Gagarina-Pedro, a sophomore transfer who hails originally from Russia, won her age division (19-24) in Friday's giant slalom. In a field of over 40 skiers, she placed 12th overall in a time 125.88 seconds for her two runs. Teammate Amy Johnson was fourth after the first run but then fell on her second trip down the hill.
Kevin Novack, a member of the Missionary men's junior varsity, was Whitman's only male representative in Friday's competition. He placed 46th in a field of over 80 skiers, and then improved his standing to 37th in Sunday's event.
Rice, a freshman, arrived in time for Sunday's race along with four more members of the women's varsity -- Burke, Ingrid Backstrom, Heidi Reifenstein and Amy Johnson. Rice, already in line for a spot on the men's varsity, finished first in his age division (19-24) and was second overall in a time of 118.67 seconds for his two runs. "Josh is going to be a great skier for us," Olson said. "He skied very well for this early in the season."
In the women's competition Sunday, Burke placed first in the 19-24 age division and third overall in a time of 127.36 seconds for her two runs. "It was good to see Jessica finish so strong," Olson said. "She was inconsistent last season as a freshman, but she's a lot stronger now. When she finishes, she finishes fast."
In other Sunday results in the 19-24 age division, Whitman's Heidi Reifenstein placed second (11th overall) while Gagarina-Pedro was third (13th overall). Backstrom finished 10th overall while placing first in the 17-18 age division. Johnson placed 26th in Sunday's race.
"It was a great weekend in that we accomplished what we wanted," Olson added. "For the students able to get away from school for a few days, it was a chance to get more training on snow and get the feel for race-day conditions. For the athletes and coaches, it was a chance to see what we need to work on."
Olson expects to carry six women on his varsity. Erin Gilbertson, a junior from last year's team, will rejoin the team next month. She was on foreign study during the fall semester. The men's varsity, in addition to Rice, will include Mike Barnett, Gery Benedetti, Mike Craven, Brett MacFarlane, Andy Olsson and Charlie Woodruff.
"We showed a lot of improvement from the races earlier in the month at Mt. Bachelor, but we still have a lot of work to do," Whitman coach Tom Olson said. "We still need some cooperation from Mother Nature. The conditions at Schweitzer were terrible with three feet of new snow."
In Saturday's race, Craven won the first run in 62.15 seconds and placed second overall with a combined time of 119.75 seconds. Olsson finished third overall in a time of 120.18 seconds for his two runs.
In Sunday's event, Olsson won the second run in 64.81 seconds and placed second overall in a total time of 126.06 seconds. Craven placed fourth with a combined time of 127.14 seconds.
Whitman's Scott Siler also had a good weekend, placing 17th on Saturday and moving up a notch to 16th on Sunday. Teammate Kevin Novack placed 73rd in Sunday's event.
Backstrom, a freshman, placed fifth on Saturday in a time of 132.64 for her two runs and then dipped to ninth on Sunday. Gagarina-Pedro had her best day Sunday, placing sixth in a time of 140.57 seconds, after placing ninth on Saturday.
Whitman's Jessica Burke finished in the 11th spot Saturday and then bounced back from a slow first run on Sunday to place 38th. Jaime Scates placed 37th for the Missionaries on Saturday, trimming her time by more than 11 seconds from the first run to the second. Scates placed 42nd on Sunday.
Tera Watts, a Walla Walla High School student who trains with the Whitman ski teams, placed eighth in Sunday's event.
"Andy is confident and skiing very well right now," Olson said. "He's a very solid, consistent skier. All he needs now is more and more time in the gates to ski faster and faster."
Dina Gagarina-Pedro, Whitman's only skier on the women's side, was in second place after Sunday's first slalom run. She fell on her second run, however. She also fell on her first run Saturday, when snow conditions were poor.
Whitman's Jessica Burke suffered a broken hand while training Friday and was scratched from the competition.
Brett Macfarlane and Scott Siler also had a good weekend for the Whitman men. Siler placed third Saturday and fifth Sunday. Macfarlane was third Sunday and sixth Saturday.
Whitman's Kevin Novack placed 12th and 18th in the two events. The men's races attracted nearly 80 skiers. The women's events drew about 30 competitors.
Whitman's Heidi Reifenstein, a freshman from Juneau, Alaska, won both giant slalom events, leading the young Missionary women's squad to a team victory both days.
Meanwhile, the Whitman men skied without three of their top competitors and still won Sunday's giant slalom after placing second in Saturday's event. Charlie Woodruff, a Missionary freshman from Steamboat Spring, Colorado, was the top finisher Sunday after placing second on Saturday.
"The weekend went extremely well," Whitman coach Tom Olson said. "Our skiers just smoked the opposition. They were awesome. I couldn't be more pleased."
Olson was pleasantly surprised by his women's team, which features four freshmen and a sophomore. The Missionaries knocked off favored Albertson College both days.
