Men's Rugby Ready For Saturday's Colorado State Game

GLENDALE, Colo. (10/28/10) - For the student athletes of the University of Colorado’s men’s rugby team, the timing leading up to the biggest game of the fall season couldn’t be better. The Buffs are coming off a bye week and are riding a four game winning streak into their final game of the fall at Infinity Park against their biggest rival, the Colorado State Rams.

CU assistant coach Jim Snyder said the buildup is just what the team needs.

“The buildup has been good,” Snyder said. “It’s been a relaxed and enjoyable week of practice but we’ve gotten a lot accomplished.”

The two teams are very familiar with each other and each other’s style of play. Snyder said he knows where his team’s strengths are and what they’ll have to do to topple the Rams.

“We know they are really athletic, and we have to be ready to counter their athleticism with our own style of play,” Snyder said. “It’s going to be one heck of a ball game.”

The match is the marquee event for both schools as they prepare to join the newly formed USA Rugby College Premiere League.

“Holding this event at Infinity Park in Glendale, which is the only rugby specific municipal stadium in the country, is a way of raising the profile of rugby in the area to make the CPL something special,” said CU assistant coach Eric Taber. “All 31 teams around the country are holding similar events to really turn a lot of heads toward our great sport.”

Even though Homecoming was last weekend on the University of Colorado campus, Taber said this match will serve as a homecoming of sorts for the Colorado rugby community.

“Holding the game in the Denver metro area at such a great stadium is an easy and fun way for alumni from both schools to reconnect and share old memories,” Taber said. “It’s the fraternal aspect of the game that makes it so special.”

The match kicks off at 4 p.m. on Saturday October 30. Tickets are only $6, and can be purchased at www.curugby.com.

Directions to Infinity Park in Glendale can be found at: http://www.glendalerugby.com/tickets-and-travel/map-and-directions

Equestrian Continues Lead In Region After CU English Show

FORT LUPTON, Colo. (10/25/10) - The University of Colorado equestrian team continues to hold the lead in their region after another successful weekend of competition at the CU English Show at Fall River Farm.

Colorado finished runner up as the reserve high point team behind the University of Nebraska at Lincoln on Saturday and tied for the high point team with the Huskers on Sunday.

"We are really excited about this year and the determination that all the girls have," said CU vice president Anna Bohlin. "It really shows too in our results. We really made a statement this weekend that we are hungry for wins."

Sophomore rider Karly Hobbs helped the Buffs tie the Cornhuskers on Sunday with her gaining the most individual points to finish as the high point rider.

Also on Sunday freshman Ari Gino had a tremendous debut in fall competition with her being in contention for the reserve high point rider until the last class. She missed the second place finish by one point with a University of Wyoming rider taking the honor.

However Gino's first outing was solid all around with her taking first in two of her classes and second in another.

Coming into the weekend CU senior Jen Burke led the region as the Cachione rider, which is the rider with the most points in the open division that represents the region at nationals. She had a 12 point cushion entering the CU English Show, but she missed a day of competition in order to compete back east in the New England Finals.

With a one day advantage, Wyoming rider Liz Webb caught up to Burke and currently holds the lead with 40 points. Burke and fellow CU rider, freshman Kaley Silipo are close behind Webb with them both trailing by just one point.

CU team president Andi Fieger said she expects the Buffs to be back on top in the Cachione standings by the end of the season.

"I think that our riders will grab the lead after the next horse show," Fieger said. "We have two really strong riders. I am confident if one of them grabs the title for Cachione for our region that CU will be well represented at nationals."

The next Western Show that CU will compete in will be at Laramie County Community College in Wyoming on Nov. 6-7. The Buffs next English show will be at the University of Nebraska at Omaha on Nov. 13-14.

Men's Soccer Heads To Regionals

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (10/22/10) - The undefeated Colorado Buffaloes men's soccer team will head to regionals at the Dicks Sporting Goods Park soccer complex beginning Friday and going through Sunday.

