Sports

2025 Canadian Swimming Trials

Published

7 months ago

June 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

2025 CANADIAN SWIMMING TRIALS

The 2025 Canadian Swimming Trials continue this evening from Victoria, with just three events on the schedule: the 50 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, and 200 IM for both men and women. We’ll also see para events unfold, including the 50 butterfly (S5–S7) and the 100 freestyle (S3–S13). The session is expected to take less than two hours.

Stay up to date with live recaps below, and tune in to watch the action live courtesy of CBC Sports on YouTube, embedded below.

Watch Here:

[embedded content]

Women’s 50 Freestyle – Finals

World Record: 23.61 – Sarah Sjostrom, SWE (2023)
Canadian Record: 24.26 – Taylor Ruck, (2018)
World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 24.86
Canadian Secondary World Champs Standard: 25.11
Canadian World Juniors Standard: 26.02

Podium:

GOLD – Penny Oleksiak (TSC) — 24.89
SILVER – Taylor Ruck (KAJ) — 24.96
BRONZE – Sarah Fournier (CNQ) — 25.17

The women’s 50 freestyle saw 2016 Olympic champion in the 100 free, Penny Oleksiak, post a personal best of 24.89 to win gold, her first time breaking the 25-second barrier.

Oleksiak, who trains under Jeff Julian, narrowly missed the World Aquatics ‘A’ cut of 24.86 for the World Championships in Singapore this summer. However, she comfortably cleared Swimming Canada’s secondary qualifying standard of 25.11, placing her in Priority 3 for selection. While her spot won’t be officially confirmed until the conclusion of the meet, she’s now in strong contention to be named to the Canadian Worlds roster.

After her swim, Oleksiak reflected on the result with a smile. “Yeah, I’m pretty happy with that. I’ve never really been a 50 freestyler, so I’m happy to be in the mix a little bit there.”

Looking ahead to the rest of her schedule, she added, “100 free tomorrow. That was kind of a warm up, so hopefully that’ll help that.”

Racing at Victoria’s Commonwealth Pool brought back some strong memories for the Canadian star. “Oh, pretty crazy. Pretty good memories from last time. It’s definitely way more packed, but it’s nice to be here.”

And with her first-ever sub-25 clocked, she was asked what’s next in the 50 free. “Hopefully racing in our worlds and being faster.”

The 24-year-old was closely followed by Taylor Ruck, coached by Herbie Behm, who notched a sub-25 swim of her own with a 24.96. Ruck, 25, who holds the Canadian record at 24.26, is already qualified for Worlds thanks to her runner-up finish in the 100 back earlier in the week.

Sarah Fournier rounded out the podium, clocking 25.17 to secure bronze. Her time was a five-hundredth improvement over her previous best of 25.22, set just last month.

Men’s 50 Freestyle – Finals

World Record: 20.91 – Cesar Cielo, BRA (2009)
Canadian Record: 21.48 – Josh Liendo, (2024)
World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 22.05
Canadian Secondary World Champs Standard: 22.27
Canadian World Juniors Standard: 23.18

Podium:

GOLD – Josh Liendo (NYAC) — 21.88
SILVER – Ilya Kharun (UNCAN) — 22.06
BRONZE – Ruslan Gaziev (UNCAN/OSU) — 22.23

Florida Gator and Olympic silver medalist in the 100 butterfly, Josh Liendo, claimed the men’s 50 freestyle title with the only sub-22 performance of the field, clocking 21.88. 22-year-old Liendo, who holds the Canadian record at 21.48, won the event by nearly two-tenths over two-time Olympic bronze medalist Ilya Kharun, who touched in 22.06, a lifetime best but just shy of the 22.05 ‘A’ standard.

Kharun, 20, had out-touched Liendo in the 100 fly the night before, 50.37 to 50.46. Tokyo Olympian Ruslan Gaziev, returning after an 18-month suspension for whereabouts failures, rounded out the podium with a 22.23 for bronze, just off his 22.21 best time from the prelims.

Liendo was asked what draws him to the 50 free and responded by saying, “It’s short, you know. It’s also a lot of fun to train for. And it’s just fun to work on those details, trying your stuff out. I just like, I like the explosiveness and the speed of it. That’s one of my favorite things for sure.”

Reflecting on last summer in Paris, where he finished 9th in the semifinals of the 50 free, then got scratched into the final and placed 4th, he said the experience gave him confidence going forward. “I think it showed me that, you know, even… I didn’t have the best of the morning but I was able to put together a good race in the final.”

