Junior Julia Babilis and freshman Hannes Zirknitzer were Whitman's top performers as the Missionary alpine ski teams competed in their first-ever NCAA races Friday at the Bobcat Invitational, hosted by Montana State University at the Big Sky Ski Resort south of Bozeman.
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Competing in the men's giant slalom, Whitman's Zirknitzer placed 17th in a time of 1:46.01 for his two runs. Zirknitzer, a native of Australia who enrolled at Whitman at the semester break, has already qualified for the World University Games, scheduled for later this month.
"After talking to Hannes after today's race, he definitely thinks he can ski into the top 15," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "Top ten in the giant slalom will be his goal."
The University of Utah's Pierre Olsson (Sweden) won the men's event with a time of 1:43.21. The University of Colorado's Brad Hogan, a recent member of the U.S. Ski Team, was second in 1:43.30. The University of Denver's Dominik Schweiger (Austria) took third in 1:43.39.
In the women's giant slalon, Whitman's Babilis placed 20th in the women's event, finishing her two runs in 1:55.28. "Like Hannes, Julia feels she can ski into the top 15," Olson said.
The University of New Mexico's Caroline Schicht (Norway) and the University of Utah's Lina Johansson (Sweden) finished in a first-place tie. Both were timed in 1:49.67, one-tenth of a second in front of Utah's Petra Svet (Slovenia).
"Given the level of competition and the lack of snow and training opportunities we've had here in the Northwest, it was great to see Julia and Hannes place as high as they did," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "In terms of preparation, we're a good 30 days behind the schools in Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. They've had snow, and we haven't."
All of Whitman's skiers should improve their individual placings as they get more opportunities to train on snow, or to at least compete in more races, Olson said. "It was exciting and challenging to be competing at this level for the first time, but it was also frustrating because we've haven't had the opportunity to prepare. We know we're going to do better, both individually as as a team, as the season goes along."
The alpine portion of the Bobcat Invitational concludes Saturday with slalom races. The Missionaries then head to Park City, Utah, for two more NCAA races on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 11-12.
Others competing for the Whitman men on Friday were junior Russ Crandall, 23rd, 1:48.97; senior Arne Backstrom, 26th, 1:50.79; freshman Chris McCullough, 28th, 1:53.40; freshman Nate Johnson, 36th, 2:03.63; and senior Doug Whitfield, 39th, 2:16.11.
"Both Russ and Arne feel they can move up," Olson said. "For the moment, Arne in particular is struggling with new skis and boots. Once he gets that straightened out, he'll be fine. The two freshmen (McCullough, Johnson) competed well today."
Whitfield, one of Whitman's strongest skiers, had a slow first run after hiking back around a gate. "Doug bounced back with a strong second run, but he lost too much time on his first run," Olson said.
Others placing for the Whitman women were junior Lindsay Barksdale, 29th, 1:59.76, and a quartet of first-year skiers: Victoria Amorello, 33rd, 2:01.22; Amy Sharp, 34th, 2:01.69; Jennifer Zappone, 36th, 2:02.10; and Jamie Hinderliter, 40th, 2:41.58. One of Whitman's top racers, junior Michelle Wall, is not skiing in this week's events.
"Lindsay came through for us with two good runs, and the first-year skiers did surprisingly well," Olson said. "Jennifer has been off snow for almost two years because of the injury that kept her from skiing for us last year. Jamie had the toughest time today, but even though she had to hike on both runs, she finished for the team."
In Friday's team scoring (men & women), Whitman placed seventh among nine schools with 65 total place points. Utah was first with 156.5 points, followed by Colorado 140, Denver 135, New Mexico 120, and the University of Nevada-Reno 102.5. Western State College was sixth with 84 points, 19 ahead of Whitman. Montana State, which doesn't have a men's team, finished in eighth with 40 points. The University of Alaska-Anchorage was ninth with 38 points.
"This might be our first year in Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association conference, but we think we can beat at least a few of these teams," Olson said. "Had the circumstances been different today, we think we could have scored more points and come much closer to the fifth spot as a team."
As individuals, Whitman skiers can compete in as many 10 events over the next several weeks in attempting to qualify for the NCAA national championships. The RMISA conference will send its top 19 men and top 20 women to nationals. "We've got a handful of alpine skiers who have a legitimate shot at qualifying," Olson said.
Whitman's Hannes Zirknitzer took a big step toward qualifying for the NCAA national ski championships by placing 10th in Saturday's slalom event at the Bobcat Invitational, hosted by Montana State University at the Big Sky Resort near Bozeman.
Posting the fourth-best time of the second run, Zirknitzer finished with a total time of 1:43.86. The Missionary freshman finished less than one-half second out of sixth place.
"The slalom is definitely his forte," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "If Hannes can post one more top ten finish as the season goes along, he can almost guarantee himself a spot at nationals."
In the women's slalom on Saturday, Whitman sophomore Jennifer Zappone and junior teammate Julia Babilis finished 24th and 25th, respectively, with times of 1:50.60 and 1:51.39. "Both Jennifer and Julia were on track to finish higher, but both had trouble on their second runs," Olson said. "Slalom is the most skill-specific of the alpine events, and we haven't had nearly enough training on snow."
The University of Utah's Pierre Olsson (Sweden), who won Friday's giant slalom, added a second victory in the men's slalom on Saturday. His time was 1:41.76, just three one-hundredths of a second in front of the University of Colorado's Jed Schuetze (Longmont, Colo.). Slovenia's Jernej Bukovec, who also skies for the University of Utah, was third in 1:41.87.
Senior Arne Backstrom posted Whitman's second-best finish in the men's slalom, finishing 24th in 1:18.95. "Arne is still flip-flopping on his equipment, and his timing isn't there yet because of our limited training," Olson said. "Arne will get things worked out and finish much higher."
Two Whitman freshmen, Chris McCullough and Nate Johnson, placed 31st and 32nd, respectively, with times of 1:54.16 and 1:56.03. Senior Doug Whitfield, who was forced to hike around gates on both of runs, placed 45th in 2:28.99. Russ Crandall, a junior, was in 29th place after his first run, but he fell on his second run and did not finish.
The University of Colorado's Mia Cullman (Vail, Colo.) won the women's slalom on Saturday, clocking a 1:37.69, a full second in front of the University of New Mexico's Caroline Schicht (Norway), who won Friday's giant slalom. The University of Denver's Barbara Knor (Austria) took third place.
After Zappone and Babilis, Whitman's next-best finishes were posted by two first-year skiers, Jamie Hinderliter (28th, 1:54.60) and Victoria Amorello (31st, 1:57.14). Lindsay Barksdale, a Missionary junior, placed 32nd in 1:57.64. Amy Sharp, another of Whitman's first-year skiers, had trouble on her second run and slipped to 36th in 2:01.51.
In Saturday's slalom team scoring, the Whitman men placed seventh among eight teams with 40 points. Colorado was first with 71 points, followed by Utah 68, Denver 67, New Mexico 63, Nevada 52, and Alaska 48. Western State College finished last with 35 points.
In the women's slalom team scoring, Whitman placed eighth among nine teams with 32 points, ahead of Alaska and just three points behind Montana State. The top six women's teams in the slalom were New Mexico 78, Denver 77, Colorado 71, Nevada 53, Utah 50, and Western State 48.