CU is 7-0 this season and are coming off a 5-1 victory against Mesa State on Oct. 3. Last year Colorado lost in a shootout to Minnesota in the regional finals. Men's soccer website

Equestrian Hosts English Show Saturday and Sunday

FORT LUPTON, Colo. (10/22/10) - The Univeristy of Colorado Equestrian team will host the CU English Show this Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Fall River Farms.

In the last English Show, the Buffs won all three days of comeption to win the weekend title. Equestrian website

Men's Lacrosse Plays BYU and DU in Scrimmages

DENVER (10/16/10) – The Colorado Buffaloes men’s lacrosse team lost two hard fought scrimmages on Saturday evening to the NCAA Denver Pioneers and MCLA rival Brigham Young Cougars at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.

                         

CU lost 10-4 to BYU and 9-1 to DU but the Buffs played the Cougars and the Pioneers close throughout both games.

“We played a lot of defense, but we played strong and it was a positive feeling leaving our first day of scrimmages,” said CU head coach Mike Ryder. “It was a fantastic learning experience for our team and I'm proud of the fearlessness they showed. I want to thank Denver head coach Bill Tierney and his staff for inviting us to this event. Giving these MCLA teams this opportunity is a huge step for the league and the growth of the game.”

The scrimmages were shortened games with teams playing two 25 minute halves and a running clock.

Colorado came out fast in the first game against BYU with them scoring the first two goals in the game. Midway through the first half CU began to play their second and third team players, giving all 60 guys the chance to play in the game.

With ten minutes left in regulation the game was tied at four, but the Cougars put back in the majority of their starters and would go on to score six more goals in the final minutes against the Buffs’ backups.

“It was a great opportunity for our new players to get some experience under their belt,” Ryder said. “Our starting midfield was out with some injuries so we were pleased with what we saw from our other midfielders. It was our first time playing another team this fall and it was a great chance for our new guys to get acclimated with the MCLA opponents that we will face.”

In the Denver game, Colorado played great defense in the first half against a Pioneers squad that finished last season ranked number nine in the country. CU held DU to just two goals in the first 20 minutes of play but the Pioneers would find the back of the net two more times in the final five minutes of the half.

“The reason why we played so much defense in the first half wasn’t because our offense was playing poorly, our offense had a few solid possessions, but we hit a few pipes and the DU goalies made some solid saves,” Ryder said. “Our defense struggled to clear the ball efficiently against DU and therefore gave them many more opportunities.”

In the second half, Denver’s talented offense showed with them scoring five goals in the period, but the Buffs didn’t give up and finally found the back of the net in the final minute.

Colorado will finish their fall season on Oct. 30 against Northern Colorado, Colorado State and Regis in the Pumpkin Shootout at the Manning School in Golden, Colo.

CU men's lacrosse website: http://www.culax.org/

Men's Rugby Defeats Wyoming With Last Minute Try

BOULDER (10/17/10) - In a hard hitting affair on Sunday afternoon the CU Buffaloes scored a last minute try from Colin Bugge to snatch a victory from the Cowboy of the University of Wyoming. CU took an early lead with a couple of wide scores, one after a notable long run from newcomer Bryan Bei. But, as they do, the Cowboys would fight up the middle the entire match eventually pounding the Buffs around the breakdown enough to take a late lead 21-18.

With only minutes to play a quick tap penalty and support saw reserve flanker Bugge touch down for what would be the game winner. Colorado wins 23-21.

CU now takes an off weekend before their Oct. 30 challenge versus the Colorado State Rams. That game will be played at 4 p.m. at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colo. Men's Rugby website

Men's Hockey to Face Off Against CSU at the Pepsi Center Oct. 29

DENVER (10/20/10) – The University of Colorado hockey team will face Colorado State in the second annual Rocky Mountain Center Ice Showdown at the Pepsi Center on Friday Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for the game are $20 and includes free parking and a ticket to a Colorado Avalanche game on Nov. 15 against the St. Louis Blues or on Feb. 14 against the Calgary Flames, a $42-$58 value.