"I think our women surprised a lot of people," Olson said. "I know I'm amazed at how well they are skiing right now. We really haven't had very much time yet to train as a team. I know we're going to get much faster."
Olson expects his women's team to battle Albertson for the conference title over the final three weekends of the conference title. "Albertson is still the women's team to beat," he said. "They're tough, talented and cohesive. It's going to be a great competition for the next month or so."
The men's and women's conference titles are decided by four weekends of competition. Whitman teams have won the last three titles.
Also placing in the top ten for Whitman were freshman Jessica Burke (5th, 1:11.40) and freshmen Ingrid Backstrom (6th, 1:13.04). Whitman's Amy Johnson, another freshman, placed 14th in 1:17.41, followed by sophomore teammate Dina Gagarina-Pedro in 16th place in 1:20.24.
As a team, the Whitman women won Saturday's giant slalom in a combined time of 330.68 seconds. Albertson was nearly three seconds back in second place. The University of British Columbia was third, Seattle University fourth and Western Washington University fifth. A total of 13 teams and about 80 skiers competed Saturday.
In Sunday's giant slalom, Reifenstein won the first run and placed first overall in 107.62. Burke won the second run for the Missionaries and placed third overall in 109.14. Jodi Langille was second in 108.91.
Backstrom placed fifth Sunday in 111.20. Johnson was 10th in 114.39 and Gagarina-Pedro 16th in 117.23.
"Charlie is only a freshman, but he's a very fine, talented skier," Olson said. "He's got a nice touch on the snow."
Two other Whitman freshmen, Mike Barnett and Josh Rice, also placed in the top ten Sunday. Barnett was seventh in 1:05.44 while Rice was 10th in 1:06.33. Scott Siler placed 22nd in 1:08.57. Kevin Novack fell on his first run.
Whitman won Sunday's team competition with a combined time of 312.38. The University of British Columbia (UBC) was second in 313.41, followed by Oregon State University 316.07, University of Washington 320.50, and Albertson College 323.01.
In Saturday's giant slalom, Woodruff won the first run but was edged out by UBC's McLorie on the second run. Woodruff's time for both runs was 1:04.20, less than a half second out of first.
UBC won Saturday's team scoring with a combined time of 318.59 seconds. Whitman was second with 318.98, followed by Albertson 323.74, University of Washington 324.98, and Oregon State 326.99.
Also placing Saturday for the Whitman men were Barnett, 6th, 1:06.81; Benedetti, 12th, 1:07.97; Rice, 14th, 1:08.16; Siler, 25th, 1:12.44; and Novack, 35th, 1:17.48.
The men's events drew 14 teams and over 100 skiers. Three of Whitman's top men -- sophomores Andy Olsson and Mike Craven and freshman Brett Mcfarlane -- did not compete. They represented Whitman instead at an NCAA race hosted last weekend by the University of Utah. Results of that race are not yet available.
"Overall, it was a pretty good weekend for us," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "We skied pretty well, and we also learned some very valuable lessons about team skiing. It's better that we learn those lessons now than at regionals, when there are no second chances."
In a field of nearly 100 skiers, Whitman's Scott Siler placed 12th in 103.62 seconds on Saturday while teammate Josh Rice was 14th in 104.26. Mike Barnett fell on his first run, hiked back around a gate and still finished 37th in 118.44.
Despite the absence of two its top skiers, the Whitman men won Saturday's slalom by more than 25 seconds. The Missionaries placed first with a combined time of 282.66 seconds. Oregon State was second with 308.19 seconds, followed in order by Albertson College, the University of Puget Sound and the University of Washington. A total of 15 schools competed in the men's race.
Whitman senior Gery Benedetti missed the weekend races, choosing to stay home and concentrate on academic work. Brett Macfarlene, one of Whitman's best freshmen, hurt a knee earlier this month and is probably out for the season.
The Whitman men also placed first in Sunday's slalom, winning with a combined time of 264.83 seconds. Albertson was nearly seven seconds back in second place, followed by the University of British Columbia (UBC) in third, the University of Puget Sound in fourth and the University of Washington in fifth.
UBC's Brennan Cook was the top finisher Sunday in a time of 84.84, with Whitman's Olsson placing second in 85.40. Woodruff won the second run and placed third overall for the Missionaries in 87.17 seconds. Barnett was 14th in 92.26, Siler 19th in 93.98 and Rice 22nd in 95.73. Craven fell on his first run Sunday and slipped to 23rd with a time of 96.47.
Whitman's Dina Gagarina-Pedro won Saturday's first run and finished second overall in 111.07 seconds. Also placing in the top ten for the Missionaries were Heidi Reifenstein in fifth place (111.71) and Ingrid Backstrom in seventh (113.95).
Erin Gilbertson, competing in her first race after studying in Europe last semester, fell on her first run and placed 26th in 134.90. Jessica Burke, skiing with a broken hand and a cast, also fell on one of her runs and placed 43rd in 162.58.