The Whitman women's team competed Friday and Saturday without one of its top skiers, junior Michelle Wall. "Had Michelle been with us today, there is a good chance we could have finished one or two spots higher," Olson said.
In the combined slalom results (men and women), Whitman finished in seventh place with 72 points, 11 points behind Western State and 33 points in back of fifth-place Nevada. "This conference has the top NCAA ski teams in the nation, and we're not that far from finishing fifth or sixth in some of these events," Olson said.
In the alpine combined scoring, which includes the giant slalom as well as the slalom results, Whitman again finished seventh with 137 points, 30 points behind sixth-place Western State.
Final team standings for the Bobcat Invitational will be calculated after two nordic events scheduled for Jan. 17-18.
Whitman's alpine teams next compete on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 11-12, near Park City, Utah. The University of Alaska will host those events.
Whitman's nordic teams see their first action on Sunday and Monday, Jan. 12-13, near Soldier Hollow, Utah. The University of Alaska will also host those events.
Hannes Zirknitzer placed 13th among the NCAA competitors and Jennifer Zappone finished 18th as the Whitman alpine ski teams competed in the giant slalom Saturday at the Alaska/Utah WinterGames Invitational at Park City, Utah.
Zirknitzer, a freshman from Bright, Australia, placed 21st overall in the men's giant slalom with a time of 2:09.23 for his two runs down the hill. It was the 13th-best time, however, among NCAA competitors from the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA).
The WinterGames Invitational, hosted by the universities of Alaska-Anchorage and Utah, are also open to top junior racers from around the country. On Sunday, the invitiational continues with slalom races, as well as with the start of the nordic competition at nearby Soldier Hollow. Nordic freestyle races take place Sunday, followed by nordic classic races on Monday.
"Placing 13th among the NCAA racers should help Hannes as he tries to qualify for the national championships," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "Hannes actually made major mistakes on both of his runs, but he still finished with a fairly decent time."
Zappone, a Whitman sophomore, placed 27th overall in the women's giant slalom in 2:16.88. "Jenny missed her first season because of a knee injury, but she continues to get better with each run this season," Olson said. "It's great to have her back and doing so well early in the season."
Due to minimal snow in the Pacific Northwest in November and December, Whitman's alpine teams are attempting to ski themselves into shape as the NCAA season continues, Olson said. "Some of the college teams and athletes from Utah, Colorado and New Mexico have been on snow for a month or longer, and they are close to peaking in terms of their training and preparation. We're lucky if we're at 60 percent of where we need to be."
Whitman's alpine teams raced Jan. 3-4 near Bozeman, Mont., and then logged four days of training in Utah. "We've made some progress this past week," Olson said. "Even here (at Park City), the training opportunities are limited. Most of the snow here is man-made."
Nate Johnson and Chris McCullough, a pair of freshmen, were the only Missionary men to finish Saturday's giant slalom. Johnson placed 35th (20th collegiately) in 2:15.51. McCullough was 42nd (23rd collegiately) in 2:18.55.
Arne Backstrom, a Whitman senior, continued to struggle with his new equipment. After what Olson called a good first run, Backstrom lost a binding in a rut and did not finish his second run. "Once he gets going, Arne is one of the guys who will make a big difference in our men's team scoring," Olson said.
In the RMISA team scoring Saturday, the Whitman men placed eighth in a tightly bunched field. The Missionaries totaled 44 place points, just one point behind Western State College and two points behind the universities of New Mexico and Nevado-Reno, who tied for fifth with 46 points. The universities of Denver and Colorado placed first and second in the men's scoring with 81 and 71 points, respectively. Utah was third with 49 points and Alaska-Anchorage fourth with 47 points.
Zappone was one of five Missionaries who finished the women's giant slalom. Julia Babilis, a junior from Ogden, Utah, placed 34th (24th collegiately) in 2:20.28. Next in line for Whitman were two first-year skiers, Victoria Amorello, 39th/27th, 2:23.15, and Amy Sharp, 45th/30th, 2:25.90. Lindsay Barksdale, a junior, placed 48th overall in 2:26.59, finishing one spot in front of first-year teammate Jamie Hinderliter, who was timed in 2:26.72.
In the women's team scoring, New Mexico took first with 78 points, two points ahead of Utah. Other team scores were Colorado 67, Denver 61, Nevada-Reno 58, Whitman 37, Western State 33, Montana State 21, and Alaska-Anchorage 13.
In the men's and women's combined scoring for giant slalom, Denver was in first place with 142 points, followed by Colorado with 138, Utah with 125 and New Mexico with 124. Next were Nevada-Reno 104, Whitman 81, Western State 78, Alaska-Anchorage 60, and Montana State 21.
"We don't have all of our top skiers here, so we're doing surprisingly well in the team scoring," Olson said. "I've always thought we could compete in this conference. With more training, we'll continue to make a better showing in the team scoring."
Continuing his strong early bid to qualify for the NCAA national championships, Whitman freshman Hannes Zirknitzer placed ninth among the NCAA racers in Sunday's slalom event at the Alaska/Utah WinterGames Invitational near Park City, Utah.
"It was a good day and a bad day for Whitman," alpine coach Tom Olson said. "Hannes and the men's team had a very good day, but the women struggled a bit."
Zirknitzer finished 12th overall in 1:52.90 for his two runs. Three of the skiers who finished ahead of him, however, are not on collegiate teams in the NCAA's Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA). A week ago, Zirknitzer placed 10th in RMISA's first slalom event of the season at Montana's Big Sky Ski Resort.
"Placing ninth today almost definitely qualifies Hannes for a spot at the NCAA national championships," Olson said. "And even though he skied well enough to place ninth, he still made major mistakes on both of his runs. He's very capable of skiing faster than he did today."
Zirknitzer, who leaves Monday for the Winter World University Games in Italy, led the Whitman men to a fifth-place showing in Sunday's slalom team scoring. The University of Colorado men placed first with 83 points, followed by the University of Nevada-Reno with 66 points and the University of Denver with 63 points. The University of New Mexico was fourth with 61 points, with Whitman taking fifth with 48 points. Next in line were Western State College with 42, the University of Utah with 39, and the University of Alaska-Anchorage with 35.
"That's our best team finish this season," Olson said. "All teams have their good days and bad days, but it's great to beat Utah and crack the top five. It was a great day for our men's team, especially when you consider that two of top skiers were missing, and that we're still behind the other teams in terms of training. It's encouraging to see that we're starting to realize some of potential."
Russ Crandall, a Whitman junior, missed the weekend's races because of injury. Senior Doug Whitfield stayed in Walla Walla to concentrate on his academic work.
Arne Backstrom, also a senior, placed 28th overall and 21st among the RMISA skiers in 1:57.88. "Arne has struggled so far with new equipment and our lack of training time, but this was his best finish so far," Olson said. "Arne is on the bubble as far as qualifying for nationals, but with more training, he can move up in the individual standings."
Nate Johnson, a Whitman freshman, had his second-best day as a collegian, placing 39th overall and 25th among the RMISA skiers with a time of 2:02.66. Chris McCullough, also a freshman, was forced to hike back around a gate, placing 47th and 28th in 2:08.42.