For every ticket sold, $5 will be donated to the Colorado hockey program.

Tickets can be bought from any member of the CU varsity or junior varsity teams or online at www.pepsicenter.com/groups/Avalanche/CUCLUB. Make sure you choose the University of Colorado section so the Buffs get your donation.

You can also order tickets by contacting Jason Schofield with the Colorado Avalanche at 303-405-6182 or at jschofield@pepsicenter.com.

The CU-CSU hockey game has become one of the premiere events for the University of Colorado and the school is excited that the game will once again be held at one of the best hockey venues in the country.

“I believe the game between the CU and CSU hockey teams help promote not only the game of hockey but also how far our programs have come,” said Kris Schoech, director of CU collegiate sport clubs. “The game itself has become such a fan favorite for students, staff and alumni that we are unable to realistically host it on the CU campus. Therefore we are thankful to have a partnership with the Avalanche and Kroenke Sports to host this event at the Pepsi Center.”

Oct.29 will be a full day of hockey with three games being played on the Pepsi Center ice.

The University of Denver and Metropolitan State College of Denver will begin the action at 3 p.m. while CU and CSU’s division III junior varsity squads hit the ice at 5 p.m. before the varsity clubs at 7:30 p.m. The $20 ticket is good for all three games.

At last year’s inaugural event, the Buffs fell down 3-0 in the first period but played stellar defense the rest of the way and slowly chipped away at the Rams lead. CU scored two goals in the second to cut the CSU lead to one and then scored twice in a matter of 36 seconds in the middle of the third stanza to tie the game and take the lead.

This time around, CU head coach Ken Fikis said he expects his squad to have a much better first period then the one last year but that the rivalry game will be a toss-up.

“We don’t want to be down 3-0 when it comes to the second period,” Fikis said. “We kind of think that we’re a better team than they are this year because we have a little more experience but in a game like this it doesn’t matter. Whoever plays harder and wants to win is going to win that game.”

The victory at the Pepsi Center last season propelled the Buffs to complete the weekend sweep of the Rams the following evening in Boulder.

Colorado won the season series against CSU and would go on to finish the year with a 24-11 overall record and a third place finish in the nation, the team’s best final ranking since 2003 when they won the national championship.

Colorado returns 17 players from last year’s squad including All-American goaltender Kevin Litinsky and leading goal scorers Conor Williams and Mark Viau.

Litinsky has led the league in shutouts in each of his three seasons between the pipes and set a new personal season high in that category last year with him not allowing a puck to get past him in five games.

Williams has led the team in regular season goals in each of the previous three seasons while Viau had a breakout year during the 2009-10 campaign, setting personal bests in goals, assists and points.

The Buffs and Rams will play three more times after their meeting in Denver with them facing off on Nov. 5 at EPIC Ice Arena in Fort Collins, Feb. 4 at the Budweiser Event Center in Loveland and Feb. 11 at the CU Ice Arena in Boulder.

More info at http://www.cubuffshockey.org/

(All photos courtesy CU Incependent/Adam Alberti)

Men's Rugby Faces Colorado State at Infinity Park Oct. 30

DENVER (10/19/10) - The University of Colorado men’s rugby team will finish its fall season on Saturday October 30 at 4 p.m. against rival Colorado State in the inaugural Colorado Rugby Cup.

Like this years football counterparts, the CU-CSU game will also be played on the big stage, at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colo. Infinity Park is the only rugby specific municipal stadium in the country and has hosted several international matches with some of the best players in the world having taken its field.

“Squaring off against CSU at Infinity Park is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our great rivalry,” said CU assistant coach Eric Taber. “Holding the game in Denver will allow alumni and fans from both schools to pack a stadium for a great evening of rugby.”

The Colorado Rugby Cup will be the showcase event for both schools this fall as they prepare to meet in the newly formed USA Rugby College Premier League in the spring. The Premiere League will see the 32 best collegiate teams in the country advance out of regional competition to vie for the national championship.

