Upcoming Event: Skiing at 7.5K Freestyle (I) on February 8, 2026 at 9 a.m.
9 a.m.
Skiing
at 7.5K Freestyle (I)
The University of Utah Athletics
Saturday, February 7
Frisco, Colo. / Frisco Nordic Center
10 a.m.
University of Utah
at
10K Classic (M)
Photo by: Evan Sosnowski/Utah Athletics
Pedersen, Walcher Lead Utes in DU Classic Races
2/7/2026 2:13 PM | Skiing
Pair record top-six results for shorthanded Utah squad
FRISCO, Colo. – The Utah Ski Team began the Nordic portion of the Denver Invitational on Saturday, racing 10K classic mass start events at Frisco Nordic Center.
The move to Frisco took place due to conditions in Minturn, Colorado, at Maloit Park—the meet's originally scheduled location. Sunny skies were abound in Frisco with temperatures right around 32 degrees.
Utah is a little shorthanded this weekend with just five total athletes competing across the men's and women's fields. The team is in third place in the Denver Invitational standings with 394.5 points; the top two spots are held down by Colorado (541) and the host Pioneers (474).
"The top skiers today chose to double pole on skate skis," said director of skiing Fredrik Landstedt. "That, together with the fact that we are at 9,100 feet, made for a few different athletes than normal placing in the top 10. Sofia Pedersen kept up her top-five streak and Witta Walcher had a great day, finishing right behind her in sixth.
"For the men, Max Kluck--who is bigger and more of a sprinter--hung tough for a while but eventually the altitude got to him. Carl Rune is still fighting through some sickness but fought hard and got some valuable points for the team."
Women's Race
Sofia Pedersen (29:14.0) and Witta Walcher (29:49.0) led the way with fifth and sixth place finishes, respectively, in the women's competition. Ally Wheeler (30:10.3) added 19 points for Utah with a 13th-place result as the Utes tied for second as a team with 75 points in the women's classic race.
Pedersen has finished top-five or better in all five of her starts this season. Walcher's sixth-place was a season-best.
Men's Race
Max Kluck and Carl Rune represented Utah in Saturday's men's classic, as Kluck tabbed 13th (26:02.9) and Rune rounded out the lineup in 17th place (26:23.8). For Kluck, each of his five races in 2026 have yielded a top-15 performance.
Next Up
Utah will be back at Frisco Nordic Center on Sunday for 7.5K freestyle interval start competitions, beginning at 9 a.m. It'll be the final event of the Denver Invitational.
Follow the Utah Ski Team on social media @utahskiteam. Download the Utah 360 app here.
The move to Frisco took place due to conditions in Minturn, Colorado, at Maloit Park—the meet's originally scheduled location. Sunny skies were abound in Frisco with temperatures right around 32 degrees.
Utah is a little shorthanded this weekend with just five total athletes competing across the men's and women's fields. The team is in third place in the Denver Invitational standings with 394.5 points; the top two spots are held down by Colorado (541) and the host Pioneers (474).
"The top skiers today chose to double pole on skate skis," said director of skiing Fredrik Landstedt. "That, together with the fact that we are at 9,100 feet, made for a few different athletes than normal placing in the top 10. Sofia Pedersen kept up her top-five streak and Witta Walcher had a great day, finishing right behind her in sixth.
"For the men, Max Kluck--who is bigger and more of a sprinter--hung tough for a while but eventually the altitude got to him. Carl Rune is still fighting through some sickness but fought hard and got some valuable points for the team."
Women's Race
Sofia Pedersen (29:14.0) and Witta Walcher (29:49.0) led the way with fifth and sixth place finishes, respectively, in the women's competition. Ally Wheeler (30:10.3) added 19 points for Utah with a 13th-place result as the Utes tied for second as a team with 75 points in the women's classic race.
Pedersen has finished top-five or better in all five of her starts this season. Walcher's sixth-place was a season-best.
Men's Race
Max Kluck and Carl Rune represented Utah in Saturday's men's classic, as Kluck tabbed 13th (26:02.9) and Rune rounded out the lineup in 17th place (26:23.8). For Kluck, each of his five races in 2026 have yielded a top-15 performance.
Next Up
Utah will be back at Frisco Nordic Center on Sunday for 7.5K freestyle interval start competitions, beginning at 9 a.m. It'll be the final event of the Denver Invitational.
Follow the Utah Ski Team on social media @utahskiteam. Download the Utah 360 app here.
Players Mentioned
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