In the women's slalom on Sunday, Whitman's Jennifer Zappone was in the midst of a strong second run when she hit a rut and tweaked a knee. Zappone, a sophomore who missed last season because of knee problems, slipped to 55th place overall in 1:59.88. She finished 32nd among the RMISA racers, although she was in 20th after her first run.
"After a good first run, Jennifer had a great second run going before she hurt her knee," Olson said. "With any luck, the knee will bounce back quickly."
Whitman's best finisher Sunday was junior Julia Babilis, who was 43rd overall and 25th among the RMISA skiers with a time of 1:53.14. Two of Whitman's first-year skiers, Jamie Hinderliter and Victoria Amorello, placed 47th/26th and 49th/28th, respectively, in times of 1:55.23 and 1:56.06.
"With more training, Julia will definitely ski faster," Olson said. "Jamie and Victoria continue to ski well as first-year skiers."
Lindsay Barksdale, a Whitman junior, placed 54th overall and 31st among the RMISA skiers in 1:59.68. Amy Sharp, another of Whitman's first-year skiers, finished 57th and 33rd in 2:00.91.
The Whitman women's team, competing without junior Michelle Wall, placed eighth among nine teams in Sunday's slalom team scoring. The Missionaries finished with 29 points, one point behind Western State College and two points behind Montana State. New Mexico took first with 80 points, while Colorado was second with 73 points.
In Sunday's combined slalom scoring for men and women, Whitman scored 77 points to place sixth among the nine RMISA schools. Colorado topped the slalom scoring with 156 points and won the alpine competition with a 294 total, counting Saturday's giant slalom results. Whitman also placed sixth in the overall alpine scoring with 158 slalom and giant slalom points.
Because of the Winter World University Games, RMISA's next alpine races are not scheduled until Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at Colorado's Lake Eldore.
Holly Brooks and Laura Valaas had Whitman's best times Sunday as the Missionary nordic teams kicked off their season with freestyle races at the Alaska/Utah WinterGames Invitational at Soldier Hollow, Utah.
Brooks, a junior, placed 20th in the women's 5-kilometer event with a time of 11:49.6. Valaas, a first-year skier, finished 25th in 12:01.9.
"We think Holly can place higher than that, but Laura did a great job in her first college race," Whitman nordic coach Ethan Townsend said. "She wasn't that far behind Holly -- only 10 or 11 seconds."
The Whitman men's team found the competition much tougher in the men's 10-kilometer freestyle. Sophomores David Wellington and Justin Daraie posted the best efforts for Whitman, placing 35th and 36th, respectively, in times of 22:25.3 and 22:35.0. Freshman Alex Farnard finished 39th in 24:11.3, while senior Dan Cadol was 40th in 25:19.8.
Others placing for the Whitman women included sophomores Tara Gregg, 35th in 12:49.0, and Sarah Hardee, 36th in 12:56.6. Molly Smith, a first-year skier, finished 38th in 15:49.4.
In the freestyle team scoring, the Whitman men placed eighth with 24 points. The Missionary women were ninth with 26 points, but they finished just three points out of eighth place and six points out of sixth place.
The nordic competition continues Monday with classic races.
Sophomore Sarah Hardee placed 27th in the women's 12.5-kilometer classic to give the Whitman nordic teams their best individual finish Monday in the Alaska/Utah WinterGames Invitational in Soldier Hollow, Utah.
Hardee finished in 44:22.1, about a minute ahead of teammate Holly Brooks. A junior, Brooks placed 29th in 45:23.7. Laura Valaas, a first-year skier, was 31st in 46:23.9, while sophomore Tara Gregg was 34th in 49:07.3.
In the men's 15-kilometer classic, sophomore David Wellington posted Whitman's best finish, placing 32nd in 50:56.9. Teammate Justin Daraie, also a sophomore, was 34th in 52.05.9. Freshman Alex Farnard finished 36th (55:20.6), one spot ahead of senior Dan Cadol (56:40.2).
"Our results today were a lot like yesterday," Whitman nordic coach Ethan Townsend said. "We haven't accomplished much, at least not yet. I'm not ready to concede that we can't beat some of these teams. We just didn't have a very good weekend. We're looking forward to competing again later this week."
In Sunday's team scoring, the Whitman women placed ninth with 23 points, six points behind Western State College and 12 points in back of Montana State. The University of New Mexico was first with 81 points, six points in front of the University of Utah and its second-place total.
In the men's team scoring, Whitman finished eighth with 26 points, a dozen points behind the University of Nevada and 13 points back of Western State. Utah took first in the men's team scoring with 83 points. The University of Alaska-Anchorage was second with 70 points.
Utah's Katrin Smigun (Estonia) won the women's race Sunday by almost 40 seconds, finishing in 36:56.3. New Mexico's Jenny Wissting (Sweden) was the runner-up.
New Mexico's Johan Rydquist (Sweden) won the men's race in 43:37.1, beating Utah's Jess Kiesel (Sun Valley, Idaho) by almost 20 seconds.
With their first RMISA races of the season under their belts, the Whitman nordic teams travel to Bohart Ranch, Mont., for two more events this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 17-18.
With Holly Brooks and Justin Daraie leading the way, the Whitman nordic teams placed seventh among nine schools in the classic events as the Bobcat Invitational, hosted by Montana State, continued at Bohart Ranch, Mont.
Brooks, a junior, placed 19th in the women's 5-kilometer event in 16:21. Daraie, a sophomore, finished 29th in the men's 10-kilometer race with a time of 30:33.
In the men's and women's combined team scoring for Friday's classic events, Whitman finished with 62 points, ahead of both Western State College (57) and Montana State (29).
The University of Utah was first with 141 points, four points ahead of second place University of Alaska-Anchorage. Next in the team scoring were Denver 131, Colorado 128, New Mexico 121 and Nevada 97.
Laura Valaas, a first-year skier at Whitman, placed 24th in Friday's race in 16:51. Sophomore Sarah Hardee was 27th in 17:03, while first-year skiers Tara Gregg and Molly Smith finished 33rd and 36th, respectively, in 18:00 and 18:49.
Others placing for the Whitman men were sophomore David Wellington, 34th, 31:14; freshman Alex Farnand, 37th, 35:24; and senior Dan Cadol, 38th, 35:28.
The Bobcat Invitational concludes Saturday with the nordic freestyle races. The alpine portion of the invitational was completed two weeks ago.
The invitational's combined alpine-nordic team scoring, headed into Saturday's final day of competition, has Utah on top with 421.5 points. Colorado and Denver are tied for second with 410 points each. New Mexico is in fourth with 382 points, followed by Nevada with 304.5, Western State with 224 and Alaska-Anchorage with 223. Whitman is eighth overall with 199 points. Montana State, which does not have a men's nordic team, is ninth with 104 points.
For the second consecutive day, Holly Brooks and Justin Daraie were Whitman's top finishers as the Bobcat Invitational, hosted by Montana State, concluded with nordic freestyle races Saturday at the Bohart Ranch Nordic Ski Area.
Brooks, a junior, placed 19th in the women's 10-kilometer event in a time of 31:48.7. Daraie, a sophomore, placed 27th in the men's 15-kilometer in 43:07.3.