CU is coming off two straight victories over Front Range foes Wyoming and Air Force, but Taber said the team has yet to reach their full potential.

“We had a nice win over Air Force, but so did CSU,” Taber said. “I think the Wyoming match showed us what we need to work on before we hit the field against the Rams.”

Tickets for the CU-CSU match are only $6 and can be purchased at www.curugby.com by using the purchase code BUFF01.

Infinity Park is located at:

4599 E. Tennesee Ave.

Glendale, CO 80246

Directions can be found at: www.glendalerugby.com

Cycling Finishes Second at Mountain Bike Nationals

TRUCKEE, Calif. (10/19/10) – Joey Schusler won his third straight downhill title on Sunday and the University of Colorado cycling team finished second at the 2010 Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships at the Northstar at Tahoe Resort.

Fort Lewis College of Durango, Colo. won the overall team title for the fourth straight year with 663 points. CU finished with 579 points.

Rounding out the top five in the division I team competition was Lees-McRae College in third, California Polytechnic in fourth and Lindsey Wilson College in fifth.

Fort Lewis and Colorado also finished one-two at last year’s mountain bike nationals.

Colorado had 14 riders finish in the top ten in the four events of cross country, short track cross country, four cross and the downhill. CU also had six riders finish in top five in those races.

The Buffs finished nationals strong with a good showing on Sunday with Schusler leading the way with his victory in the men’s downhill. Also in the men’s race, Michael Larsen cracked the top five in fourth while Nick Caron sneaked into the top ten. Diedre York had a good final day as well in the women’s race placing third while Brittany Engleking finished 16^th.

CU began the national championships on Friday with a solid outing in men’s cross country with Braden Kappius and Blake Harlan each picking up top ten finishes in seventh and ninth respectively. Russell Finsterwald finished 18^th while team president Matt Wiebe finished 23^rd in a race that featured 73 riders.

Katie Sodergren and York finished inside the top five in women’s cross country at four and five while Claire Bensard and Ellen Patten barely missed the top ten with Bensard finishing 11^th and Patten finishing 12^th.

On Saturday morning in short track cross country, Kappius bettered his performance from the day earlier with a second place finish behind winner Rotem Ishay of Fort Lewis, who also won the long race on Friday. Wiebe cracked the top ten in seventh and Harlan finished in 15^th.

In women’s short track, the Buffs had three riders in the top ten with Sodergren barely missing the top five in sixth, York in eighth and Bensard in ninth. Patten finished in the middle of the pack at 17^th.

CU’s gravity squad got their first action of the weekend on Saturday afternoon in four cross with Schusler having the best race of the Colorado riders with a sixth place finish. Larsen and Caron still had good runs for the men with both riders finishing in the top half of the standings with Larsen at 15^th and Caron at 21^st.

York finished 11^th in women’s four cross while Engleking finished 23^rd.

Jack Kelly of the men’s gravity squad finished 44^th in four cross and 21^st in the downhill.

York was the only CU rider to compete in all four events at the national championships. She placed fourth in the women’s individual omnium competition thanks in part to her not finishing lower than 11^th in any of her four races.

