Senior Rachel Walker placed 16th and first-year teammate Lauren Parsons was 21st as the Whitman women's alpine team saw its first action of the season Tuesday in an International Ski Federation (FIS) giant slalom event at Big Sky, Mont.
Seven members of the Whitman women's team are competing in the FIS races, which continue through Friday, as a tune-up for this weekend's Montana State Invitational, which takes place at the same mountain. The Montana State Invitational kicks off the NCAA Championship qualifying season.
"Our women did exceptionally well today," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "All seven finished both runs, and that consistency is what we like to see early in the season."
Walker, who hails from Whister, British Columbia, finished her two runs in 2:19.59. Parsons, a first-year skier from Ketchum, Idaho, was less than one second back, finishing in 2:20.39. Emily Baker, first-year skier from Boulder, Colo., was27th in 2:21.27.
A third Missionary first-year skier, Lucia Paciotti (Poulsbo, Wash.), placed 40th in 2:23.73. Others racing for Whitman were junior Charlotte Gourlay (Ketchum, Idaho), 45th, 2:24.82; senior Renee Thibodeau (Fort Kent, Maine), 48th, 2:25.10; and senior Maria Corcorran (Bellevue, Wash.), 91st, 2:35.77.
Of the 120 women who started the event, 101 finished both runs.
Smaranda Munteanu, a native of Brason, Romania, and a junior at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, won Tuesday's event in 2:15.20. Slovenia's Spela Bertoncelj, a senior at Montana State, was second in 2:15.44.
A second women's giant slalom race is set for Wednesday.
Two members of the Whitman men's team, sophomore Andy Erickson (Kirkland, Wash.) and freshman Ben Chaddock (Richmond, B.C.), are also at Big Ski this week, training for this weekend's college races.
First-year skiers Lauren Parsons, Lucia Paciotti and Emily Baker set the pace for the Whitman women's alpine ski team in Wednesday's second day of giant slalom racing at Big Sky, Mont.
Parsons placed 33rd among 101 finishers, posting a time of 2:25.86 for her two runs down the hill. Paciotti was 34th in 2:26.05 and Baker was 38th in 2:26.48.
"Our three rookies are all skiing very well," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "The amount of depth they are giving our team this season is tremendous."
Senior Rachel Walker, Whitman's best skier, was one of 17 skiers who failed to finish the first run. "Rachel crashed and fell pretty hard, but she's tough and I'm sure she'll be fine for tomorrow's slalom races."
Wednesday's giant slalom courses were set to a much higher level of difficulty," Olson said. "There were a lot of rhythm changes, and it threw off a lot of people on that first run. The snow conditions also aren't very good. Utah has one-quarter of the snow they normally have at this time of year."
Other Whitman skiers finishing Wednesday's two runs were Rene Thibodeau, 60th, 2:30.63; Charlotte Gourlay, 65th, 2:32.28; and Maria Corcorran, 83rd, 2:37.26.
As they did Tuesday, Smarand Munteanu (University of Alaska-Anchorage) and Spela Bertoncelj (Montana State) finished one-two in Wednesday's event. Munteanu was first in 2:16.68 while Bertoncelj was second in 2:17.00.
Rachel Walker finished ninth and Emily Baker was 15th as the Whitman women's alpine team competed in its first slalom event of the season Thursday as part of International Ski Federation (FIS) races taking place at Big Sky, Mont.
Walker, a Missionary senior, finished her two runs in 1:34.30. Baker, a first-year skier, was clocked in 1:36.71. The University of Nevada's Katie Lyons won the event in 1:26.08, beating the runner-up, the University of Alaska-Anchorage's Stefanie Klocker by more than two seconds.
"It's been a long time since we've had two skiers finish in the top 15 in one of these races," Whitman coach Tom Olson said. "It was a good day for our entire team. Six of our seven women finished both runs. The sets on the course were interesting, especially for the second run when a third of the field fell or missed gates."
Others finishing for Whitman were Lauren Parsons, 23rd, 1:38.24; Renee Thibodeau, 31st, 1:40.57; Charlotte Gourlay, 37th, 1:40.87; and Lucia Paciotti, 45th, 1:42.60.
"Our seventh skier, Maria Corcorran, was having a good first run when she fell about three gates from the finish," Olson said. A total of 86 skiers completed both runs, but there were 30 competitors who fell or missed gates to drop from the scoring.
