LA CROSSE, Wis. – The St. Olaf College men's and women's alpine skiing teams both placed in the top two of the giant slalom and slalom races in U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) competition at Mount La Crosse on Saturday and Sunday.
Led by podium finishes from senior
Graham Barwick and first year
Austin Mjanger, the St. Olaf men won the giant slalom on Saturday and were second in the slalom on Sunday. First year
Maia Andrews landed on the podium in the giant slalom on Saturday, as the St. Olaf women were second in both disciplines.
Barwick and Mjanger posted identical two-run times of 1:10.36 to tie for second in the giant slalom, as St. Olaf (3:33.08) finished just over one second behind Northern Michigan University (3:34.14) in the team standings. Barwick and Mjanger both recorded top-four runs in both runs, while junior
Kerem Haymana was also in the top 10 in 10th (1:12.36).
Andrews took second overall (1:13.33) after moving up from fourth with the fastest second run of the day (33.50) to pace the St. Olaf women, who were second to Northern Michigan with a time of 3:46.27. Andrews was one of five Oles in the top 20 along with senior
Kate Young (10th, 1:15.88), junior
Jessica Stanton (14th, 1:17.06), junior
Winter Johnson (15th, 1:17.62), and senior
Lexi Jorgensen (19th, 1:19.53). Jorgrnsen cracked the top 20 after being 33rd after the first run (43.51) with the 16th-fastest second run (36.02).
The men's slalom was reduced to one run due to jury decision, as St. Olaf was second (57.60) to Northern Michigan (56.26). Barwick led three Oles in the top 10 in fifth (18.96), followed by Mjanger in sixth (19.27) and Haymana in seventh (19.37). Junior
Wyatt Shultz was also in the top 15 in 12th (19.75).
St. Olaf had six top-20 performances in the women's slalom, led by Andrews' fourth-place showing (41.84), as the first year put together two top-six runs, including the second-fastest opening run (19.91). Stanton (44.27) and Young (45.04) were ninth and 10th, respectively, while Jorgensen (13th, 46.12), Johnson (17th, 46.79), and Gannon (18th, 47.22) also finished in the top 20. Northern Michigan again took the team title with a time of 2:05.31, followed by St. Olaf in 2:11.15.
The Oles will return to Mount La Crosse for International Ski Federation (FIS) competition Friday through Sunday, Jan. 24-26.