Whitman placed eighth in both the men's and women's team scoring. The Missionary women finished with 32 points, four points behind Montana State and seven points behind Western State College. The Whitman men scored 26 points, finishing 15 points behind Western State.
Laura Valaas, a first-year skier, placed 25th for Whitman in 32:54.3. Sophomores Tara Gregg and Sarah Hardee were 29th and 30th, respectively, in 34:09.6 and 34:24.7. Molly Smith, another first-year skier, placed 34th in 40:52.3.
Also competing for the Whitman men were sophomore David Wellington, who was 33rd in 44:42.9, and senior Dan Cadol, who was 35th in 49:01.6.
In the men's and women's combined nordic scoring (classic & freestyle), Whitman placed eighth with 120 points, just 17 points behind seventh-place Western State. Montana State, which doesn't have a men's nordic team, finished ninth with 65 points.
In the combined alpine and nordic scoring for the Bobcat Invitational, Whitman again placed eighth with 257 points, 47 points behind Western State.
The alpine portion of the invitational was completed two weeks ago. In the men's and women's alpine scoring, Whitman placed seventh with 137 points, beating both the University of Alaska-Anchorage (86) and Montana State (75). The Missionaries also finished just 30 points behind sixth-place Western State in the alpine scoring.
The University of Utah took first in the Bobcat Invitational with 575.5 points in the combined alpine and nordic scoring. The University of Colorado was second with 538 points. The University of Denver also topped 500 points, placing third with a 518 total.
Jennifer Zappone won both runs and beat her nearest competitor by nearly two seconds as the Whitman alpine ski teams sharpened their skills in Northwest Cup slalom races hosted Saturday by the Mt. Spokane Ski Racing Association.
Mt. Spokane's Northwest Cup events, which continue through Monday, also serve as Junior Olympic qualifiers. The Junior Olympics are open to skiers in the last two years of high school and first two years of college.
"These races are great for us in terms of training and getting us ready for the rest of our NCAA season," Whitman coach Tom Olson said. Whitman's next NCAA races, for the nordic as well the alpine teams, are Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at Colorado's Lake Eldore.
Zappone, a Whitman sophomore in her first season of collegiate skiing, won Saturday's Northwest Cup slalom race with a time of 1:37.58.
Others placing for the Whitman women were Julia Babilis, seventh, 1:41.64; Victoria Amorello, 11th, 1:45.01; Amy Sharp, 12th, 1:45.13; Lindsay Barksdale, 14th, 1:46.63; Rose Ryan, 15th, 1:49.11; Jane Rynbrandt, 25th, 1:55.01; and Jamie Hinderliter, 26th, 1:55.72. Whitman's Langely McNeal, a first-year skier, straddled a gate and was disqualified on her first, but she skied the second run on a non-competitive basis and posted the fourth- best time.
Tiffany Struthers, a recent graduate of Walla Walla High School, placed ninth overall on Saturday with a time of 1:43.22.
In the men's slalom on Saturday, Whitman's Arne Backstrom and Nate Johnson finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in times of 1:32.65 and 1:32.85. Chris McCullough was 12th in 1:35.10, and Dan Cook was 19th in 1:39.59. Russ Crandall fell on his second run and did not finish.
With Arne Backstrom winning the event, the Whitman men's alpine ski team placed three skiers in the top eight in Sunday's Northwest Cup slalom races at Mt. Spokane, Wash.
In second place after the first run, Backstrom used a strong second run to place first with a combined time of 1:27.55. Nate Johnson was sixth in 1:30.41, while Russ Crandall finished eighth in 1:31.60. Dan Cook was close behind in 12th with a time of 1:32.85. After a strong first run, Chris McCullough fell and did not finish his second trip down the course.
Doug Whitfield, one of Whitman's more experienced skiers, logged two runs prior to Sunday's races and posted a time that would have placed him sixth, had he competed in the actual races.
In the women's slalom on Sunday, Whitman's Julia Babilis placed eighth, one spot ahead of teammate Victoria Amorello. Their times were 1:41.29 and 1:43.06. Jennifer Zappone, who won Saturday's slalom event, took Sunday off to rest a sore knee.
Others placing for the Whitman women Sunday were Amy Sharp, 12th, 1:44.63; Lindsay Barksdale, 15th, 1:45.06; Rose Ryan, 18th, 1:47.78; and Jane Rynbrandt, 34th, 1:57.86.
Langely McNeal, one of Whitman's first-year skiers, fell and did not finish her second run, after having skied into eighth place on her first run. Two more Missionaries, Jamie Hinderliter and Carolyn Newcom, did not finish their first runs.
Tiffany Struthers, a recent graduate of Walla Walla High School, placed eighth in Sunday's slalom with a time of 1:39.91.
Whitman's alpine teams are using the Northwest Cup races, which also serve as Junion Olympic qualifiers, as training for the next NCAA races, Jan. 31-Feb. 1.
Led by Lindsay Barksdale, the Whitman women's alpine team dominated the Northwest Cup giant slalom event Monday at Mt. Spokane, placing five skiers in the top eight.
Barksdale, a Whitman junior, won the first run before slipping to second place overall in 2:04.89. Teammates Julia Babilis and Amy Sharp placed third and fourth, respectively, in times of 2:05.08 and 2:07.01. Langely McNeal placed seventh for Whitman in 2:09.90, followed by Jamie Hinderliter in eighth place in 2:10.15. Carolyn Newcom placed 32nd in 2:32.66.
Three more Missionary women -- Victoria Amorello, Rose Ryan and Jane Rynbrandt -- did not finish their first runs.
In the men's giant slalom on Sunday, Nate Johnson had Whitman's best finish, placing 10th overall in 2:01.16. Jared Schoening was 33rd in 2:13.78. After placing ninth on his first run, Dan Cook had trouble on his second, dropping to 38th place with a time of 2:16.78.
Whitman's Arne Backstrom, who won Sunday's slalom race, was disqualified on his run giant slalom run Monday. Chris McCullough failed to finish his first run, and Russ Crandall didn't finish his second run.
Whitman's Holly Brooks and Laura Valaas finished first and second, respectively, in the women's 10-kilometer freestyle held Saturday as part of the Hanel Loop Series at Oregon's Mt. Hood Meadows.
In the men's 10-kilometer race, Whitman's Justin Daraie placed fourth, two spots ahead of teammate Conor Flynn.
Brooks, a junior, won the women's race in 40:52. Valaas, a first-year skier, posted a 41:03 time. Jenny Lane, who works in the Whitman Admission office and serves as a volunteer assistant coach, placed third in 41:40.
Jan Spurkland, competing in the 20-29 age division, won the men's race in 35:40. Daraie, a sophomore, was fourth in 37:27. Flynn, also a sophomore, had a sixth-place time of 38:23.
Senior Dan Cadol and freshman Alex Farnand were Whitman's only other competitors in the men's race. Cadol was ninth in 40:49. Farnand placed 15th in 42:07.
In the women's race, three Whitman sophomores also cracked the top ten. Sarah Hardee was seventh in 44:16, just one second in front of Tara Gregg. Meredith Hyslop was ninth in 44:52.
Four first-year skiers also competed for the Whitman women: Becky Dickison, 12th, 50:24; Ashley Joyce-Sommerfeld, 15th, 54:13; Meghan Goss, 16th, 58:32; and Michelle Ritzenthaler, 1:09.01.