Thursday's race was not limited to college skiers. "When you look at college skiers only, Rachel was sixth, Emily was eighth and Lauren was 11th," Olson said. Gourlay and Paciotti placed 15th and 16th, respectively, among the college racers.
For Whitman, the qualifying season for the NCAA alpine championships begin this weekend with the Montana State Invitational, which also takes place at Big Sky.
Whitman's Ben Chaddock made his first college race a good one, placing 13th in the men's slalom Sunday in the
Montana State Invitational at Big Sky, Mont.
In the women's event, Emily Baker placed 32nd and Rachel Walker was 33rd to give the Missionary women's team its top performances.
Sunday's races marked a late start for the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA) season. High winds and poor visibility forced postponement of Saturday's scheduled giant slalom events. A make-up date for those races has not been announced, but they will probably be incorporated into one of the invitationals later in the season.
Chaddock, a freshman from Richmond, British Columbia, placed second on his second run and finished 13th overall in 1:29.79. University of Colorado teammates Drew Roberts (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) and Stefan Hughes (Killington, Vt.) finished first and second, respectively, in 1:26.77 and 1:26.84.
"Ben started opening some eyes today," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "He showed a lot of grit and determination in attacking that second run. He's a very confident young man, and we're looking forward to him qualifying for the NCAA national championships."
Andy Erickson, a sophomore from Kirkland, Wash., and the only Missionary competing in the men's event, fell on his second run and finished 41st in 2:09.51.
Baker, a first-year skier from Boulder, Colo., finished her two runs in the women's slalom in 1:39.74. Walker, a senior from Whistler, B.C., was just two one-hundredths of a second behind her teammate.
Two more first-year skiers, Lauren Parsons (Ketchum, Idaho) and Lucia Paciotti (Poulsbo, Wash.), placed 38th and 40th for the Missionaries with times of 1:42.33 and 1:42.70. Renee Thibodeau, a Whitman senior from Fort Kent, Maine, was 41st in 1:43.01, and Charlotte Gourlay, a junior from Ketchum, Idaho, was 43rd in 1:44.53. Maria Corcorran, a senior from Bellevue, Wash., fell on her first run but recovered to place 54th in 2:30.89.
Lucie Zikova, an University of Colorado junior from the Czech Republic, won the women's slalom in 1:29.15. The University of Alaska-Anchorage's Stefanie Klocker, a sophomore from Dornbirn, Austria, was second in 1:29.58.
"Our women skied well today, but it's amazing how much stronger this ski conference gets each season, especially on the women's side," Olson said. "We think we can close the gap as the season goes along, but the competition from NCAA Division I schools is very strong."
In combined men's and women's team scoring Sunday, Colorado took first with 153 points. The universities of Denver and Nevada-Reno placed second and third, respectively, with 129 and 120 points. Other teams and scores were the University of New Mexico 118, University of Utah 101, Montana State 96, University of Alaska-Anchorage 85, Western State College 74, and Whitman 44.
The Whitman alpine teams, still on semester break, will travel Monday to Park City, Utah. A series of non-college races, sponsored by the International Ski Federation (FIS), are slated for Tuesday through Friday. RMISA competition resumes Saturday and Sunday with the University of Utah Invitational.
Finishing second on his second run, Whitman's Ben Chaddock placed 10th overall in an International Ski Federation (FIS) giant slalom event held Tuesday at Park City, Utah. Meanwhile, Rachel Walker finished 20th for the Missionary women in a FIS-sponsored slalom event at nearby Snowbird, Utah.
The Missionary alpine teams, still on semester break, are competing in a series of FIS races this week in preparation for the University of Utah Invitational this weekend.
Chaddock, a freshman from Richmond, British Columbia, was clocked in 55.38 seconds on his second run, finishing just seven one-hundredths of a second behind the winner of that run. His overall time was 1:52.60, which placed him less one second out of third place.
"Ben had another good day," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "He's getting stoked for this weekend's NCAA races."
Chaddock was the only member of the Whitman men's team competing in Tuesday race, which was won by Norway's Lars Sunde Loeseth, who skis for the University of New Mexico. He was timed in 1:51.08, edging the University of Utah's Scott Hume by twelve one-hundredths of a second.
Walker, a senior from Whistler, Canada, finished 15th on her second run and placed 20th overall in 1:31.46. Others placing for Whitman were Emily Baker, 28th, 1:34.54; Lauren Parsons, 33rd, 1:35.76; Renee Thibodeau, 37th, 1:36.49; Lucia Paciotti, 47th, 1:39.77; and Charlotte Gourlay, 49th, 1:39.97.