Colorado Results

Men’s Cross Country

7. Braden Kappius – 2:19:13

9. Blake Harlan – 2:19:55

18. Russell Finsterwald – 2:29:07

23. Matt Wiebe – 2:30:21

Women’s Cross Country

4. Katie Sodergren – 2:07:32

5. Deidre York – 2:07:59

11. Claire Bensard – 2:18:06

12. Ellen Patten – 2:22:08

Men’s Short Track Cross Country

2. Braden Kappius

7. Matt Wiebe

15. Blake Harlan

DNF. Russell Finsterwald

Women’s Short Track Cross Country

6. Katie Sodergren

8. Deidre York

9. Claire Bensard

17. Ellen Patten

Men’s Four Cross

6. Joey Schusler

15. Michael Larsen

21. Nick Caron

44. Jack Kelly

Women’s Four Cross

11. Diedre York

23. Brittany Engleking

Men’s Downhill

1. Joey Schusler – 4:01.9

4. Michael Larsen – 4:08.0

10. Nick Caron – 4:12.5

21. Jack Kelly – 4:19.5

Women’s Downhill

3. Diedre York – 5:09.47

16. Brittany Engleking – 6:07.70

Overall Results

Division I Team Omnium
1. Fort Lewis College
2. University of Colorado
3. Lees-McRae College
4. California Polytechnic
5. Lindsey Wilson College
 
Division II Team Omnium
1. Brevard College
2. Union College
3. Warren Wilson College
4. Colorado School of Mines
5. Montana State University
 
Division I Women’s Omnium
1. Sage Wilderman (Fort Lewis College)
2. Erica Zaveta (Lees-McRae College)
3. Jill Behlen (University of Wyoming)
4. Deidre York (University of Colorado)
5. Kaila Hart (Fort Lewis College)
 
Division I Men’s Omnium
1. Nicholas Enjalbert (Colorado State University)
2. Menso De Jong (California Polytechnic)
3. Nate Byrom (Fort Lewis College)
4. Nitish Nag (University of California)
5. Kerry Werner (Lees-McRae)
 
Division II Women’s Omnium
1. Rachel Milsop (Union College)
2. Christen Boyer (Colorado School of Mines)
3. Caroline Decosimo (Brevard College)
4. Elisa Otter (Warren Wilson College)
5. Eva Wilson (Warren Wilson College)
 
Division II Men’s Omnium
1. Tristan Cowie (Brevard College)
2. Wesley Lamberson (Union College)
3. Joe Schneider (Colorado School of Mines)
4. Zach Winn (Union College)
5. Brad Nelson (Union College)

Full race results available at http://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?permit=2010-2447

Men's Hockey Breaks Past Weber State

BOULDER (10/16/10) – Two third period goals from Scott Seale and A.J. Koller helped the Colorado Buffaloes hockey team defeat the Weber State Wildcats 5-3 on Saturday night at the CU Ice Arena.

“They talk about winning ugly and this was one of the winning ugly games,” said CU head coach Ken Fikis. “We didn’t play very well all the way around. Kevin didn’t have one of his better games but a win is a win and we are looking forward to the next couple of weekends.”

Seale’s goal 29 seconds into the third stanza proved to be the game winner in a contest that was tied for the majority of the first 40 minutes. Koller scored with 6:29 remaining to give the Buffs some insurance over the Wildcats.

The victory is Colorado’s third in a row and improves their record to 4-0-0-1 on the season while Weber State drops to 1-7 on the year.

Sophomore David Starr led the Buffs in scoring with two goals and two assists while freshman Cody Glickman also found the back of the net. Senior Conor Williams finished the night with three assists.

Senior goaltender Kevin Litinsky made 21 saves in the victory, improving his record to 4-1 on the year. The Buffs outshot the Wildcats 46-24.

In a first period that saw both teams swap scoring chances, Glickman finally broke through for Colorado with his second goal of the season with 1:02 remaining in the stanza.

Weber State matched CU’s goal with one of their own from Dane Ludolph at 2:25 in the second period, but the Buffs regained the lead after Starr beat Wildcat goalie Paul Pfueger 49 seconds later.

Colorado didn’t hold the 2-1 lead for long as Chris Roberts scored less than a minute after Starr to retie the contest.

Starr scored his second of the period at 13:08 on the power play, but the theme of Weber State responding continued with Jesse Love scoring with the man advantage 2:30 later. It was the first goal that CU has given up this season on the penalty kill.

Colorado took the lead for good after Seale’s goal in the third with assists coming from Bill Haege and Andrew Neitenbach.

Next weekend Colorado heads to San Jose, Calif. to take part in the 4^th annual Mid-State Electric Best of the West Showcase hosted by San Jose State.