The women's competition drew 14 schools and about 80 skiers.
The Missionary women placed first as a team with a combined time of 333.02 seconds. Albertson College was second with a time of 353.89 seconds. Seattle University was third, the University of Washington fourth and the University of Idaho fifth.
With two of their best skiers falling and failing to finish on Sunday, the Whitman women slid to a fourth-place finish in the team scoring. Seattle University was first with a combined time of 272.26 seconds. Albertson was second, the University of Oregon third and Whitman fourth in 291.79 seconds.
Oregon's Sarah Momsen won Sunday's slalom in a time of 86.36 seconds for her two runs. Whitman's Johnson won the second run and was third overall in 88.25 seconds. Backstrom placed second on her second run and finished eighth overall. Gilbertson was 14th.
Burke fell on her first run and placed 36th in 111.91. Whitman's Reifenstein and Gagarina-Pedro were among several skiers who fell and did not finish Sunday's event.
Tera Watts, a Wa-Hi junior who trains with both the Whitman ski teams and the local Bluewood Blazers, made her best showing in Sunday's slalom, placing fourth overall in a time of 88.25 seconds.
Watts, who is attempting to qualify for the Junior Olympics in March, competed in last weekend's collegiate races as a U.S. Ski Association junior competitor.
"Tera is one of the best skiers in the country in her age group," Olson said. "Being able to train and ski with our college team, as well as the Bluewood Blazers, has taken her skiing to a whole new level. Our team has given her the nickname, super rookie."
"Both our men and women have it clinched, which is something I don't think both teams have done at the same time before," Whitman coach Tom Olson said. "This is the strongest and deepest alpine team, men and women, I've had in 17 years of coaching."
"I knew the guys were going to be very strong this year, and they are skiing with a great deal of confidence right now," Olson added. "I've got coaches and other athletes asking me after the races what I'm feeding these guys, and they ask where we found all these women."
Other than Erin Gilbertson, who returned to the team last month after studying in Europe during the fall semester, the Whitman women's team is stocked with newcomers this winter.
"The women keep surprising me week after week," Olson said. "They finished every run last weekend, and they did it with fast times."
The conference season concludes Feb. 8-9 at Mt. Hood with Albertson College trailing Whitman in both the men's and women's team standings. In neither case, however, can Albertson score enough points to overtake the Missionaries.
Olsson continued to dominate in the slalom, winning in 76.38 seconds. Teammate Charlie Woodruff was second in 78.56, followed by Gery Benedetti in third in 80.00. Mike Craven was sixth in 80.14 and Scott Siler 19th in 87.02. Mike Barnett and Josh Rice fell on their second runs and finished 33rd and 42nd overall.
"Andy really is ahead of everyone else when it comes to the slalom," Olson said. "But Charlie is giving him a run for his money every weekend, and for someone who really hasn't trained very much, Gery is getting closer with each race."
Whitman won the team slalom scoring with 234.94 seconds. Albertson was well back in second with a combined time of 251.47. The University of Puget Sound was third, followed by the University of Washington in fourth and Oregon State in fifth.
With three of his teammates finishing right behind him, Olsson won Sunday's giant slalom in 85.67 seconds. Woodruff was second in 85.37, Benedetti third in 86.15 and Craven fourth in 86.59.
"If Brett Macfarlane wasn't injured right now, we probably would have finished with the top five times," Olson said.
Barnett placed 20th in Sunday's giant slalom in 90.24 seconds. Siler was 24th in 91.95. Rice fell and did not finish his second run.
In the team scoring, Whitman won with a time of 256.79. The University of Washington was second with 264.24 seconds, followed by Albertson in third, Oregon State in fourth and Puget Sound in fifth.
The men's weekend competition drew 15 teams and nearly 100 skiers.
Dina Gagarina-Pedro led the onslaught on Saturday, winning the slalom in 90.46 seconds. Amy Johnson was fifth in 92.03 seconds, Heidi Reifenstein sixth in 93.39, Ingrid Backstrom seventh in 94.19 and Jessice Burke ninth in 94.38. Erin Gilbertson placed 19th in 100.33 seconds.
The Missionaries won Saturday's team scoring with a time of 275.88 seconds. Albertson was second in 279.82 seconds. Seattle University was third, the University of British Columbia fourth and the University of Idaho fifth.
Reifenstein won her third straight giant slalom Sunday in a time of 87.69 seconds. Skiing the same course as the men, she finished with a time that would have placed her eighth in the men's event.
Burke was third in 91.13 seconds, followed by Backstrom in fourth in 91.25 and Gagarina-Pedro in eighth in 94.34. Johnson was 20th in 96.67 seconds, while Gilbertson was 28th in 100.41.
Tera Watts, a Walla Walla High School junior who trains with the Whitman teams, placed seventh in 94.18.
