NCAA Power Rankings Are Back
Winter Youth Olympic
Games Close in Innsbruck
U
Utah: Nick Cohee, Tii-Maria Romar, Julie Bordeau, and Ryan Wilson have loaded up on
hardware on the alpine side while Didrik Smith and Miles Havlik are the Utes’ podium-hun-gry nordies. Although the women’s nordic team could use a boost, Parker Tyler’s win in
the Denver 5K classical shows promise. The Utes are already demonstrating the kind of
well-rounded depth to go all the way this year.
While Hahnenkamm fans were still celebrating Didier Cuche’s
victory in Kitzbuehel, some younger revelers down the road in
Innsbruck were also partying (albeit a bit more wholesomely) in
the streets — marking the official close of the first-ever Winter
Youth Olympic Games. The event, which ran from Jan. 13 to 22,
included 57 American athletes, who earned 50 top- 20 finishes;
31 of those were top- 10 and 19 were top-five.
Snowboarder Ben Ferguson of Bend, Ore., won gold and silver
medals while Steamboat rider Arielle Gold earned two silvers.
Emilee Anderson of Eau Claire, Wisc., was the first-ever U.S.
female ski jumper to compete at an International Olympic Committee event and finished ninth overall.
Joining forces for the unique cross country/biathlon mixed re-
lay were Patrick Caldwell of Lyme, N.H.; and Heather Mooney
of Peru, Vt.; along with biathletes
Sean Doherty of Center Conway, N.H.; and Anna
Kubek of Duluth, Minn.; they earned the bronze medal
and were just a half-second behind the silver-medal
winners.
On the alpine side, Lindsey Vonn traveled to Innsbruck to watch Vail’s Alex Leever finish 11th in the first
run of the men’s GS while Aspen Ski and Snowboard
Club racer Julia Mueller-Ristine was chosen to carry
the U.S. flag for the Closing Ceremony.
Lindsey Vonn joins fellow
Vail native Alex Leever
and his family at the
Winter Youth Olympic
Games in Innsbruck.
Vermont: The Catamounts opened the season with another 1,000-plus points Carnival. Despite Jonathan Nordbotten’s absence (he’s off collecting World Cup starts) and
Kate Ryley’s hand injury that forced her to “old school” the slalom, double alpine podium
sweeps for the men turned heads. We’ve got our eyes on rookies Bobby Farrell and Elli
Terwiel for blowout seasons. The nordic women also stood strong with Lucy Garrec and
Caitlin Patterson’s alternating victories.
Cross country
skier Patrick
Caldwell
celebrates a
bronze in the
mixed relay.
Colorado: Giving chase to Utah, the Buffs have relied on the nordic domination of
Rune Oedegaard, who was the first RMISA athlete of the season to sweep races, accomplished at the Denver Invitational. The podiums from Joanne Reid and Eliska Hajkova
podiums haven’t been too shabby either. Erika Ghent, Shane McLean, and Adam Zika are
holding down the alpine front. The Utes still have a target on their back, and the Buffs
are charging.
Alaska-Anchorage: With huge movement on the nordic side provided by freestyle
mavens Jaime Bronga and Laura Romback, the Seawolves have leapt ahead twice in
team standings to claim third place. Heading onto home soil for the next set of races will
undoubtedly provide advantage; Andreas Adde has potential to crack the alpine podium.
Dartmouth: The Big Green holds this position on the strength of its nordic team with
commanding opening performances by Eric Packer, Sam Tarling and Sophie Caldwell.
Annie Rendall’s lone podium for the alpine squad means they better find quick success if
they hope to stay among the Power Rankings elite.
