Hammergaard had two top 10s at Westminster

SNOWBIRD, UtahSenior Emma Hammergaard picked up a pair of top-10 finishes as the women’s alpine team began the 2023 season at the Colorado Buffaloes Ski Team here Thursday at the Westminster Invitational.

In two slalom events, Hammergaard finished eighth in both events and was joined by a graduate student Kaitlyn Harsch top 10 in the first race when he finished seventh.

“Snowbird did a good job of getting the track ready,” Alp’s trainer Chad Wolk said. “They watered the course the last few days and then we got 10 inches of snow that we had to push around, but it held up really well.”

In the first race Elena Exenberger was CU’s third finisher in 20th place before breaking his pole in the final run of the day to DNF in the second race. Harsch had three solid runs, but had to wander in his first Run of the second race to finish 26th. Cleo Brown finished 25th in the first race and 23rd in the second.

The Buffs scored 62 team points in the first race and 47 in the second race to finish the day with 109 points for sixth place. Utah and Denver battled in two contests to finish atop the standings by one point with the Utes leading 182-181 over the Pioneers. Montana State is third with 129, followed by Alaska Anchorage (127) and host Westminster (111).

WHAT DOES IT MEAN

With only four healthy skiers on the women’s alpine team, days like this can happen, especially when student-athletes are asked to ski two races, four full runs, in one day. The men’s team has more depth and should be able to bounce back and move up a bit in the standings on Friday. Next week in the state of Montana, the GS tournament will be played more with the strength of the Buffs.

NEXT

The Westminster Invitational concludes on Friday with two men’s slalom events. The teams will then head to Bozeman for the giant slalom early next week.

GROUP NOTES

• The Buffs scored 109 points, 62 in the first contest and 47 in the second.

WOMEN’S ALPINE

• Hammergaard finished eighth in both races. He now has 41 career race starts, finishing 33 with 31 top 20 finishes and 17 top 10 finishes.
• Harsch finished seventh in the first race and 26th in the second race. He has now started 46 races in his career with 38 finishes, 25 in top 20 and five top ten finishes, all in slalom.
• Exenberger finished 20th in the first race and did not qualify in the second race. He has finished 10 of 13 career races, all in the top 20.
• Braun was competing in the ninth and 10th races of his career, and after finishing just one slalom race as a freshman, he finished both Thursday, taking 25th in the first and 23rd in the second.

MONTANA STATE INVITATION FUNCTIONS (2 out of 4 races)1. Utah 182; 2. Denver 181; 3. Montana State 129; 4. Alaska Anchorage 127; 5. Westminster 111; 6. Colorado 109; 7. Nevada 58; 8. Colorado Mountain 29.

WOMEN’S SLALOMO #1 (34 university students)1. Madison Hoffman, UU, 1:37.83; 2. Sarah Rask, DU, 1:37.99; 3. Michelle Kerven, UU, 1:38.19; 4. Nora Brand, DU, 1:39.48; 5. Ella Bronee, UAA, 1:39.55; 6. Evelina Fredricsson, WMC, 1:39.81; 7. Kaitlyn Harsch, CU, 1:39.82; 8. Emma Hammergaard, CU, 1:39.92; 9. Kristiane Bekkestad, MSU, 1:40.14; 10. Eleri Smart, DU, 1:40.16. Other CU finishes: 20. Elena Exenberger1:42.22; 25. Cleo Brown1:43.47.

WOMEN’S SLALOMO #2 (31 college titles)1.Sarah Rask, DU, 1:34.49; 2. Madison Hoffman, 1:35.92; 3. Michelle Kerven, UU, 1:36.00; 4. Nora Brand, DU, 1:36.43; 5. Justine LaMontagne, MSU, 1:37.43; 6. Ella Bronee, UAA, 1:38.26; 7. Kristine Bekkestad, MSU, 1:38.71; 8. Emma Hammergaard, CU, 1:39.20; 9. Ylva Falksete, 1:39.69; 10. Galena Wardle, DU, 1:39.97. Other CU finishes: 23. Cleo Brown1:42.07; 26. Kaitlyn Harsch, 1:46.17. Did not make it to the second run: Elena Exenberger.