Whitman won the women's giant slalom with a combined time of 270.07 seconds. Albertson was nine seconds back in second place. British Columbia was third, Seattle fourth and the University of Oregon fifth. The women's weekend events attracted 14 schools and about 80 competitors.
Led by Andy Olsson, their ace, the Whitman men continued their season-long
dominance of the conference, winning Saturday's slalom and Sunday's giant
slalom. Olsson, a junior, was the top individual finisher both days,
leading the Missionaries to a one-two-three sweep on Sunday. Whitman
claimed four of the top five spots on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Whitman freshman Heidi Reifenstein retained her stranglehold on the women's giant slalom event, winning Sunday's competition and leading her teammates to victory in the team scoring. Emily Thurber, skiing for Albertson College, prevented the Whitman women from claiming a weekend sweep, winning Saturday's slalom and leading her squad to the team triumph. Reifenstein placed second in the individual slalom scoring as did Whitman as a team.
The conference titles were based on results from eight events spread over four weekends. Each team counted results from its best three weekends for the final conference standings. The top eight teams in both the men's and women's standings advance to the U.S. Collegiate Ski Association's western region championships.
In the final men's standings, Whitman was first with 150 points, followed by the University of British Columbia (UBC) in second with 109 points and Albertson College in third with 105 points. Rounding out the top eight were Oregon State 81, University of Washington 78, University of Puget Sound 72, Eastern Oregon State College 56 and Seattle University 50.
The Whitman women also finished with 150 points to top their conference standings. Albertson was second with 125 points and Seattle University third with 97 points. UBC was next with 81 points, followed by the University of Oregon 67, University of Washington 61, Western Washington University 60, and the University of Idaho 53.
The Whitman men recorded a near perfect conference season, winning seven of eight events. In the only conference event they didn't win, the Missionaries placed second -- by little more than a half second. Three of Whitman's top skiers missed that event because they competed instead in an NCAA race.
Olsson was far and away Whitman's most dominant skier. He won five of the six conference events in which he competed. In the only event he didn't win, Olsson was edged into second place by four-tenths of a second.
"I honestly think Andy is the best American collegiate skier in the country at this time," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "There might be some Europeans on U.S. teams who can ski with Andy, but other than that, he's in a class by himself."
Charlie Woodruff, a Whitman freshman, also enjoyed a strong conference
season, winning one event, placing second three times and finishing third
in three other events. Mike Craven had a pair of second-place showings as
well as two fourth-place finishes. Gery Benedetti placed third in three
events.
"We've never had a men's team with the talent and depth to dominate the way we have this season," Olson said. "This is the first time we've had the potential to sweep the top four or five spots each and every week."
For a young team not favored to win the conference title, the Whitman women also turned in a near flawless season. The Missionaries won six of eight conference events, finishing second once and fourth once. Reifenstein piled up the most individual points, winning all four giant slalon events while placing second, fifth and sixth in the slalom.
Whitman skiers also won two of the four women's slalom events. Freshman
Amy Johnson registered one of those slalom victories while sophomore
transfer Dina Gagarina-Pedro got the other. Gagarina-Pedro also had a
second-place slalom finish to her credit.
Despite a broken hand, sophomore Jessica Burke was a key contributor in the giant slalom, placing second once, third twice and fifth once. Ingrid Backstrom, a freshman, finished in the top eight in seven events, placing as high as fourth.
"On paper, Albertson was the early season favorite to win the women's title," Olson said. "I really thought they were going to blow everyone away, and that we would finish in the top three or four. But while Albertson, for the most part, failed to ski to its potential, our women were exceeding their point profiles, week after week."
While the Whitman women caught Olson and the rest of the conference, they quickly established themselves as the team to beat. "By last week, when we were training for the final conference weekend, the change was obvious," Olson said. "The women were training and skiing like conference champs. From a technical standpoint, they were very sound, and they they skiing very fast with a great deal of confidence."
The Whitman women became the first women's team in NCSC history to win four straight conference titles. The Missionary women, who began their string by finishing in a first-place tie at the end of the 1993-94 season, have won the past three titles outright.
Whitman is the second men's team to win four straight conference crowns. The College of Idaho (now Albertson College) ran off four straight titles from 1980 through 1983.
Andy Olsson and Mike Craven swapped first and second places in
Saturday's
two slalom runs at Mt. Hood, but it was Olsson who won the event in a
combined time of 77.82 seconds. Craven was second in 78.93, while Gery
Benedetti placed third in 80.84.Charlie Woodruff, suffering through what he told his coach was the "worst slalom of my life," placed 15th Saturday in a time of 84.57 seconds. Mike Barnett was 18th in 85.34, while Scott Siler was 22nd in 87.37. Josh Rice did not finish his second run.