"It wasn't a bad day for the women, but I think they are a little frustated," Olson said. "They know they can ski faster, but we're also getting a little tired. The women in particular have done a lot of racing, along with training, over the past week. At least a few of the women will take a day off tomorrow and not race."
Hailey Duke, a non-college skier, won the women's slalom Tuesday in 1:25.44. Austria's Stefanie Klocker, who skis for the University of Alaska-Anchorage, was second in 1:26.35. The race drew 92 skiers, 30 of whom failed to finish one of the two runs.
A total of 121 men started Tuesday's giant slalom race. Only 64 finished both runs.
Wednesday was another good day on the slopes for Whitman's Ben Chaddock as a handful of Missionaries competed in International Ski Federation (FIS) races at Park City and Snowbird, Utah.
Chaddock, a freshman, finished fifth on his second run and 12th overall in a men's giant slalom event at Park City. His time for the two runs was 1:57.98. Scott Hume, who skis for the University of Utah, won the event in 1:56.60, beating the University of Colorado's Stefan Hughes by 22 one-hundredths of a second.
"The weather actually got warmer today and the course deteriorated pretty quickly," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "But Ben is strong and was able to fight his way all the way through the course. He had two good runs."
A total of 72 men completed both runs. Nearly 50 others failed to complete one of the two.
Emily Baker, another of Whitman's first-year skiers, had the best Missionary finish in the women's slalom, held at nearby Snowbird. Baker placed 39th in 1:37.85. Senior Renee Thibodeau was 46th in 1:40.88.
Whitman senior Rachel Walker and first-year teammate Lauren Parsons both fell on the first run. Of the 106 skiers who started, only 68 finished both runs.
"We've got a flu bug starting to go through our team, and two of our women weren't able to go today," Olson said. "Rachel is just now getting sick, so she was a little on the weak side today. A lot of the college teams have been in Montana and here in Utah since Jan. 2, and the flu bug has been making the rounds."
Hailey Duke, a non-college racer, won the women's event for the second consecutive day. Her time was 1:26.75. The University of Colorado's Lucie Zikova was the runner-up in 1:27.75.
Whitman skiers, as well as other college competitors, are using this week's FIS races as training for this weekend's University of Utah Invitational, an NCAA championship qualifying event.
Barring weather problems, Whitman skiers hope to compete in FIS races Thursday before taking Friday off to rest for the weekend college races. "You never know, but there's some chance we could get a foot or two of snow Thursday," Olson said.
It was tough sledding for the Whitman alpine skiers on Thursday as they used International Ski Federation (FIS) races as a final tune-up for this weekend's University of Utah Invitational.
Freshman Ben Chaddock, the only member of the Missionary men's squad on hand, failed to finish his first run in a FIS slalom event at Snowbird, Utah. Senior Rachel Walker had the best finish for the Whitman women, placing 35th in a FIS giant slalom event at nearby Park City, Utah.
Team members will use Friday as a much needed rest day to recharge batteries for the NCAA races on Saturday and Sunday, Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "The team is tired after 12 days on the road -- traveling, training and racing, and the seniors are facing thesis pressures."
Walker, slowed by an aggravated ankle injury, finished her two runs in 2:16.28. "Rachel wasn't happy with her runs, but her ankle is bothering her again," Olson said.
Lauren Parsons, a first-year skier, finished 48th in 2:19.42. "Lauren had an okay first run and a much better second run," Olson said. Charlotte Gourlay, a junior who was 52nd in 2:21.07, was "very impressive" on portions of both runs but slowed by minor mistakes, Olson said. Renee Thibodeau, a senior, also finished both runs, placing 59th in 2:25.59.
Emily Baker and Lucia Paciotti, two more first-year skiers, were among the 34 skiers who failed to finish both runs. Paciotti also is bothered by ankle soreness, Olson said, while Baker followed the competition with "some free skiing runs that kept her in a great mood. Emily keeps her head high."
Jennifer Van Wagner, a non-college racer from Utah, won the women's giant slalom in 2:05.88. The Czech Republic's Lucie Zikova, who skis for the University of Colorado, was second in 2:06.38.
