Men sweep the podium in giant slalom
DULUTH, Minn. — The NMU alpine ski teams completed the first day of competition from USCSA Spirit Mountain.
The teams raced split races today: the men competed in the giant slalom, while the women competed in the slalom. The teams will swap for tomorrow, and the men will ski in the slalom with the women in the giant slalom.
The men claimed first by sweeping the podium with three of student-athletes on the ‘A’ team: freshman Noah Bindas claimed gold at 48.92 thanks to the first and third-fastest runs, senior Reed Heathman was fourth after the first run before jumping into silver thanks to posting the fastest run two time and a combined time of 49.20, and sophomore Anthony Petkov posted the third and second-fastest run times en route to 49.22 and a bronze medal.
The men combined for 2:27.34 to claim first, outing St. Olaf at 2:36.19 in second and UW-Madison in third at 2:39.40.
For the first time this season, the women’s team failed to sweep the podium or win the team event; however, the team got an individual gold medal from senior Kaylee Byrne, who had the fourth-fastest time after run one before posting the fastest time in run two for a combined 1:24.90 and atop the podium.
There were unfortunate spills for the women in run two, as Tommie Springer and Madalyn Stern, who were second and seventh after run one, both DNF in run two. Fellow A teammate Ashley Schaffer DNF in run one, leaving Blanac Srock (1:29.99) as the only other member of the A team to post two runs, where she finished sixth.
The women’s team scoring will be added when made available.
How It Happened
Men’s Giant Slalom – Live Results
The men controlled eight of the top 10 first-run results, led by a 24.16 from Noah Bindas. Spots three, four, five, and six belonged to Anthony Petkov (24.53), Kyan Hopke (24.61), Reed Heathman (24.70), and Eli Heathman (24.92), and spots seven, eight, and nine belonged to Connor Abraham (25.14), Cashton Jaeger (25.17), and Nathan Dehart (25.42). Mitchell Forsberg’s time of 25.84 was good for 13th.
The ‘Cats dominated the second run, posting the top six results in the evening: R. Heathman (24.50), Petkov (24.69), Bindas (24.76), Jaeger (24.93), Hopke (25.02), and Dehart (25.30). E. Heathman (25.65) and Forsberg (26.13) posted solid second runs, and unfortunately Abraham DNF.
Women’s Slalom – Live Results
The women controlled five of the top ten first-run results, led by Tommie Springer in second at 41.86 and Kaylee Byrne in fourth at 42.26. Madalyn Stern (42.77) sat in seventh, and Blanca Srock (44.09) and Onalee Wallis (44.30) rounded out the top 10.
Julia Greene (46.58), Anna Roethlisberger (46.94), Lucy Stern (47.91), Maya Bubolz (48.45), Georgette Sake (51.31), and Camryn Zotalis (54.85) all recorded first-run results. Ashley Schaffer and Cassidy Whitener DNF, and Marisa Witte DNS.
The ‘Cats had some unfortunate DNFs in the second runs: Springer and Stern, who were second and seventh after run one, did not complete their second result. Roethlisberger also DNF.
Byrne, however, posted the fastest run two result at 42.64, a near full second ahead of teammate Schaffer at 43.52, who DNF in her first run. Wallis (44.97) and Srock (45.90) both posted solid second run times.
Stern (47.94), Bubolz (48.06), Greene (48.18), Zotalis (53.55), and Sake (54.35) all posted second run times.