In Saturday's team scoring, Whitman took first with a time of 237.59 seconds. The University of British Columbia (UBC) was second in 243.46 seconds and Albertson College third in 250.84. The University of Puget Sound (UPS) was fourth and Oregon State fifth.
Olsson was a winner again in Sunday's giant slalom in a time of 1:07.78. UBC's Dave McLorie was second, followed by Woodruff in third (1:09.33), Craven in fourth (1:10.56) and Benedetti in fifth (1:10.67).
Barnett placed 18th in 1:14.11, Siler was 27th in 1:16.15, and Rice 29th in 1:17.24. Whitman won the team scoring with a combined time of 327.67 seconds. UBC was second in 332.34 and Albertson third in 340.09. Oregon State was fourth and the University of Washington fifth.
Heidi Reifenstein won her fourth straight giant slalom
Sunday at Mt. Hood.
In a time of 1:13.33, she finished a full two seconds ahead of teammate
Jessica Burke, who took second place in 1:15.47. Ingrid Backstrom was
seventh in 1:20.50, and Amy Johnson was 10th in 1:21.55. Dina
Gagarina-Pedro was 17th in 1:23.29, and Erin Gilbertson was 29th in
1:29.40.Whitman took top honors in Sunday's team scoring with a combined time of 349.30 seconds. Albertson was second in 352.97, with Seattle University placing third in 367.16. UBC was fourth and the University of Oregon fifth.
With Emily Thurber beating the field by three seconds, the Albertson women were clear-cut winners in Saturday's slalom. Thurber won the event in a time of 86.40. Reifenstein was second in 89.40. Burke was seventh in 91.52 and Gagarina-Pedro was ninth in 92.15. Backstrom was 17th in 96.25, Gilbertson was 19th in 97.28, and Johnson slipped to 49th after falling on her first run.
Albertson won Saturday's team scoring in 266.97 seconds. Whitman was second in 273.07, finishing just ahead of Seattle University and its 274.62 seconds. UBC was fourth and the University of Washington fifth.
The Whitman alpine teams capped their weekend by naming Tera Watts, a
junior at Walla Walla High School, an honorary member of the team. "It's
been fun having Tera train and ski with us this season," coach Tom Olson
said. "So, we wanted to recognize her as an honorary member."
Watts competed in both weekend races, placing sixth both days. "Tera skied very well, very clean," Olson said. "She didn't go as fast as she can, but she still placed sixth against some of the best collegiate skiers in the country, some of whom will go on to be All-Americans. For her to ski that well as a junior in high school is amazing."
Watts, 16, will compete this Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 15-16, in a Junior Olympics qualifying event at Mt. Hood. She will compete next week (Feb. 17-21) in a second Junior Olympics qualifier at Mt. Bachelor.
What can you do for an encore after winning all four giant slalom events
during the Northwest Collegiate Ski Conference season?Whitman freshman Heidi Reifenstein answered that question today (Tuesday, Feb. 18) by winning the women's giant slalom at the U.S. Collegiate Ski Association's western region championships in Winter Park, Colorado.
Reifenstein bagged the regional giant slalom title with a time of 1:31.75 for her two runs down the hill. Marni Yamada of Colorado Mountain College was more than a second behind in second place with a time of 1:32.85. Emily Thurber of Albertson College was third in 1:32.88.
"Heidi is one awesome giant slalom skier," Whitman coach Tom Olson said. "This was a very deep, talented field. Solid, consistent skiing is what gets it done at this level, and Heidi pulled a great second run to get it done."
Whitman's Amy Johnson, another freshman on a team of first- and second-year skiers, was third on her second run and finished 10th overall in 1:38.29. Dina Gagarina-Pedro was 23rd in 1:43.29, while teammate Ingrid Backstrom was 28th in 1:44.92. Jessice Burke fell on her first run and did not finish.
As a group, the Whitman women placed second in the team scoring. Albertson won the giant slalom team title with a combined time of 406.08 seconds. Whitman was second in 413.33 seconds. Montana State University took third in 423.29.
A total of 16 teams and about 80 skiers competed. The University of British Columbia was fourth and Seattle University fifth. Rounding out the top ten, in order, were Colorado Mountain College, Rocky Mountain College, Colorado State, University of Oregon and Colorado College.
Olson said Burke's fall on her first run opened the door for Albertson to win the team scoring. "It's too bad because Jessica was having a very fast first run, a real ripper," he said. "Had she not fallen, she was probably going to win the first run. She was about seven gates from the finish when she hooked a tip and fell."
Whitman freshman Charlie Woodruff was back on his home turf Wednesday for
the men's giant slalom in the U.S. Collegiate Ski Asssociaton's western
region championships at Winter Park, Colorado.And it showed.
Woodruff, who hails from nearby Steamboat Springs, Colo., made the most of the home slope advantage in placing second overall and leading the Missionaries to victory in the team scoring.
Alexandre Lussier, a French Canadian and former World Cup skier now competing for Rocky Mountain College, won the event in 2:05.22 for his two runs down the hill. Woodruff was second in 2:06.35.