Scott Hume, who skis for the University of Utah, won the men's slalom in 1:27.82. Norway's Tor Henning Fodnesbergene, who skis for the University of New Mexico, was second in 1:27.85. Of the 120 men who started the race, 71 finished both runs.
It wasn't the best opening day for the Whitman alpine ski teams as the NCAA qualifying season got underway with the University of Utah Invitational at Park City, Utah.
"It was just a rough day all the way around," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "It wasn't our best skiing, but hopefully we can learn from today's mistakes and do better on Sunday."
In the men's giant slalom, Missionary freshman Ben Chaddock placed 27th in 1:58.81 for his two runs. "Ben had a few problems with his first run," Olson said. "His second run was better, but it wasn't enough to make a big jump in the results."
Andy Erickson, a sophomore, was the only Whitman skier in the men's event. He placed 37th in 2:15.71.
In the women's slalom, senior Rachel Walker took top Missionary honors with a time of 1:39.31 and 28th-place showing. "Our women also had some problems, but we know we can do better."
Lauren Parsons, another of Whitman's first-year skiers, was 32nd in 1:42.96. Senior Renee Thibodeau was 35th in 1:45.80 and junior Charlotte Gourlay was 37th in 1:46.59. First-year skier Emily Baker, after hiking back around a missed gate, finished 44th in 2:08.52.
Senior Maria Corcorran failed to finish her first run while first-year teammate Lucia Paciotti was a second-run casualty.
"This probably the most challenging hill we'll face all season, but the snow conditions were good," Olson said. "It's very cold, though. It was minus-15 when we started this morning."
Austria's Stefanie Klocker, skiing for the University of Alaska-Anchorage, won the women's slalom in 1:29.97. The Czech Republic's Lucie Zikova was the runner-up for the University of Colorado in 1:30.30.
Utah's Tague Thorson (Mahtomedi, Minn.) won the men's giant slalom in 1:53.93. Norway's Lars Sunde Loeseth, skiing for the University of New Mexico, was second in 1:55.02.
Team scores for the women were Colorado 77, Utah 69, Denver 64, Alaska-Anchorage 58, Nevada 55, New Mexico 47, Montana State 33, Western State 33, and Whitman 23.
In the men's team scoring, it was Denver 75, Colorado 69, New Mexico 69, Utah 61, Montana State 52, Nevada 48, Western State 36, Alaska-Anchorage 30, and Whitman 15.
The alpine portion of the Utah Invitational continues Sunday with a men's slalom and women's giant slalom.
With their top two competitors a non-factor due to injury or illness, the Whitman alpine ski teams wrapped up two weeks on the road with Sunday races at the University of Utah Invitational in Park City, Utah.
Missionary senior Rachel Walker was too sick with the flu to compete in the women's giant slalom, and freshman Ben Chaddock dropped from the men's slalom after suffering severe bone bruises in hitting a gate on his first run. "It was too painful for Ben to continue, but at least the x-rays came back negative," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said.
Lauren Parsons and Emily Baker, two first-year skiers, paced the Whitman women. Parsons was 30th in 2:17.01 and Baker 32nd in 2:18.02. Charlotte Gourlay, a junior, was 35th in 2:19.91, finishing two spots in front of first-year teammate Lucia Paciotti and her 2:21.52 time. Seniors Renee Thibodeau and Maria Corcorran were 41st and 42nd, respectively, in 2:24.56 and 2:26.99.
Andy Erickson, a Whitman sophomore, finished 31st in the men's giant slalom with a time of 1:54.56. "That was a good, strong finish for Andy," Olson said.
"This is the end of a long two weeks on the road, and we're tired and worn out," Olson added. "The trip was probably two days too long, and it's too bad the college races were held these last two days. We skied pretty well last week in Montana, as well as earlier this week. We're looking forward to getting home and taking a break."
The next alpine events on Whitman's schedule are Feb. 2-3 at the University of Denver Invitational.
The University of Utah's Tague Thorson won the men's giant slalom Sunday in 1:32.13. The University of Colorado's Stefan Hughes was second in 1:32.35.
In the women's slalom, it was Western State's Sarah Schaedler taking first in 2:02.92. Montana State's Carmel McElroy was the runner-up in 2:05.04.
In the alpine team scoring Sunday, Utah tallied a first-place total of 143 points in the men's and women's races. Colorado was second with 134 points followed by Denver with 131 and Montana State with 120. Whitman was ninth with 28 points.