Conor Flynn in the men's race and Holly Brooks in the women's event were Whitman's top finishers in the Teacup Classic Sunday morning at Mt. Hood, Ore.
Flynn, a sophomore, placed third in the men's 14-kilometer event in 49:33. Brooks, a sophomore, was fourth in the women's 7-kilometer event in 27:47.
Ethan Townsend, who coaches the Whitman nordic ski teams, won the men's race in 49:08. Townsend is a 1988 graduate of St. Lawrence University, where he competed on the varsity squad for four years.
The women's race Sunday was won by Mary Shultz, who was competing in the 30-39 age division. Her time was 26:11. Jenny Lane, who works in the Whitman Admission office, placed third in 27:46, just one second in front of Brooks.
Others placing for the Whitman women's team included sophomores Sarah Hardee, Tara Gregg and Meredith Hyslop, who placed sixth, eighth and ninth, respectively. Their times were 28:20, 29:06 and 29:47.
A handful of first-year skiers also competed for the Whitman women: Molly Smith, 12th, 32:29; Becky Dickison, 14th, 32:42; Ashley Joyce-Sommerfeld, 17th, 34:25; Meghan Goss, 20th, 36:26; and Michelle Ritzenthaler, 30th, 41:49.
In the men's race, Whitman sophomore Justin Daraie placed sixth in 50:56. Senior Dan Cadol was seventh in 52:58. Freshman Alex Farnand finished 16th in 62:42.
Jennifer Zappone placed 16th and Hannes Zirknitzer was 18th to give the Whitman alpine ski teams their best finishes in Friday's giant slalom races at the University of Colorado Invitational at Eldora Mountain, Colo.
"It wasn't an exceptionally great day for us, but it wasn't anything to hang our heads about either," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "We held our own, especially given the fact we've been off snow for 10 or 11 days. With the lack of snow and training opportunities back home, we continue to take three steps forward and two steps back. We continue to make progress, but it's slow and frustrating."
Zappone, a sophomore who missed her freshman season because of a knee injury, finished her two runs in 2:18.66. Two juniors, Lindsay Barksdale and Julia Babilis, were next in line for Whitman, placing 21st and 24th, respectively. Their times were 2:20.70 and 2:23.79.
Zirknitzer, a freshman, was timed in 2:14.36 for his two runs. Senior Doug Whitfield was next for Whitman, placing 24th in 2:19.41. Close behind were freshman Nate Johnson, 26th in 2:19.49, and junior Russ Crandall, 27th in 2:21.71.
Senior Arne Backstrom, one of Whitman's top skiers, was disqualified on his first run. Freshman Chris McCullough did not finish his first run. Sophomore Dan Cook met the same fate on his second run.
Others finishing the race for the Whitman women included junior Michelle Wall, competing for the first time this season, who placed 26th in 2:26.45. Two first-year skiers, Victoria Amorello and Langely McNeal, placed 29th and 32nd, respectively, in times of 2:28.18 and 2:29.76.
Sweden's Pierre Olson, skiing for the University of Utah, won the men's race in 2:08.35. The University of Colorado's Mia Cullman, who hails from Vail, Colo., won the women's race in 2:12.61.
In the team scoring, the Whitman women finished with 41 points to place sixth in the nine-school field. The Missionaries beat the University of Alaska-Anchorage (37 points), University of Nevada-Reno (30 points) and Montana State (23 points). The top five on the women's side were Colorado (80), University of New Mexico (71), University of Denver (70), Utah (62) and Western State (45).
The Whitman men finished with 37 points to place seventh, two points behind New Mexico and five points behind Alaska-Anchorage. Utah won the men's scoring with 80 points, followed by Colorado with 78, Denver with 65 and Nevada with 63.
The alpine portion of the Colorado Invitational continues Saturday with slalom races.
Holly Brooks placed 19th and Conor Flynn finished 28th to pace the Whitman nordic ski teams Friday in freestyle races at the University of Colorado Invitational at Eldora Mountain, Colo.
Brooks, a junior, posted a time of 17:01.8 in the women's 5-kilometer race. Conor Flynn, a sophomore skiing in his first NCAA race of the season, finished the men's 10-kilometer race in 31:36.0.
Justin Daraie and David Wellington, also sophomores, were the only other Whitman men to compete. Daraie was 31st in 31:55.4, while Wellington was 39th in 32:55.8.
Others competing for the Whitman women included first-year skier Laura Valaas, who was 31st in 17:55.7. Sophomores Meredith Hyslop and Tara Gregg were 33rd and 34th, respectively, in 18:20.4 and 18:29.7. Sarah Hardee, also a sophomore, was 37th in 18:37.1. Becky Dickison, another first-year skier, was 39th in 20:05.3.
In the team scoring, both Whitman teams finished eighth. The men finished with 27 points, three more points than the women. The University of Colorado topped the women's scoring with 78 points, good for a two-point lead over the University of Utah. The University of New Mexico scored 74 points to take first on the men's side. The Colorado men were two points back in second place.
Utah's Katrin Smigun (Estonia) won the women's race in 15:19.1. New Mexico's Jimmy Vika (Norway) was first in the men's race in 28:03.8, beating Colorado's Henrik Hoye (also of Norway) by one-tenth of a second.
The nordic portion of the Colorado Invitational concludes Saturday with classic races.
With freshman Hannes Zirknitzer placing 14th, the Whitman men's alpine team placed fifth in the slalom event Saturday at the University of Colorado Invitational at Eldora Mountain, Colo.
Meanwhile, sophomore Jennifer Zappone finished 18th as the Whitman women's team came within an eyelash of placing fifth in its slalom event. The Missionary women scored 41.5 points, one-half point behind the University of Nevada-Reno.
Counting Friday's giant slalom results, the Whitman women placed fifth among nine schools in the alpine combined scoring with 82.5 points, beating Nevada-Reno (72 points), Western State College (69 points), University of Alaska-Anchorage (68 points), and Montana State (44.5 points).
"That's an awesome finish for the women in the alpine combined," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "Our goal all along in our first NCAA season was to place fifth, and our women did that this weekend."
In placing fifth in Saturday's slalom, the Whitman men scored 43 points, beating Western State (40 points), Nevada-Reno (37 points), and Alaska-Anchorage (35 points).
Counting Friday's giant slalom, the Missionary men placed sixth overall in the alpine combined scoring with 80 points, edging both Alaska-Anchorage (77 points) and Western State (73 points).
"As the season continues, our men's team is showing its potential as well," Olson said. "We've beat some top NCAA teams in at least one of the events in each of the past two weekends. We've beat teams that were in the top five last year at the NCAA nationals."
Zirknitzer placed 14th in Saturday's slalom in 1:39.27, just one second out of eighth place. The University of Colorado's Brad Hogan won the race in 1:34.82.
Whitman's Arne Backstrom placed 22nd in 1:44.57. Four of his teammates filled spots 27 through 30. Freshman Nate Johnson was first in that group with a time of 1:50.25. Next were freshman Chris McCullough 1:51.94, senior Doug Whitfield 1:52.28, and sophomore Dan Cook 1:52.55. Junior Russ Crandall placed 33rd in 1:58.88.