"Charlie had a great second run," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "This is where he grew up, and he felt right at home. His mom was there. His dogs were there."
There was more to Woodruff's strong showing than home cooking, however. During the recent Northwest Collegiate Ski Conference season, Woodruff was a model of consistency, winning one event and placing second or third on six other occasions.
The Whitman men captured the regional giant slalom title with a combined time of 381.09 seconds. The University of British Columbia was second with a time of 384.53 seconds with Rocky Mountain College placing third in 386.65. Colorado Mountain College was fourth and Montana State fifth.
Filling out the top ten in a field of 16 schools were Albertson College in sixth, followed in order by Oregon State, University of Washington, Fort Lewis College and Eastern Oregon State College. About 90 skiers competed.
Whitman's Gery Benedetti placed sixth in 2:07.22. Teammate Andy Olsson, who won seven of eight Northwest Conference events earlier this season, overcame a shaky first run to place second on his second run and finish seventh overall in 2:07.52.
"Gery skied very well, and Andy obviously is a much better skier than what he showed on the first run," Olson said. "But Andy had trouble with one part of the course and scrubbed a lot of speed. That's ski racing. It all happens in a heartbeat out there."
Whitman's Mike Craven placed 13th in 2:10.25. Mike Barnett, another Whitman freshman, was 43rd in 2:21.02.
"The weather was just beautiful today, and our guys were really fired up," Olson said. "I really think we have the best men's and women's teams here, even though the women were second yesterday."
The regional championships conclude Thursday with the men's and women's slalom events. The top five teams, men and women, advance to the national championships.
"Finishing in the top five is all that we want at this point," Olson said. "After the first two events, the pressure is really off our team. All we have to do Thursday is ski smart and clean. All we have to do is finish and we're going to be in good shape."
Meanwhile, the Whitman women placed third in Thursday's slalom after placing second two days earlier in the giant slalom. Albertson College won both women's events to capture that regional title.
The top five teams in both the men's and women's competitions advance to the national championships in early March.
"All that matters was for our teams to finish in the top five and take the next step to nationals," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "At the same time it's really nice to have our teams place first and second, especially when you consider that our women's team is very young."
In the men's slalom Thursday, Trevor Wachsman of Colorado Mountain College
took first in 92.85 seconds, nipping Whitman's Andy Olsson by seven
one-hundredths of a second. Olsson finished second on his first run before
winning his second run.
"Andy skied great today, but so did Trevor," Olson said. "They are both awesome athletes."
Whitman's Mike Craven placed sixth in 96.85, and Charlie Woodruff was 12th in 98.86. Mike Barnett fell on his second run and did not finish.
Whitman won the team title with a time of 288.63 seconds, whipping second-place Rocky Mountain College by more than 10 seconds. Colorado Mountain College was third, Albertson College fourth and Oregon State fifth.
The University of Washington was sixth, followed by Fort Lewis College, University of Puget Sound, University of British Columbia and Seattle University.
"Our guys were 1.3 seconds out of first place after the first slalom run," Olson noted. "Then we had a great second run and beat the field pretty soundly."
In the women's slalom Thursday, Albertson skiers swept three of the top four spots to win easily. Kristy Timm won the event in 91.28 seconds, while teammate Emily Thurber was second.
Whitman's Amy Johnson, a freshman, placed sixth in 92.58 seconds. Ingrid
Backstrom, another freshman, finished 11th in 94.77.
Heidi Reifenstein, a third Whitman freshman who won Tuesday's giant slalom, hurt a leg in a training run fall on Wednesday and slipped to 15th in Thursday's slalom. Her time was 95.63.
"Heidi obviously wasn't up to par, but she gave it her best shot," Olson said. Also placing for Whitman on Thursday were Dina Gagarina-Pedro, who was 19th in 97.07, and Jessica Burke, who was 22nd in 97.48.
"Our women all felt they could have done better," Olson said. "But even though we didn't ski exceptionally well, we skied smart and did what was necessary to make it back to nationals."
By winning both regional events, the Whitman men advance to nationals with two points. Also qualifying for nationals on the men's side were Rocky Mountain College with five points, Colorado Mountain College with seven points, University of British Columbia with eight points and Albertson College with ten.
The Albertson women also won both regional events to take the top seed to nationals. The Whitman women placed second with five points, edging third place Montana State by a half point. Seattle University advanced with 10 points, as did Colorado Mountain College with 10.5.
Whitman's Heidi Reifenstein and Jessica Burke earned All-American honors
in
the women's giant slalom Wednesday as the U.S. Collegiate Ski
Association's national championships opened at the Diamond Peak Ski Resort
in Incline Village, Nevada.With Reifenstein placing fifth in 124.82 seconds for her two runs and Burke taking 11th in 127.03, the Whitman women placed third in the team standings with a combined time of 381.33 seconds for their top three finishers.