In the Utah Invitational's overall team scoring, counting two alpine and two cross country races, Colorado was first with 552 points and Utah second with 537. Denver was third with 522 points, while Montana State and Alaska-Anchorage tied for fourth with 411 points. Whitman was ninth with 123 points.
Members of the Whitman alpine ski teams took a step into the past Saturday, posting a dominating performance in Northwest Collegiate Ski Conference (NWCSC) giant slalom races at 49 Degrees North near Chewelah, Wash.
Reminiscent of the days when Whitman dominated the NWCSC, the Missionaries finished one-two-three in the women's event and placed three more skiers in the top 14. First-year skiers Emily Baker and Lauren Parsons finished first and third, respectively, with senior Rachel Walker taking second.
With its top two men at home with injuries, Whitman sophomore Andy Erickson was on his own in the men's giant slalom, placing fifth. "If our other two guys were here and healthy, we probably would have had three in the top five in the men's event," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said.
The Missionary alpine teams dominated the PNSA before switching gears in 2002 to compete in the 10-school Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Conference (RMISA), which includes several NCAA Div. I schools such as the universities of Colorado, Utah and New Mexico.
"As RMISA's only NCAA Division III school, it's hard for us to compete each week against the Division I schools that give athletic scholarships," Olson said. "It's unfortunate that we're the only Division III school in the West that competes in NCAA skiing. I think our alpine teams would do very, very well against the Division III schools back East, if we had the chance to compete against them during the regular season."
With a weekend open on its RMISA schedule, Whitman took advantage of the chance to compete in PNSA's opening weekend of competition. "Today's results are more indicative of how our women's team in particular would do if it was competing against other Division III schools," Olson said. "This is probably the strongest women's team I've had in my 17 years at Whitman, but that doesn't show through against the larger schools."
In second place behind Walker after Saturday's first run, Baker clocked a fast 1:02.01 on her second run to win the event with a total time of 2:07.07. Walker was second in 2:07.34 while Parsons was third in 2:08.20. The University of Idaho's Kristen Wick was fourth and Molly Bullard of Albertson College fifth.
Lucia Paciotti, another of Whitman's first-year skiers, was sixth in 2:09.25, finishing just ahead of senior teammate Renee Thibodeau's seventh-place time of 2:09.61. Senior Maria Corcorran was 14th in 2:15.21.
In the women's team scoring, Whitman was first with a total time of 382.61 seconds for its top three finishers. Albertson was more than 13 seconds back in second place, and the University of British Columbia was third. Puget Sound and Idaho rounded out the top five. The nine-school field also included Washington State and the universities of Washington and Oregon.
"We actually could have used the times for our fourth, fifth and sixth women and still won the team scoring," Olson said.
UBC's Biran Hikisch won the men's giant slalom in 2:04.58. Albertson's William Moss was second in 2:06.69. Whitman's Erickson was fifth in 2:08.95. "Andy skied really well today," Olson said. "This was probably his best college race ever."
Whitman freshman Ben Chaddock, the best skier on the men's team, stayed on campus Saturday after injuring a hand in last week's University of Utah Invitational. Sophomore Marc Nabelek, scheduled to see his first race action of the season, suffered a non-skiing knee injury Friday and also stayed home.
Whitman will compete in two more PNSA giant slalom races on Sunday. The Missionaries return to RMISA competition with the University of Denver Invitational Feb. 2-3.
One day after teammate Emily Baker won her first college race, Lauren Parsons did the same thing Sunday as the Whitman alpine ski teams competed in Northwest Collegiate Ski Conference (NWCSC) giant slalom events at 49 Degrees North near Chewelah, Wash.
Parsons was a decisive winner, placing first with a total time of 2:00.33 for her two runs down the hill. That was more that two seconds better than the runner-up, Molly Bullard of Albertson College. The University of Idaho's Kristen Wick was third in 2:03.00.
Rachel Walker, a Whitman senior, was fourth in 2:03.21. Baker placed fifth in 2:04.29. "It was great to see both Emily and Lauren win their first college races this weekend," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said.
Sophomore Andy Erickson, Whitman's only competitor in the men's giant slalom Sunday, failed to finish his second run. "Andy had trouble toward the end of both runs," Olson said. "Otherwise, he was skiing well. He was learning to push himself a little bit in what for us was a non-conference event."
Albertson skiers finished one-two in the men's event. Aaron Flynn was first in 2:01.40. Kevin Makinson was the runner-up, finishing about six-tenths of a second behind his teammate.