Colorado was first in the men's slalom scoring with 86 points. Filling the next three spots were University of Denver 71, University of New Mexico 60, and University of Utah 57.
Zappone's 18th-place time in the women's slalom was 1:32.96. Junior Michelle Wall was 22nd in 1:37.97, while first-year skier Langely McNeal was 26th in 1:38.81. Junior Lindsay Barksdale placed 33rd, one spot ahead of first-year teammate Victoria Amorello. Their times were 1:42.86 and 1:50.68. Julia Babilis, a junior, did not finish her first run.
The University of Denver's Sophie Ormond won the women's race in 1:27.15, beating Colorado's Erika Hogan by one one-hundredth of a second.
The top four teams in the women's slalom were Colorado 79, New Mexico 75, Denver 69, and Utah 67.
Holly Brooks placed 28th and Meredith Hyslop was 29th as the Whitman women's nordic ski team competed in the 5-kilometer classic Saturday at the University of Colorado Invitational at Eldora Mountain, Colo.
In the men's 10-kilometer classic, Justin Daraie finished 34th and Conor Flynn was 35th to give Whitman its best placings. Daraie, a sophomore, posted a time of 35:23.2. Flynn, also a sophomore, finished in 35:50.7. A third Missionary sophomore, David Wellington, was 39th in 38:20.3.
Brooks, a junior, was clocked in 19:07.5 in the women's race. Hyslop's time was 19:11.1. Sophomores Sarah Hardee and Tara Gregg placed 34th and 35th, respectively, in times of 20:08.4 and 20:08.8.
Also placing for Whitman were two first-year skiers, Laura Valaas, who was 37th in 20:22.0, and Becky Dickison, who was 39th in 23:00.3.
The Whitman men placed eighth with 26 points. The Missionary women were ninth with 19 points.
Alaska-Anchorage's Tobias Schwoerer (Germany) won the men's race in 29:04.7. Utah's Katrin Smigun (Estonia) won the women's event in 15:31.0.
Colorado was first in the men's team scoring with 76 points, beating Utah by four points. Utah won the women's scoring with 83 points, well ahead of second-place New Mexico and its 75 points.
Juniors Lindsay Barksdale and Russ Crandall posted the highest placings for the Whitman alpine ski teams in Friday's giant slalom at the Western State College Invitational at Crested Butte, Colo.
Barksdale finished her two runs in 2:12.94, placing 24th in the women's event. Crandall was 31st in the men's event with a time of 2:07.34, edging freshman teammate Hannes Zirknitzer, who was 32nd in 2:07.95. Nate Johnson, also a freshman, finished in 2:08.22, placing 34th.
Rounding out the top three for the Whitman women were junior Julia Babilis, who was 33rd in 2:14.41, and first-year skier Victoria Amorello, who was 37th in 2:16.77.
"Our results might not look as good on paper, but we skied well today," Whitman coach Tom Olson said. "Because the course was flat and not difficult, there wasn't much difference between a lot of the placings."
Still, as a team, this was our best giant slalom skiing of the season," Olson added. "We're not skiing as well as we'd like in relation to the other teams, but that's because we haven't had a single day of giant slalom training this season. The weather conditions back home haven't allowed it."
Others placing for the Whitman women were Jamie Hinderliter, 37th, 2:18.15; Michelle Wall, 38th, 2:18.78; and Langely McNeal, 2:20.03. Jennifer Zappone did not finish her second run.
Also placing for the Whitman men were Arne Backstrom, 36th, 2:08.77; Chris McCullough, 37th, 2:09.99; and Daniel Cook, 41st, 2:14.06.
University of Utah skiers won both events. Pierre Olson of Sweden won the men's race in 2:01.0. Lina Johansson, also of Sweden, was first among the women in 2:06.11.
Utah won the men's team scoring with 79 points, beating second-place University of Denver by six points. The Whitman men finished eighth with 27 points, three points back of Western State College.
The University of New Mexico scored 76 points to finish first in the women's scoring. Utah and the University of Colorado tied for second with 73 points. The Whitman women placed ninth with 26 points, five points behind Montana State and six points back of the University of Alaska-Anchorage.
In her best showing of the season, first-year skier Laura Valaas placed 20th to give Whitman its best finish in nordic classic races held Friday as part of the Western State Invitational at Crested Butte, Colo.
Valaas finished with a time of 20:57.0. Sophomore teammate Sarah Hardee placed 24th in 21:27.3, while junior Holly Brooks was 26th in 21:46.5.
Also placing for the Whitman women were sophomores Meredith Hyslop and Tara Gregg, who placed 31st and 32nd, respectively, in times of 23:41.0 and 25:06.8, and first-year skier Becky Dickison, who was 33rd in 26:15.6.
In the men's 10-kilometer classic, a trio of Whitman sophomores finished in spots 29 through 31. David Wellington led the way with a time of 36:28.2, edging teammate Conor Flynn and his time of 36:29.5. Justin Daraie was close behind in 36:42.5.
In the team scoring, the Whitman women placed eighth among nine schools with 33 points, two points behind Montana State and five points in back of Western State. The University of New Mexico, first with 84 points, was followed by the University of Utah 78, University of Colorado 63, University of Denver 63, and University of Alaska-Anchorage 50.
In the men's team scoring, Whitman was seventh among eight schools with 30 points. Utah was first with 79 points. Next in line were New Mexico 72, Denver 69, Colorado 63, Alaska-Anchorage 56, and Western State 46.
Utah's Katrin Smigun (Estonia) won the women's race in 17:28.3. New Mexico's Jimmy Vika (Norway) won the men's event in 29:43.2.
Whitman's Hannes Zirknitzer and Jennifer Zappone, a pair of first-year skiers, bolstered their bids to qualify for the NCAA National Championships with strong performances Saturday in slalom races at the Western State Invitational at Crested Butte, Colo.
Zirknitzer, a freshman from Bright, Australia, matched his season-best placing with a ninth-place finish in the men's event. His time for his two runs down the hill was 1:17.40, less than a second out of second place and less two seconds behind the winner, Brad Hogan of the University of Colorado.
Zappone, a sophomore from Spokane, Wash., who missed her first season at Whitman because of injury, placed 15th in the women's event. It was her highest finish this season. Her time was 1:24.77, just two seconds out of sixth place.
"In all likelihood, Hannes solidified his spot at nationals with his showing today," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "And there's a good chance moved up higher in the standings as well."
The top 19 men and 19 women from the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA) will advance to the NCAA National Championships, slated for early March in Hanover, New Hampshire. Skiers have one final opportunity -- the regional championships Feb. 23-24 at Winter Park, Colo. -- to improve their individual standing.
"We skiied much better today than we did on Friday in the giant slalom," Olson said. "Several of our skiers had their best finishes of the season."
In the men's event, Whitman senior Arne Backstrom placed 20th in 1:19.71, less than one second out of 13th place. Nate Johnson, a Missionary freshman, was 25th in 1:21.34. Others placing for Whitman were freshman Chris McCullough, 27th, 1:23.39; junior Russ Crandall, 28th, 1:23.62; and junior Dan Cook, 32nd, 1:25.70.
In the women's race, juniors Michelle Wall and Julia Babilis placed 28th and 30th, respectively, in times of 1:29.14 and 1:29.24.