Whitman's Ingrid Backstrom turned up the heat on her second run and placed 18th in a time of 129.48 seconds. Dina Gagarina-Pedro finished 35th in 136.27 and Amy Johnson was 48th in 141.76.
The field included 90 skiers from 17 schools. The top 15 individual placers earned All-American honors.
With a team stocked with World Cup skiers from Europe and Canada, Sierra Nevada College swept the top four places and easily won the giant slalom team title with a combined time of 362.26 seconds. Boston College was second in the team scoring with 379.18 seconds, little more than two seconds ahead of third-place Whitman.
"No one could have touched Sierra Nevada today, but we felt we could have beaten Boston College," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "Both Heidi and Jessica struggled a little bit on their first run but then came back strong on their second. Overall, that was an outstanding performance for Heidi, given the level of competition she was facing, and Jessica probably had the best result of her life." Marcella Biondi won the race for Sierra Nevada in a time of 124.82.
"Sierra Nevada is the defending national alpine champion for both women and men," Olson noted. "Everyone on their roster is a former or current member of national teams from countries in Europe or Canada."
While no one expects the Sierra Nevada women to finish any lower than first in the two events, Olson said his women's team has a shot at beating Boston College in Friday's slalom event as well as the alpine combined scoring.
"Boston College has a lot of talent, and they're very competitive," he said. "But anything can happen in a ski race, especially the slalom. The slightest little bobble and your best skier can go down."
As it did one day earlier in the women's giant slalom, Sierra Nevada
College unleased a stable of World Cup skiers from around the
globe to dominate Thursday's running of the men's giant slalom at the U.S.
Collegiate Ski Association national championships at the Diamond Peak Ski
Resort.But with Andy Olsson placing seventh overall and Charlie Woodruff finishing eighth, Whitman edged out two other schools in a close battle for second place. Both Olsson and Woodruff earned All-American honors.
Sierra Nevada skiers swept four of the top five places and won the team scoring with a combined time of 363.25 seconds (top three finishers). Whitman took second with 375.36 seconds, followed by Rocky Mountain College in third with 376.04 seconds and the University of British Columbia in fourth with 376.21. Plymouth State College took fifth place in the 17-school field with 381.08 seconds.
Whitman was in third place in the team scoring, trailing Rocky Mountain College, after the first run. But the Missionaries used a strong second run to elbow Rocky Mountain from the runnerup spot.
Separation between the teams in second, third and fourth places was minimal because 12 athletes finished within a second of each other, Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "When that many athletes finish within a blink of an eye, it shows how competitive the race was."
Sierra Nevada's Euros Pavlovcic won the race with a time of 120.22 seconds for his two runs. One of teammates, Jonemil Furuseth, was second in 121.23.
Whitman's Olsson, a junior from Bellevue, Wash., took seventh in 124.18 seconds, just ahead of Woodruff, a freshman from Steamboat Springs, Colo., and his time of 124.22 seconds. "Those two can ski with the best of them, but they had a little trouble on the first run," Olson said. "Andy in particular could have finished in the top three, but he probably lost two seconds, maybe three seconds, on his first run. You make one little mistake and that's what happens. You lose a couple of seconds."
Sierra Nevada's skiers were "virtually flawless," Olson said. "Andy is experienced enough that he can ski that way, too, but he doesn't do it as consistently. Andy also has been in school the past three years while (the Sierra Nevada skiers) have spent most of their time on the World Cup tour."
Mike Craven, a Whitman junior, placed 18th in the 90-skier field. His time was 126.96 seconds. "Mike's goal today was to make the top ten," Olson said. "He fell a little short of that, but he still had a pretty solid day."
Two more Missionary freshmen, Mike Barnett and Josh Rice, placed in the top half of the field. Barnett was 35th in 132.61 and Rice was 38th in 133.45.
By placing second in the slalom, Whitman took a commanding lead in the battle for the national 4-way title, which is based on results from two alpine and two cross country events. Whitman's cross country team won men's 15-kilometer classic on Wednesday.
With two events complete in the four-way competition, the Whitman men lead with 17 points. Clarkson College is second with 41 points and Alfred University third with 69 points.
Whitman also holds a big lead in the women's 4-way competition. After placing second in the women's slalom and third in the women's 10-kilometer classic, the Missionary women lead with 12 points. The University of California-Davis is second with 38 points.
The Whitman men's and women's teams have both won the past two four-way national titles. "At this point, it looks very good for a three-peat," Olson said.
Sierra Nevada, the host school for the championships, routinely fills its alpine rosters with World Cup skiers from around the globe. It had won every women's (and men's) alpine combined title since 1991.
True to form, the Sierra Nevada women were easy winners in Wednesday's giant slalom, and they swept four of the top five places in Friday's first slalom run. That's when their wheels, or skis, fell off.