Whitman placed five finishers among the women's top 10. Senior Renee Thibodeau was seventh in 2:05.80. Lucia Paciotti, another of the Missionary first-year skiers, was 10th in 2:06.99. Senior Maria Corcorran was 18th in 2:12.44.
In the women's team scoring, Whitman took first for a second straight day with a total time of 367.53 seconds for its top three finishers. Albertson was second, more than 10 seconds back, while the University of British Columbia was third. Puget Sound and the University of Washington placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in an eight-team field.
"This was just a great weekend for our women's team as well as for Andy," Olson said. "It was good training and good racing, and everyone skied well. It really helped boost our morale. Now, we need to keep the momentum going when at our next races in early February."
Whitman freshman Ben Chaddock placed a strong 15th in the men's giant slalom as the University of Denver Invitational got underway with giant slalom races at a frigid Winter Park, Colo.
Chaddock, the only member of the Missionary men's team at the invitational, finished his two runs in 1:58.69. His time placed him less one minute out of ninth.
"It was a pretty decent day for Ben," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "He made a few minor mistakes that cost him some time, but he skied well."
Chaddock's results, coupled with his 13th-place finish in the giant slalom at the Montana State Invitational, put him on the fringe of qualifying for the NCAA national championships, Olson said. "Seventeen men from the west qualify for nationals, and we hope Ben is getting pretty darn close to being one of those seventeen."
Whitman had several members of its women's team entered in Friday's races, which got underway despite 50-m.p.h. winds and a wind chill factor of 45 degrees below zero, Olson said. "The mountain was closed except for the run they kept open for our races."
In the women's giant slalom, Whitman senior Rachel Walker placed 28th in 2:02.21.
"It was kind of a disappointing finish for Rachel," Olson said. "One gust of wind literally stood her up on the course at one point. In weather conditions like that, being in the wrong spot at the wrong moment can have a big impact on your time."
Despite back problems, first-year Missionary skier Lauren Parsons placed 30th in 2:04.24. Also finishing both runs for the Whitman women were junior charlotte Gourlay 33rd, 2:06.01; senior Renee Thibodeau, 34th, 2:06.40; and first-year skier Lucia Paciotti, 38th, 2:09.44.
Emily Baker, another of Whitman's first-year skiers, was unable to start because of an ankle injury.
The University of New Mexico's Lars Loeseth won the men's event in 1:54.57, finishing more than two seconds in front of the runner-up, Denver's Adam Cole. The University of Colorado's Lucie Zikova won the women's race in 1:52.10, beating Western State's Sarah Schaedler by about three-tenths of a second.
Colorado was first in the women's team scoring with 70 place points for its top three skiers. The University of Alaska-Anchorage was second with 66, followed by Denver with 59, and New Mexico and Montana State with 56 points each. Whitman was ninth with 23 points.
New Mexico was first in the men's team scoring with 84 points. Denver was a close second with 81 points followed by Utah with 65 points in third place. Getting its only points from Chaddock, Whitman finished ninth with 16 points.
Freshman Ben Chaddock and senior Rachel Walker again posted Whitman's best times as the alpine portion of the University of Denver Invitational concluded Saturday with slalom races at Winter Park, Colo.
Chaddock placed 18th in the men's event, completing his two runs in 1:28.31. Denver teammates John Buchar and Adam Cole finished one-two, respectively, with times of 1:24.71 and 1:24.73.
In the women's event, Walker placed 27th in 1:43.51. One of her first-year teammates, Lucia Paciotti, was 41st in 2:05.22, finishing one spot in front of junior Charlotte Gourlay and her 2:05.45 time. "Both Lucia and Charlotte missed gates and had to hike, but the did finish," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said.
Two of Whitman's first-year skiers, Lauren Parsons and Emily Baker, were unable to compete because of injuries. Senior Renee Thibodeau started but did not finish.
The University of Colorado's Lucie Zikova, a native of the Czech Republic, followed her victory in Friday's giant slalom with another win in Saturday's slalom. Her winning time was 1:33.33, nearly one second better than the runner-up, Denver's Claire Abbe.
Colorado was first in the women's team scoring with 81 place points for its top three finishers. The University of Utah was second with 78 points with the University of Nevada-Reno taking third with 57 points. Whitman was ninth with 19 points, just two points behind Western State.