Looking ahead to the World Championships in Singapore, he noted a few key areas of focus with his coaches. “Yeah, 100%. Also want to get some more power off the block, you know, dive, stuff like that. And once you get to those big meets, it’s just racing. So just be ready to race when the time comes.”

Women’s 100 Breaststroke – Finals

World Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King, USA (2017)
Canadian Record: 1:05.74 – Annamay Pierse, (2009)
World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 1:06.87
Canadian Secondary World Champs Standard: 1:07.54
Canadian World Juniors Standard: 1:10:35

Podium:

GOLD – Alexanne Lepage (UCSC) — 1:06.87
SILVER – Sophie Angus (HPCON) — 1:07.27
BRONZE – Shona Branton (WES) — 1:07.79

In the women’s 100 breaststroke, 2023 world champion Alexanne Lepage took gold with a time of 1:06.87. Lepage’s career best is 1:06.58, and after finishing 5th at Olympic Trials last summer despite posting that PB just months earlier to win the World Junior title, tonight’s swim marked a redemption of sorts.

On equaling the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard and securing a spot on the Worlds team, she said, “I’m super happy to be on. The first day was good, but I’m happy to make the team.”

She added, “Yeah, you know, I love racing these girls and it’s always fun to be in the ready room with them and everything, so I’m just happy to be able to have gotten my hand on the wall first.”

When asked if she could tell where she was in the race while swimming straight ahead, she replied, “Not really. It was just head down and go for it.”

Sophie Angus, 26, and a three-time World Championships relay bronze medalist , earned silver with a 1:07.27. Bronze went to Shona Branton, who finished in 1:07.79. Angus’s personal best stands at 1:06.66, while Branton has been as quick as 1:06.59.

Men’s 100 Breaststroke – Finals

World Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2019)
Canadian Record: 59.85 – Scott Dickens, (2012)
World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 59.75
Canadian Secondary World Champs Standard: 1:00.35
Canadian World Juniors Standard: 1:02.42

Podium:

GOLD – Oliver Dawson (GPP) — 1:00.73
SILVER – Apollo Hess (HPCON) — 1:02.12
BRONZE – Justice Migneault (UBCT) — 1:02.24

After defending his 200 breast title earlier in the meet with a new 15-17 Canadian age record, 17-year-old Oliver Dawson made it two-for-two on the week with a win in the 100, upgrading from 5th last year. He set a lifetime best of 1:00.73 as the only man under 1:02 in tonight’s final. While he was well shy of the 59.75 ‘A’ cut and the Canadian secondary standard of 1:00.35, he came close to breaking the 15-17 Canadian age record of 1:00.69 set by Gabe Mastromatteo in 2019, a mark to watch as the summer progresses.

When asked about the swim, Dawson said, “Yeah, that’s what I was aiming for, right? Yeah.”

Dawson’s newly minted best time of 1:00.73 cracks the top ten all-time Canadian rankings, placing him 8th. Asked if he’s happy with that time, he replied, “I think it could be faster. Always can be faster, right?”

Silver and bronze swapped spots from the 200 breast behind Dawson’s win. Apollo Hess took silver with a clocking of 1:02.12, while Justice Migneault earned bronze in 1:02.24. Hess’s personal best is 1:00.99 from placing 2nd at last year’s Trials, and Migneault’s best stands at 1:01.42 from 2023.

Women’s 200 IM – Finals

~~World Record: 2:06.12 – Katinka Hosszu, HUN (2015)~~
~~Canadian Record: 2:06.56 – Summer McIntosh, (2024)~~
World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 2:12.83
Canadian Secondary World Champs Standard: 2:14.16
Canadian World Juniors Standard: 2:17.58

Podium:

GOLD – Summer McIntosh (UNCAN) — 2:05.70 *WORLD RECORD*
SILVER – Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAMO) — 2:08.78
BRONZE – Ashley McMillan (GO) — 2:12.08

Summer McIntosh has done it again, clocking her fifth career long course world record with a sensational 2:05.70 in the 200 IM. The swim erased Katinka Hosszu’s 2:06.12, the final world record held by the Hungarian legend.

McIntosh, who won gold in this event along with the 200 fly and 400 IM in Paris, turned at 1:35.75 through 150 meters, sitting a tenth behind Hosszu’s pace heading into the freestyle leg. She closed in 29.95 to pull ahead and post a time nearly half a second under the old mark.