When Sierra Nevada's top three women fell on their second run, a young Whitman team quickly capitalized.
Ingrid Backstrom, a freshman, led the charge, placing third on her second
run to finish eighth overall in a time of 89.90 seconds. Heidi
Reifenstein, a second freshman, placed 11th in 91.21, while a third
Missionary freshman, Amy Johnson, was 14th in 92.55. All three earned
All-American honors by placing in the top 15.
As a group, the trio scored well enough to give Whitman the slalom title by a wide margin over second-place Boston College. The Missionaries won with a total time of 273.56 seconds for its top three finishers. Boston College was next with 280.19 seconds, followed by Montana State in third with 280.84.
"What a Cinderalla story for Whitman," Missionary alpine coach Tom Olson said. "We just beat Sierra Nevada and its Europeans on their home hill. We beat them on their home turf. This is the most memorable day in my 17 years of coaching. With the success our cross country teams are having this week, this is becoming the most successful year in the history of Whitman skiing."
Whitman's first-place finish in the slalom, coupled with its third-place finish in Wednesday's giant slalom, left the Missionaries with four points in the alpine combined scoring. Boston College also finished with four team points, based on its second-place finish in both events.
To break the deadlock, officials counted individual place points for each school's top three finishers in the two alpine events. That gave Whitman the alpine combined title -- only the second such title in school history -- by a 67 to 75 margin.
Oddly enough, when Whitman won its first women's alpine title in 1988, it also edged Boston College for the top spot, and it did so with a relatively young team that included three freshmen.
Keith Jensen and Rusty Lyons, Whitman's ski coaches in 1988, gave way two years later to Olson, who had led the College of Idaho (now Albertson College) to the men's and women's alpine titles in 1990. That was the last time, until today, that one of Sierra Nevada's alpine teams had failed to win the national crown.
"I don't know what happened to Sierra Nevada today," Olson said. "They have five world-class skiers, and three of them bit the dust. Everyone thought it was a race for second place behind Sierra Nevada."
One of Sierra Nevada's two surviving skiers, Simona Novara, won Friday's slalom in a time of 86.97 seconds. Whitman's Backstrom placed third in the second run and finished just six-tenths of a second out of fourth place in the overall standings.
"Ingrid just relaxed on her second run and had a lot of fun," Olson said. "We knew she had that kind of ability, and she basically skied the race of her life."
Backstrom finished the slalom with 64 race points, undercutting her career point profile by nearly half.
Reifenstein, who placed fifth in Wednesday's giant slalom, was rock solid
on both slalom runs, placing 11th and 12th. By the time Johnson entered
the starting gate for her second run, she faced a good deal of pressure.
Whitman's other two skiers, sophomores Dina Gagarina-Pedro and Jessica
Burke, had already slipped from contention, and the Missionaries needed
one final run to take the slalom title.
"Amy knew we had a good lead over Boston College, and that all she had to do was ski clean, not fall and finish," Olson said. "But that's a lot of pressure, a phenomenal amount of pressure. She showed tremendous maturity, and she had a good second run. She's a real trooper."
"All three of the freshmen did a great job in terms of team skiing," Olson added. "We talked about it before the race. Slalom is a tricky event. You want to be a little conservative on the first run, make sure you finish, and then make your move on the second run. That's what we did. If you go all out every time, you will fall at some point, and that's what Sierra Nevada did."
Gagarina-Pedro slipped to 39th in the 70-skier field, after missing a gate and hiking on her first run. Burke fell on her second run and did not finish.
With Andy Olsson placing fifth and Mike Craven taking eighth, the Whitman
men's alpine team placed third in the slalom as the U.S. Collegiate Ski
Association national championships concluded at Incline Village,
Nevada.Sierra Nevade College and its stable of World Cup skiers swept five of the top six individual places to easily win the slalom team title with a combined time of 246.37 seconds (top three finishers). The University of British Columbia was second in 265.33 seconds, while Whitman was a close third in 268.37.
Coupled with its earlier victory in the giant slalom, Sierra Nevada walked away with its seventh straight alpine combined title. Whitman, which placed second in the giant slalom, also finished second in the alpine combined scoring.
Sierra Nevada's Uros Pavlovcic won Saturday's slalom event in 81.42 seconds for his two runs down the hill. Olsson's fifth-place time was 84.87, while Craven was timed in 86.62. "Both Andy and Mike had great runs," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "This has been a great year for Mike in the slalom. He's made a big improvement."
Scott Siler completed Whitman's team scoring by placing 44th in a field of
more than 90 skiers. Siler's time was 96.88.
Bad luck struck Whitman's Charlie Woodruff on his first slalom run and knocked him from the competition. "Charlie was having a great run when his bindings pulled off one of his skis," Olson said. "His equipment just failed him."
Whitman's Mike Barnett, who was timed in 48.15 seconds on his first run, fell on his second run.