CU will face the host Spartans on Thursday night at 9:15 p.m. MT before taking on Eastern Washington on Friday and Long Beach State on Saturday.

Scoring Summary

First Period

18:57 CU Cody Glickman, assists by David Starr and Conor Williams

Second Period

2:25 WSU Dane Ludolph, assists by Chris Hjorth and Avery House

3:14 CU David Starr, assist by A.J. Koller

4:08 WSU Chris Roberts, assist by Braxton Green

13:08 CU David Starr, assists by Conor Williams and Andrew Neitenbach – PP

15:38 WSU Jesse Love, assists by Dane Ludolph and Chris Hjorth – PP

Third Period

0:29 CU David Starr, assists by Bill Haege and Andrew Neitenbach

13:31 CU A.J. Koller, assists by David Starr and Conor Williams

Men's Hockey Defeats Denver 5-1

BOULDER (10/15/10) – Senior A.J. Koller and freshman David Komatz each scored two goals and the Colorado Buffaloes hockey team defeated the Denver Pioneers 5-1 on Friday night at the CU Ice Arena.

Colorado has now won two straight games and improves to 3-0-0-1 on the season while Denver drops to 0-3 on the year.

Senior Matt Ullrich also scored for the Buffs.

After giving up a first period goal to DU and going into the intermission tied at one, CU goaltender Kevin Litinsky dominated the crease for the next 40 minutes with him not allowing another puck to get past him.

The Buffs exploded with three more goals in the second period to take a 4-1 lead going into the third.

CU added another goal in the final stanza en route to their second win over the Pioneers this season.

The Buffs will host Weber State University at the CU Ice Arena on Saturday night at 7:15 p.m. before heading to San Jose, Calif. next weekend to take part in the Best of the West Showcase.

Admission to the CU Ice Arena is $5 for the general public and $3 for students with a valid Buff One Card.

Cycling Heads to Tahoe for Nationals This Weekend

TRUCKEE, Calif. – The University of Colorado cycling team will head to Lake Tahoe this weekend as the Buffaloes compete at the 2010 Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships. The Northstar at Tahoe Resort will host the event that begins Friday Oct. 15 and goes until Sunday Oct. 17.

Colorado last won the mountain bike nationals in the 2005.

Last year the Buffs finished second at nationals with fellow state school Fort Lewis College bringing home the championship. CU will look to build on the success from last October that also included 11 riders finishing in the top ten in the four events of cross country, short track cross country, four cross and the downhill.

CU will race in the same four events this year.

The women will begin the weekend festivities on the cross country course on Friday at 8 a.m. while the men will start at noon. The cross country event includes two hours of straight racing on a 7.1 mile course that features 1100 feet of climbing on the currently snowless ski resort.

Short track cross country will kick off on Saturday morning with the women beginning at 8 a.m. while the men take off at 10 a.m. The race will consist of about 20 minutes of racing on a course that is less than a mile long.

Colorado’s men’s cross country team will include Russell Finsterwald, Brady Kappius, Blake Harlan, and team president Matt Wiebe.

“We are bringing a stacked men’s cross country team this year and are hoping for some stellar results,” Wiebe said.

The women’s cross country team includes Diedre York, Katie Sodergren, Claire Bernard and Ellen Patten.

Four cross will begin on Saturday afternoon with qualifying starting at 1 p.m. and the race beginning at 3:30 p.m. Four cross is similar to a BMX race but on mountain bikes instead.

The downhill competition will be the final event on Sunday with seeding beginning at 9 a.m. and the finals race starting at noon.

Colorado’s gravity team will compete in the four cross and the downhill events with the men’s squad being made up of Joey Schusler, Michael Larsen, Nick Caron and Jack Kelly. York and Brittany Engleking will make up CU’s women’s gravity team.

At nationals last year, the gravity team was the stronger of CU’s two squads with four racers finishing in the top ten in the downhill. Schusler won the men’s race while Larsen also finished in the top five for the Buffs in fourth place. On the women’s side, York was the highest placed CU rider in fourth while Neven Steinmetz finished seventh.