Also placing for Whitman were first-year skiers Langely McNeal and Jamie Hinderliter, 32nd and 35th, respectively, in 1:31.43 and 1:33.54; junior Lindsay Barksdale, 36th, 1:33.56; and freshman Victoria Amorello, who hiked on her first run and finished 38th in 1:37.46.
In the team scoring, the Whitman men finished seventh with 45 points, just 12 points out of third place. The University of Colorado was first with 78, just two points ahead of second-place University of Denver. After that, the teams were tightly bunched in the scoring column: University of Nevada-Reno 57, University of Utah 55, University of New Mexico 53.5, Western State College 49.5, Whitman 45, and University of Alaska-Anchorage 30.
Denver won the women's team scoring with 76 points, three points in front of Colorado and four points ahead of New Mexico. Nevada-Reno was fourth with 59 points, followed by Alaska-Anchorage 42, Utah 37, Whitman and Montana State 36, and Western State 28.
Holly Brooks placed 20th and Laura Valaas was 23rd as the Whitman nordic ski teams competed in freestyle races Saturday as part of the Western State Invitational at Crested Butte, Colo.
Reporting of the classic race results was delayed until Monday due to a power outage at the Crested Butte nordic center.
For Brooks, Saturday marked the second time she has placed 20th in NCAA freestyle races. She finished 19th in two other NCAA freestyle events.
Based on a complicated season-long scoring system, the top 19 women in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA) will advance to the NCAA National Championships. Those national berths will be filled following the west region championships, slated for Feb. 23-24 at Winter Park, Colo.
Brooks, a junior, finished Saturday's race in 42:09.2. Valass, a first-year skier at Whitman, posted a time of 43:15.5 in placing 23rd, her best freestyle showing this season.
In the men's race Saturday, Whitman sophomores Conor Flynn and Justin Daraie placed 27th and 28th, respectively, in 46:26.5 and 47:56.3. David Wellington, a third Missionary sophomore, was 31st in 50:19.4
Others placing for the Whitman women were sophomores Tara Gregg 27th/45:32.2, Sarah Hardee 28th/45:50.8, and Meredith Hyslop 29th/46:32.7, and freshman Becky Dickison 31st/50:07.7.
In the women's team scoring Saturday, Whitman placed a strong seventh (among nine schools) with 37 points. The Missionaries finished six points behind sixth-place Western State and nine points behind the University of Colorad.
In the men's team scoring, Whitman placed seventh among eight schools with 30 points. The University of Nevada finished last with 16 points, while the University of New Mexico and the University of Utah placed first and second, respectively, with 76 and 71 points.
Saturday's individual race winners were Utah's Katrin Smigun (Estonia) and New Mexico's Jimmy Vika (Norway).
After struggling all season with new equipment and his team's lack of on-snow training opportunities, Whitman senior Arne Backstrom pulled his talents together for an 11th-place finish in Sunday's slalom event at the NCAA Regional Ski Championships in Winter Park, Colo.
Backstrom, last year's individual high-point champion in the Pacific Northwest Ski Association, was fourth in Sunday's second run, finishing 11th overall in 1:29.43. He finished just 1.4 seconds behind the winner, Ben Brown of Western State College.
"We're hoping today's finish will be enough to qualify Arne for the NCAA nationals," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "We won't really know until after Monday's giant slalom."
The Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA) will send 19 alpine men to next month's NCAA national championships. Qualifying ends Monday with the regular season's final event. Prior to this weekend, Backstrom was ranked 22nd among eligible qualifiers.
"This has been a tough first season for us in the NCAA, given the lack of snow in our neck of the woods, but Arne is starting to his feel back for the slalom," Olson added. "That was an incredible race for him today. He showed the rest of this conference what he can do."
Backstrom, a senior, posted Whitman's best finish Sunday, although for a time it appeared the Missionary freshman Hannes Zirknitzer was on his way to a spectacular finish in the first run. "Through most of that run, Hannes was very possibly headed to a first-place finish," Olson said. "Then, near the end, he was carrying so much speed that he missed a gate and had to hike back around."
Zirknitzer, who already has three top-ten finishes this season, slipped all the way to 35th on his first run. Despite starting at the back of the pack, he placed ninth on his second run and finished 26th overall in 1:34.33.
Zirknitzer entered the weekend ranked 15th among men's alpine skiers eligible for nationals.
Whitman freshman Nate Johnson placed 27th in 1:34.52. Next in line for the Missionaries were senior Doug Whitfield, 29th, 1:35.61, and freshman Chris McCullough, 30th, 1:36.17. Junior Russ Crandall fell and did not finish his first run.
In the women's slalom Sunday, Whitman sophomore Jenny Zappone placed 18th in 1:32.73. Zappone has placed as high as 15th in earlier races, and she was ranked 16th among the alpine women. RMISA sends a total of 20 women to nationals.
Junior Michelle Wall placed 27th in 1:34.52. Junior Julia Babilis and first-year skier Langely McNeal placed 31st and 32nd, respectively, in 1:38.81 and 1:38.89. Victoria Amorello, another of Whitman's first-year skiers, was 35th in 1:40.25, while junior Lindsay Barksdale was 38th in 1:44.84. Freshman Amy Sharp missed a gate on her second run and was disqualified.
In team scoring, the Whitman men placed seventh among eight schools with 35 points, nine points behind the University of Alaska-Anchorage. The University of New Mexico was last with 32 points.
"Our men have now beaten all of the other teams in the conference except for Denver University and the University of Colorado," Olson said. "With a little more recruiting and better snow conditions back home, there's no reason our alpine teams shouldn't finish higher in the pack on a regular basis next season."
In the women's team scoring Sunday, Whitman placed eighth among nine teams with 32 points. The University of Nevada-Reno was seventh with 33 points, while Montana State and Alaska tied for fifth with 38 points.
Sophomore Conor Flynn, posting his best finish of the season, placed 26th in the men's 10-kilometer nordic freestyle race as the the NCAA Regional Ski Championships got underway Sunday in Winter Park, Colo.
Flynn finished in 30:36.2, about four minutes behind the winner, Norway's Jimmy Vika, who skies for the University of New Mexico.
Also placing for the Whitman men were sophomores Justin Daraie and David Wellington, who placed 31st and 32nd, respectively, in 31:45.6 and 32:17.8.
In the women's 5-kilometer freestyle, junior Holly Brooks had Whitman's best finish. She placed 31st in 17:42.4. Five of her teammates filled spots 35 through 39: Meredith Hyslop, 18:39.2; Sarah Hardee, 18:48.2; Tara Gregg, 18:48.4; Laura Valaas, 18:56.7; and Becky Dickison, 19:56.7.
The Whitman men finished eighth among eight schools with 25 points. The Missionary women placed ninth in a nine-school field with 16 points.
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Whitman sophomore Jenny Zappone saved her best for last in the giant slalom event, placing 11th Monday on the final day of competition at the NCAA Regional Ski Championships in Winter Park, Colo.
Zappone's performance was more than enough to solidify her berth at next month's NCAA National Championships. Zappone, who missed her freshman ski season because of injury, heads to nationals as the 17th seed from the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA). A total of 20 alpine women from RMISA advance to nationals.
