Busy Week in Fairbanks Ahead for Nordic Utes

Tuesday, February 1

Fairbanks, Alaska

All Day

University of Utah

5K Freestyle (T)

Utah Invitational - Soldier Hollow, UT - 10/15K Interval Start - Jan. 6, 2022

Photo by: Forrest Gmitro

1/31/2022 4:16 PM | Skiing

Utah to compete in the Alaska Fairbanks Invitational and RMISA Invitational

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Returning to Nordic competition for the first time since Jan. 16, the Utah ski team is back in action for a Nordic-only meet at the Alaska Fairbanks Invitational, hosted at Birch Hill.

The Utes will take part in a 5K classic on Tuesday, Feb. 1 followed up by a 10K freestyle race on Wednesday, Feb. 2. Each are set to begin at 4 p.m. MT, which is 2 p.m. locally in Fairbanks. Tuesday's classic will be a wave start, with Wednesday's action coming as a pursuit start (based off of Tuesday's results).

After the Alaska Fairbanks Invitational, teams will remain in place to conclude the Nordic half of the RMISA Invitational, which Utah currently leads. A 5/10K freestyle race will be held on Saturday, Feb. 5 and the invitational will wrap with a 10K classical race on Sunday, Feb. 6.

Follow Utah skiing on social media (@utahskiteam).

Last Time Out

Utah last raced on the Nordic circuit at the Montana State Invitational (Jan. 15-16). Thanks to dominant racing on both the Nordic and alpine sides, the Utes won the meet by a whopping 253.5 points. It was just two points shy of Utah's own RMISA record for most points in a single meet, and smashed the prior RMISA record for margin of victory. Previously, Denver held that mark with a 180-point triumph at the Montana State Invitational in 2014. Click here for recaps of the Jan. 15 freestyle and Jan. 16 classic races.
Especially notable at the MSU Invitational was a double Nordic podium sweep on the women's side, the first time an RMISA team has had a double sweep in the same discipline in the same meet since 2013. It included a 5K freestyle sweep with Sophia Laukli, Novie McCabe and Sydney Palmer-Leger in first to third, followed up by a 10K classic finish order of McCabe, Palmer-Leger and Laukli.
Most recently, Utes wrapped up the Utah Invitational, on Jan. 24-25 with alpine races in Park City. In part aided by strong alpine depth, Utah clinched its home meet and has won both completed RMISA meets to date in 2022 (Utah Invitational, Montana State Invitational).

Olympics News & Nuggets

Ski Utes in Beijing: A program-record 12 current and former Ute skiers were named to Olympic rosters for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, with Friday, Feb. 4 marking the opening ceremony. The 12 ski athletes named surpasses the previous Utah program-best of six in a single Olympics, coincidentally set when Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Games. Six nations are slated to be represented, with a full rundown available here.
Already Settin' Olympic Records: Between past and present varsity student-athletes, combined with other students at the University of Utah, there are 35 athletes on Beijing 2022 rosters with ties to the U--more than any other university in the world. For details on the full contingent, click here.
Olympic Coaching Circles: In addition to those named to rosters as athletes, former Utah skier Nick Hendrickson will be with Team USA as Nordic combined head coach. It'll mark the third straight Olympics that the Utes have been represented on the coaching level.