The biggest key to McIntosh’s swim tonight was the backstroke leg, where she delivered a blistering 30.80 to reach the halfway mark in 57.99, a full second faster than the 31.80 she produced in her previous personal best and Canadian record outing of 2:06.56. She had opened in 27.19 compared to her usual 26.8-range speed, but the controlled start clearly paid off.

Splits Comparison:

	McIntosh’s New World Record	McIntosh’s Previous Best Time	Hosszu’s Former World Record
Fly	27.19	26.80	27.30
Back	30.80	31.80	31.64
Breast	37.79	37.53	36.70
Free	29.95	30.43	30.48
Total	2:05.70	2:06.56	2:06.12

Speaking about her strategy, McIntosh said, “Yeah, I mean, breaststroke’s always been my weakest. So in that 50, it was just about trying to get to the wall, knowing I’d be really strong in the last 50 because my first half has been great here so far. So overall, really happy with that time. I’m always just trying to keep pushing forward. I’ll have to look over my splits and see where the breaststroke was, but I’m happy with it.”

On captured this particular world record, she said, “Yeah, I mean, it’s awesome. The 200 IM is my main race out of my top five or six events where I really have to execute perfectly. There’s no room for mistakes and it’s kind of a sprint event for me. So yeah, overall, really happy with that. It gives me a lot of confidence heading into Singapore.”

Asked how she bounced back after swimming an 8:05 in the 800 free last night, McIntosh said, “Just recovering, sleeping as much as possible, eating a lot and always staying hydrated. Making sure I get my warm downs in and things like that. Also mentally calming myself down and taking one race at a time is really important. I’ve had a lot of practice with that these past few years, so every meet I just try to focus on the moment.”

Not to be lost in the mix was Mary-Sophie Harvey, who claimed silver with a 2:08.78, a significant drop from her previous best of 2:09.57 set at last summer’s Olympic Trials. Her time also easily cleared the Worlds ‘A’ cut of 2:12.83 in this race.

After winning the 200 breast on the opening night, Harvey looks poised for a drop in the upcoming 400 IM, where a time in the 4:33 to 4:34 range appears to be well within reach.

Ashley McMillan rounded out the top three, touching in 2:12.08, just over a second off her career best of 2:11.00.

Men’s 200 IM – Finals

World Record: 1:54.00 – Ryan Lochte, USA (2011)
Canadian Record: 1:56.07 – Finlay Knox, (2024)
World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 1:59.05
Canadian Secondary World Champs Standard: 2:00.24
Canadian World Juniors Standard: 2:03.75

Podium:

GOLD – Finlay Knox (MAVS) — 1:57.25
SILVER – Tristan Jankovics (RCAQ) — 1:58.01
BRONZE – Lorne Wigginton (ESWIM) — 2:00.59

Finlay Knox, who has been battling a back injury over the past few months, continued his domestic reign in the men’s 200 IM. He notched a winning time of 1:57.25 to clear the field by just under a second. Tristan Jankovics, who swims for Ohio State University, logged 1:58.01 for his first time under 1:59 and well under the Worlds cut of 1:59.05. Michigan freshman Lorne Wigginton, the 2023 World Junior bronze medalist in the 400 IM, touched in 2:00.59, about a second off his 1:59.44 personal best.

After the race, Knox said, “Not gonna lie, it was a little bit of a mentally challenging day today. A little disappointed in the 50 back yesterday, but had the 100 breast this morning. It was my first 200 back since the Olympics. So it was just a lot of things going on and I just had to trust myself, just execute a solid race and that’s what I did tonight. So how special.”

Knox is best known for his standout performance in the 200 IM at the 2024 World Championships, where he closed strong on Carson Foster in the last 50 meters to claim his first world title and reset the Canadian record with a time of 1:56.64. He then lowered that record to 1:56.07 at the Canadian Olympic Trials, a time that ranked him 6th in the world for the year. At the 2024 Olympics, he finished 8th in the 200 IM in 1:57.26.

Knox has been Canada’s top IM swimmer since 2021, when he first broke the national record at the Olympic Trials with a 1:58.07. He made his Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, placing 17th with a time of 1:58.29.