New Mexico was first in the men's team scoring with 76 points. Nevada and Utah were second and third, respectively, with 69 and 65 points. Chaddock, the only member of Whitman men's team competing at the invitational, scored 14 points to place the Missionaries ninth.
The Whitman alpine skiers next travel to Taos, New Mexico, for the University of New Mexico Invitational this Friday and Saturday. A giant slalom event for the men and women is also scheduled for Thursday at Taos. It was scheduled to replace the Montana State Invitational giant slalom races that were postponed last month due to blizzard conditions.
Thirty-three days after it started at Big Sky, Mont., the Montana State Invitational came to a close Thursday with make-up giant slalom races at Taos, New Mexico.
Ben Chaddock, a freshman, gave Whitman its best finish, placing 22nd in the men's event with a time of 1:52.60. Missionary senior Rachel Walker was 25th in the women's event in 1:57.51.
"The weather was better today, but the wind picked up in the afternoon and we had gusts that were probably 40 to 45 miles per hour," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "That's enough to stand up the skiers if it catches them at the wrong time, and that's what happened to Ben today."
Originally scheduled for Jan. 8 at Big Sky, the Montana State giant slalom races were postponed by blizzard conditions and rescheduled for Sunday, Feb. 4, at the close of the University of Denver Invitational at Winter Park, Colo. Harsh weather again interceded, however, forcing the races back to Thursday, where they were finally held in advance of the University of New Mexico Invitational
The New Mexico invite gets started with its own set of giant slalom races on Friday. Slalom events follow on Saturday.
First-year Whitman skiers Lauren Parsons and Lucia Paciotti placed 33rd and 34th, respectively, in Thursday's race with times 2:00.92 and 2:01.47. Senior Renee Thibodeau finished 39th in 2:04.96.
The Whitman women's team finished in ninth place in team scoring with 26 points, just two points behind the University of Nevada-Reno. The University of Colorado scored 74 points to place first, edging Denver by two points and third-place Montana State by nine.
Western State's Sarah Schaedler won the women's event with a time of 1:52.97. Colorado's Lucie Zikova was second in 1:53.53.
Denver's Adam Cole won the men's race in 1:49.45. New Mexico's Lars Loeseth was the runner-up in 1:49.74. Utah's Tague Thorson was third in 1:49.90.
Chaddock was the only member of the Whitman men's team to compete.
Whitman freshman Ben Chaddock posted another strong finish and senior Rachel Walker enjoyed her best day of the season as the alpine portion of the University of New Mexico got underway Friday at Taos, N.M.
Chaddock tied for 16th in the men's giant slalom with a total time of 1:58.05 for his two runs. He just missed matching his best giant slalom finish of the season, which came last week when he placed 15th at the University of Denver Invitational. Chaddock also has placed as high as 13th this season in the slalom.
"Ben had a solid race, but he made a few mistakes and he knows he can go faster," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "We've got three more races left, counting tomorrow, and we're hoping Ben can put it all together and crack the top 10. That would certainly help his chances of qualifying for the NCAA championships."
Walker placed 20th in the women's giant slalom with a time of 2:03.37. Her previous best finish in one of the college races this season was 25th in Thursday's giant slalom race, which was a make-up race for an event canceled earlier in the season because of blizzard conditions.
First-year skier Lucia Paciotti was 34th for the Missionaries in Friday's race. Senior teammate Renee Thibodeau was 35th in 2:10.58. Another of Whitman's first-year skiers, Lauren Parsons, failed to finish her first run. "Lauren was having a heck of a first run when she tweaked her back again and wasn't able to finish," Olson said. "She's the third of our first-year skiers to have injury problems this season."
In the women's team scoring, Whitman placed ninth with 26 place points for its top three finishers. The Missionaries finished just three points behind the University of Nevada-Reno. Chaddock, the only member of the Whitman men's team competing, scored 16.5 points in the team scoring.
The University of Colorado edged Denver 75-71 in the women's team scoring. The University of Utah was third with 68 points.
Denver was first on the men's side with 81 points. New Mexico was second with 74 points and Utah third with 58 points.
New Mexico's Lars Loeseth won the men's race in 1:55.30, beating Denver's Francesco Ghedina by one-half of a second.
Sarah Schaedledr, skiing for Western State College, won the women's event in 1:58.50. Colorado's Heidi Hillenbrand was second in 1:59.15.
Slalom races are set for Saturday.
