Anchorage won the men’s giant slalom title in 2:19.30.
In Nordic action, it was the Bobcat women’s squad that carried the load as three MSU racers placed in the top 10. Senior Cambria McDermott finished fourth overall covering the five-kilometer course in 13:32.1. She was followed by Anika Miller, seventh, 13:45.7, and Johanna Taliharm, eighth, 13:46.2.
Utah’s Veronika Mayerhofer won the women’s freestyle title in 13:04.6.
Senior Sawyer Kesselheim posted his seventh top 10 showing of the season placing seventh in the men’s 10-kilometer freestyle in 23:28.1. He was followed by Forrest Mahlen, 11th, 23:41.3, and Karsten Hokanson, 12th, 23:46.3.
Colorado’s Mads Stroem won the men’s freestyle crown in 22:12.6.
After four events, Utah leads the team standings with 361 points. The Utes are followed by Denver 304, Colorado 297, MSU 269, New Mexico 221, Alaska Anchorage 216, Wyoming 58 and Colorado Mountain 49.
The RMISA/NCAA West Regional will conclude Saturday with the slalom and Nordic classic races.
Other Bobcat Finishers: Women’s Giant Slalom – Stephanie Gartner, 15th, 2:24.08; Kari Hole, 17th, 2:24.91; Jocelyn McCarthy, 25th, 2:30.9. Men’s Giant Slalom – David Neuhauser, DNF; Andrew Kircher, DQ. Women’s 5K Freestyle – Gretchen Burkholder, 19th, 14:24.8; Lina Hultin, 20th, 14:34.0; Olivia Ekblad, 28th, 15:11.0. Men’s 10K Freestyle – Erik Axelsson, 18th, 24:16.0; Martin Muan, 25th, 24:50.9; Noah Andersen, 30th, 25:46.6.
Press release courtesy of Tom Shulz – Montana State Sports Information. All Rights Reserved.