Para Swimming – Finals

Para swimming is open to athletes with physical disabilities such as dwarfism, amputation/limb loss, blindness/visual impairment, spinal cord injury/wheelchair-users, cerebral palsy/brain injury/stroke, cognitive impairment, and Les autres.
Para athletes are classified into categories based on the nature and severity of their impairments: physical (S1-S10), visual (S11-S13), and intellectual (S14). This classification system ensures a level playing field by grouping athletes with similar impairments, allowing for fair competition. To learn more about Para Swimming, including how the points system determines winners rather than time, click here.
Key Highlights:
- Danielle Dorris, classified S7, swam 34.25 in the 50 butterfly finals to score 1014 points. She opened the racing in prelims with a slightly faster 34.23, earning 1015 points. While a strong showing, neither swim was a personal best, as Dorris entered the meet with a 32.99.
- In the men’s 50 fly finals, Sebastian Massabie, classified S5, broke his prelims national record by swimming 35.84 for 842 points. He first set the record in prelims with a career best of 36.59, which earned 811 points.
- World record holder in the S10 classification, Aurelie Rivard posted a mark of 1:02.06 in the women’s 100 freestyle, scoring 965 points. Rivard, who announced she would not be competing at the Para-Worlds this summer, is instead focusing on her pursuit of a law degree for the remainder of the year.
- Reid Maxwell broke his own Canadian s8 para record in the men’s 100 free final with a time of 59.59, scoring 991 points and going under one minute for the first time.

Related Topics:big competition dive event happy live Men minute new night Olympics rankings speed sports swimming swimming and diving team try university usa watch YouTube

Up Next

Rowan Finishes 17th in LEARFIELD Division III Directors’ Cup Final Standings; Marks Best Finish in Over 20 Years

Don't Miss

Seven of eight tickets secured for 2026 European Water Polo Championships on penultimate day of qualifiers

Click to comment

Sports

Three From Men’s Volleyball Selected to FrogJump Preseason All-America First Team

Published

3 minutes ago

January 13, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Springfield, Mass. – January 12, 2026 – Springfield College men’s volleyball seniors Dylan Mulvaney (Reston, Va.), Carter Durivage (East Greenbush, N.Y.) and Jake DesLauriers (Eastport, N.Y.) have all been named to the FrogJump Division III Preseason All-America First Team ahead of this week’s season opener in California.

A nationwide voting committee selected 20 student-athletes from across the country to the 2026 FrogJump Division III Preseason All-America Team, which recognizes the NCAA Division III men’s volleyball players projected to be the best in the nation during the upcoming year. Springfield was the lone institution to have three selections this fall as Messiah, NYU, Santa Cruz, Mount Union and Vassar all had two honorees.

The 14-member voting committee for this award consisted of 11 DIII Men’s Volleyball Head Coaches from across the nation and three members of the FrogJump coverage team. The 20 players receiving the most votes were named FrogJump Preseason All-Americans. The committee unanimously chose four players for preseason honors; Josh McLellan (Aurora), Alex Kagoro (Messiah), Ben Heise (Carthage), and Dylan Mulvaney (Springfield).

Mulvaney ranked second in the nation with 10.37 assists per set dishing out a total of 861 helpers and powered Springfield College to the second-best hitting percentage in the country at a .354 clip. He also registered 30 kills, 26 aces, 99 digs, 36 blocks and hit .418. In addition to his third straight All-America award, Mulvaney was tabbed as the FrogJump Volleyball Division III National Setter of the Year and as the Region I Player of the Year for the second time in his career.

DesLauriers made his transition from the baseball diamond to the volleyball court last season and made an immediate impact. He registered 204 kills (2.46 per set) and hit .359, which ranked 30th in Division III this year. DesLauriers also posted 40 aces and 116 digs (1.40 per set) and earned his first career AVCA All-America accolade in 2025.

Durivage powered Springfield’s offense with a team-best 221 kills (3.16 per set) and his .369 on the season. He also totaled 27 blocks and 81 digs. Durivage’s .369 hitting percentage ranked 25th nationally, while his 3.80 points per set ranked 64th in Division III a season ago as he earned his first nod to the AVCA All-America team in 2025.

Last season, these three student-athletes led Springfield to 25 wins and back to the NCAA Division III National Championship match for the first time since 2022.

Springfield will open its 2026 campaign as the top-ranked team in both the AVCA Division III National Poll and the FrogJump Volleyball Division III rankings. The Pride will take on Hope International and Concordia Irvine on Friday, January 16 before returning east for its Division III opener at Baruch on Friday, January 23.

Sign up for free today to receive the latest news about your favorite Springfield College Athletics program directly to your email here.