Placing fifth on his second run, Whitman freshman Ben Chaddock finished 14th overall in Saturday's slalom event at the University of New Mexico Invitational at Taos, N.M.
"Because his points aren't as high as some of the other skiers, Ben has to start most of his runs toward the end of the line," Whitman coach Tom Olson said. "With the second run today, he was one of the first guys to go out, which means he had a fairly clean course that wasn't yet torn up by a lot of skiers. Give Ben a clean course, and he can ski with the best of these guys."
Chaddock was clocked in 50.54 on his second run, which was nearly a half-second faster than New Mexico's Tor Henning Fodnesbergene, who won the race with an overall time of 1:41.23. The University of Denver's Adam Cole was second in 1:41.26.
Olson remains hopeful that Chaddock can snag one of the last of 17 NCAA National Championship berths available to male college skiers in the west. "Ben can give his chances a big boost if he can break into the top 10 at the regional championships in two weeks. Regionals are run differently, so Ben will be assured of a good start position in both of those races."
In the women's slalom Saturday, Whitman senior Rachel Walker placed 25th in 1:54.22. Rene Thibodeau, also a senior, was 30th in 2:00.13. First-year skier Lauren Parsons was right behind in 31st in 2:00.89. Lucia Paciott, another of Whitman's first-year skiers, did not finis her second run.
New Mexico's Malin Henningsson won the women's race in 1:44.02. Stefanie Klocker, skiing for the University of Alaska-Anchorage, was second in 1:44.33.
The Whitman women finished with 25 place points to place eighth in the team scoring, beating the University of Nevada-Reno by eight points. New Mexico was first in the women's scoring with 75. Colorado was second with 73 and Denver third with 72.
Chaddock, the only member of the Whitman men's team at the invitational, scored 17 points for the Missionaries. Denver took first in the men's scoring with 80 points, edging New Mexico by two points.
Whitman alpine skiers had their best races of the season Friday as the weather-shortened NCAA West Regional came to a close with slalom events at the Sugar Bowl Ski Resort near Norden, Calif.
Missionary freshman Ben Chaddock placed seventh in the men's slalom while senior Rachel Walker finished 12th in the women's event. It was a season-best effort for both skiers.
The Whitman women's team also posted its best finish of the season, placing sixth in a nine-school field with 43 place points. The Missionaries finished ahead of Montana State (36), Western State (33) and the University of New Mexico (10).
"That's a great finish for our women's team," Whitman alpine coach Tom Olson said. "We showed today that we've got the talent to finish in the middle of what is a very strong Division I conference. The women's team has been improving all season, and we skied just a little smarter than some of the other teams today."
Chaddock, Whitman's top alpine skier this season, was gunning for two top 10 finishes at this week's regional championships in hopes of improving his chances of qualifying for the NCAA National Championships in March. His hopes took a hit, however, when blizzard conditions on Thursday forced cancellation of the giant slalom races.
"Ben is skiing really well right now," Olson said. "I'm not sure if he's going to make it to nationals or not. We'll have to wait and see."
Chaddock, who placed 13th and 14th in slalom events earlier in the season, finished Friday's two runs in 1:23.30. The University of Denver's Francesco Ghedina won the race in 1:22.00, beating his nearest competitor by more than seven-tenths of a second.
Sophomore Andy Erickson, the only other member of the Whitman men's team competing Friday, placed 29th in 1:35.67.
In the women's race, Walker's time was 1:39.42. "Rachel had her best giant slalom race last week and her best slalom finish this week," Olson said. "She finished strong."
Rounding out Whitman's top three in the women's race were first-year skier Lauren Parsons, who was 20th in 1:48.16, and senior Renee Thibodeau, who was 22nd in 1:48.39. Close behind were first-year skier Lucia Paciotti (23rd, 1:53.27), junior Charlotte Gourlay (25th, 1:55.38) and senior Maria Corcorran (26th, 2:00.61).
Emily Baker, another of Whitman's first-year skiers, had to hike twice on her first run and slipped to 35th with a time of 2:44.53. "It was just a tough day for Emily," Olson said. "Normally she would finish somewhere close to Rachel. Overall, though, I'm very pleased with how the women's team skied today. It was a great way for our seniors to go out."
The University of Colorado's Lisa Perricone blew away the women's field, winning in 1:34.22. That was 2.4 seconds ahead of the runner-up. In the women's team scoring, the University of Utah and the University of Alaska-Anchorage finished first and second.