York will also compete in the omnium competition because she will race in all four events this weekend. Riders competing in the omnium competition receive points after each race. The person with the most overall points at the end of the four races will then be crowned the winner.

Information links

CU Cycling website: www.cucycling.com

College Mountain Bike Nationals information: https://www.usacycling.org/events/2010/collegiatemtb/

Northstar at Tahoe website: http://www.northstarattahoe.com/

CU Rider Quick Facts from Team President Matt Wiebe

Men’s Cross Country

Russell Finsterwald – Russell is a two-time USA world championship team member and has the potential to make the podium at nationals in his freshman year of racing at CU.

Brady Kappius – Brady is a CU graduate student and has been racing mountain bikes at the pro level for quite a while. He has the potential to grab a podium spot in cross country and is a favorite in the short track race.

Blake Harlan – Blake is a senior this semester and is looking to go out with a bang. He has been CU’s best finisher at nationals the past two years and has represented CU at nationals for the past four years. He has a great chance to podium as well.

Matt Wiebe – Matt will be representing CU at nationals for the third year in a row. He is the only rider to win a race in men’s cross country for CU this season, but he has been plagued with bad luck the entire season. If he can put a good race together, he has a shot of stealing a podium spot.

Women’s Cross Country

Diedre York – Diedre will be representing CU for the second year in a row at nationals. She is one of the fastest girls in the conference and we are hoping for her to have a great race. She is also competing in both the gravity events. She has a great shot at getting on the podium in the Omnium competition.

Katie Sodergren – Katie is an exceptionally strong rider and will be representing CU at nationals for her second time. We are looking for her to build on last years’ experience and put another solid race together.

Claire Bernard – Claire will also be representing CU at nationals for her second year in a row. She has not been racing much this season due to a foot injury, but she is looking to have another great performance and add to our team’s overall points.

Ellen Patten: Ellen will be representing CU for her first time at nationals. She is a freshman this year. Ellen has been getting faster all season and we are hoping for her to have a break out performance at nationals this year.

Men’s Gravity

Joey Schusler – Joey is the two time defending national champion in the downhill and is undefeated in collegiate racing. We are hoping for more of the same from Joey. This will be his third year representing CU.

Michael Larsen – Michael is an awesome talent on our gravity team and placed fourth last year at nationals in the downhill. He will be looking to improve on that performance this year.

Nick Caron – Nick is definitely our most consistent finisher on the gravity team. He has been putting in top ten finishes all season long and we are looking for him to step up and keep that going at nationals this year. This will be Nick’s third year in a row representing CU.

Jack Kelly – Jack has had some bad luck this season, but has the potential to get to the podium at nationals if he puts a solid run together. This will be Jack’s second year representing CU.

Women’s Gravity

Brittany Engleking – This will be Brittany’s third year representing CU at nationals. She has been a consistent finisher at all the races this season and we are looking for more of the same from her at nationals this year.

Diedre York – See women’s cross country section above.

Top CU finishers from 2009 Nationals

Men’s Cross Country

8 – Blake Harlan

12 – Kevin Kane

23 – Chris Peterson

Women’s Cross Country

13 - Mia Wilhelm

14 - Katie Sodergren

15 - Diedre York

Men’s Short Track Cross Country

5 – Blake  Harlan

12 – Kevin Kane

36 – Chris Peterson

Women’s Short Track Cross Country

8 – Flora Duffy

16 – Diedre York

17 – Mia Wilhelm

Men’s 4X

3 – Joey Schusler

10 – Michael Larsen

15 – Nick Caron

Women’s 4X

2 – Neven Steinmetz

10 – Diedre York

Men’s Downhill

1 – Joey Schusler

4 – Michael Larsen

27 – Nick Caron

Women’s Downhill

4 – Diedre York

7 – Neven Steinmetz

22 – Brittany Engleking