In the men's giant slalom Monday, Whitman freshman Hannes Zirknitzer was in 17th place after his first run but then fell on his second run and did not finish. Performances in previous races, however, had already assured Zirknitzer of a berth at nationals. Of the 19 alpine men RMISA will send to nationals, Zirknitzer advances as the No. 15 seed.
Whitman junior Julia Babilis also had her best giant slalom event of the season on Monday, placing 18th in a time of 2:12.74. Zappone's 11th-place time was 2:09.27. Denver University's Sophie Ormond (France) won the women's race in 2:05.07.
Because of a computer glitch, Babilis was left out of national qualification calculations that took place after Monday's race. There remained some chance that Babilis could move as high as 21st or 20th among the alpine women eligible for nationals, Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said Monday night. "It's great that Jenny and Hannes have qualified, but it would be better yet to squeeze in Julia as well. We'll have to wait and see."
"Julia skied pretty well today," Olson added. "Oddly enough, she went back to the skis she used last year, and it seemed to help her quite a bit."
Others placing for the Whitman women on Monday were Amy Sharp, 27th, 2:19.79; Lindsay Barksdale, 28th, 2:20.11; Langely McNeal, 29th, 2:20.80; and Victoria Amorello, 30th, 2:20.81. Michelle Wall fell and did not finish her first run.
Russ Crandall, a Whitman junior, posted the best Missionary finish in the men's giant slalom on Monday. His time was 2:08.09, less than a second ahead of senior teammate Arne Backstrom, who placed 25th in 2:08.72. Denver University's David Lamb won the race in 2:00.10.
Backstrom, who placed 11th in Sunday's slalom, will apparently just miss advancing to nationals. "It looks like Arne will be a first alternate," Olson said.
Others placing for the Whitman men on Monday were Doug Whitfield, 27th, 2:09.66; Nate Johnson, 28th, 2:10.06; and Chris McCullough, 30th, 2:12.07.
In the women's team scoring Monday, Whitman finished eighth among nine schools with 36 points, two points behind seventh-place Montana State and just 10 points out of fifth place.
The Whitman men also placed eighth, finishing with 34 points, six points behind Western State College and seven points in back of the University of New Mexico.
"Except for a few of the athletes headed to nationals, this ends our first season in NCAA skiing," Olson said. "As a whole, we're excited and proud of how we competed. We could have done better had our training conditions been better at home, but we still beat every school except the University of Colorado and Denver University at one time or another during the season. We beat some of these schools a number of times."
"We've had a very successful season," Olson added. "It's been a great learning experience, and we're already looking ahead to next year."
Whitman sophomores Conor Flynn and Meredith Hyslop placed 22nd and 23rd, respectively, in the nordic classics races as the NCAA Regional Ski Championships came to a close Monday in Winter Park, Colo. It was the highest finish this season for both skiers.
Flynn's time in the men's 15-kilometer event was 50:59.3. Germany's Tobias Schwoerer, skiing for the University of Alaska-Anchorage, won the race in 45:21.8
Hyslop finished the women's 10-kilometer race in 38:46.5. Estonia's Katrin Smigun, competing for the University of Utah, won the race 32:17.4.
Also placing for the Whitman women were Tara Gregg, 28th, 40:40.7; Sarah Hardee, 29th, 40:45.0; and Becky Dickison, 33rd, 44:19.0.
Other competitors for the Whitman men were Justin Daraie, who placed 29th in 53:08.4, and David Wellington, who was 30th in 53:24.2.
Whitman's Jenny Zappone, recovering from a shaky first run, posted the 10th-best time of the second run and placed 21st overall in the women's giant slalom Thursday at the NCAA National Ski Championships at the Dartmouth Skiway near Lyme, New Hampshire.
Zappone, a sophomore from Spokane, Wash., who missed her first season of collegiate skiing due to injury, finished her two runs in 2:14.24.
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"Jenny's second run was awesome," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "Her second-run time was the fourth-best time among skiers from the West Region. The only skiers from the West who beat her on the second run were the women who placed second, third and fourth in the overall results. That shows what kind of potential Jenny has."
Thursday's news wasn't nearly as good for Whitman's Hannes Zirknitzer, who dislocated a shoulder after crashing through a pair of safety fences on his first run in the men's giant slalom.
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"Hannes hit a hole, a rut, at the bottom of a steep pitch about a third of the way down the course," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "One of his skis pre-released, and he hit the safety fences pretty hard. He went right through both fences, in fact. At least it slowed him down enough that it kept him out of the trees."
Zirknitzer, a Whitman freshman from Bright, Australia, was one of four men's skiers who hit the fences at that point in the course, Olson said. "The others were banged up a bit, but they walked away in better shape than Hannes. One good point was that his shoulder popped back into place fairly quickly."
Zirknitzer, who has twice dislocated his other shoulder in previous falls, will rest on Friday and take treatment on his most recent injury, Olson said. "There is a chance he'll be able to compete in the slalom event on Saturday."
Olson wasn't surprised to see Zappone post a much better time on Thursday's second run. "That's the way our entire season has gone with a lot of our skiers," he said. "We've had so little training time because of poor Northwest snow conditions that our skiers that need their first run on race day to just get their bearings."
Jamie Kingsbury, skiing for the University of Vermont, won the women's giant slalom with a two-run combined time of 2:06.71. Two University of Utah skiers, Lina Johansson and Rowena Bright, placed second and third, respectively, with times of 2:07.41 and 2:08.69.
In the women's giant team scoring, Utah was first with 103 points, 21 points ahead of Vermont. Filling the next three spots were three more teams from the West: University of Denver 75, University of New Mexico 72, and University of Colorado 62.5 points.
Zappone, the only Missionary woman competing at nationals, picked up 19 points to place Whitman 13th among 15 schools. Most of the competing schools have as many as three women at the championships.
With two of the four alpine and nordic events complete, Utah leads the scramble for a national title with 357 points. New Mexico is second with 290.5 points and Vermont third with 284. Colorado is fourth and Denver fifth.
Based on Zappone's points in one event, Whitman is 17th place overall among 22 schools. Whitman does not have any nordic skiers competing at nationals.
Dartmouth College is hosting this year's NCAA championships.
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The Whitman Men's and Women's Alpine Ski Team finished its first season at the NCAA National Ski Championships Saturday, placing 17th overall. Sophomore Jenny Zappone improved on her first run in the slalom and placed 20th overall while Hannes Zirknitzer finished 27th overall.
Zappone's first slalom run of 52.36 put her in 25th place going into the second and final run. She knocked over four seconds off her first run time in finishing in 48.15, placing her 20th overall with a total time of 1:40.51.
Zirknitzer had trouble on his first run after missing a gate. After hiking back up the hill to get around the missed gate, Zirknitzer finished in 1:07.13, well off the pace. His second run, 54.52, was the 17th best, however, and he good enough for 27th overall. Zirknitzer's total time was 2:01.65.
"This was definetely a learning experience," Whitman coach Tom Olsen said, "but we're already talking about next year. We'd like to move up a little each year - hopefully next year we can crack the top 15 and bring some more of our team to nationals."
The University of Utah won the team title, finishing with 682 points. Vermont was second and the University of Colorado third. The men's slalom was won by Brad Wall of Dartmouth College in a time of 1:40.28. Lina Johansson won the women's in 1:35.03.