For the latest on Springfield College Athletics, follow the Pride on social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Be sure to tune into all Springfield College Athletic events by subscribing to FloSports.

Link

Sports

ODAC Athletes of the Week: Week 20

Published

20 minutes ago

January 13, 2026

Your Sports Nation

The ODAC docket was busier over the past week with the return of swimming and the first matches of men’s volleyball joining basketball and wrestling as active sports. There were surprising – or eye-opening – results throughout with nationally-ranked upsets, inaugural program wins, and new conference records among the highlights.

Those earning ODAC Athlete of the Week awards for Week 20 include:

Most weeks this season, the following schedule will be used for releasing weekly awards winners when the sports below active:

Sundays: football
Mondays: baseball, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, volleyball, wrestling
Tuesdays: cross country, single-discipline equestrian, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field
Wednesdays: golf

Link

Sports

Men’s Volleyball Sweeps EIVA Weekly Awards – Penn State

Published

35 minutes ago

January 13, 2026

Your Sports Nation

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men’s volleyball swept the first conference awards of the season as Sean Harvey was named EIVA Offensive Player of the Week and Ryan Merk was selected as the Defensive Player of the Week. The Nittany Lions picked up the honors after opening the season with a four-set win over Mount Olive and a sweep over Manhattan at Rec Hall.

Harvey earned a weekly award from the conference for the first time after hitting .426 with 27 kills (3.86/set) over the two wins. He opened the season with 13 kills, three blocks, and five digs in the win over Mount Olive. The outside hitter followed that by hitting .667 with 14 kills, one block, one dig, and one ace in the victory over Manhattan

Merk led Penn State’s defensive effort that resulted in the opposition hitting just .158 over the two matches. He totaled 18 digs with nine in each match, giving him 2.57/set for the week. The redshirt senior libero also helped get the offense going with a 36-36 mark on serve receive. Merk is now a five-time EIVA Defensive Player of the Week honoree.

No. 13 Penn State is back at Rec Hall when it hosts St. Thomas Aquinas on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Nittany Lions then host No. 9 Lewis on Saturday at 7 p.m. Both matches will stream on B1G+.

Link

Sports

Waverly Senior Sophia D. Commits to Sarah Lawrence College Volleyball

Published

51 minutes ago

January 13, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Click on image to enlarge

The Waverly School proudly congratulates senior Sophia D. on her commitment to play collegiate volleyball at Sarah Lawrence College this fall. Sophia officially celebrated her signing at Waverly’s fall athletics lunch in December, surrounded by her teammates and fellow fall student-athletes.

Sophia’s achievement reflects years of hard work, dedication, and the leadership she brings to Waverly’s athletic community. Through Waverly’s athletics program, students grow not only as competitors, but also as leaders—developing teamwork, resilience, time management, and confidence within a culture that values sportsmanship, balance, and personal growth.

Congratulations, Sophia. Waverly looks forward to cheering you on as you take this exciting next step in your athletic and academic journey.

The Waverly School, 67 W. Bellevue Drive, Pasadena, (626) 792-5940 or visit thewaverlyschool.org.

Link

Sports

Men’s volleyball set to replicate success with new lineup, rotation in 2026 season

Published

1 hour ago

January 13, 2026

Your Sports Nation

The only thing worse than losing might be finishing second.

But with last season’s national championship loss in the rearview mirror, all sights are now set on the 2026 campaign.

No. 1 UCLA men’s volleyball (2-0, 1-0 MPSF) welcomed its new season with two straight sweeps against No. 15 McKendree (0-2) and Concordia (0-2, 0-1) on Friday and Sunday, respectively, at Pauley Pavilion.

Although several key members of last season’s championship run have departed, including 2025 MPSF Player of the Year Cooper Robinson, the Bruins are confident in their ability to replicate previous successes.

“The locker room’s fun,” said sophomore outside hitter Sean Kelly. “I think we have great team chemistry this year, and we’re really getting better every day.”

Sophomore outside hitter Sean Kelly rises to serve the ball. (Ruby Galbraith/Daily Bruin)

Kelly tallied 142 total kills on a .323 clip while making 14 starts during the 2025 season to earn a spot on the MPSF All-Freshman Team. He opened 2026 with eight kills against McKendree on a .571 success rate. His four kills in the first set against Concordia helped propel the team to a 25-13 set victory – the fewest points allowed by UCLA in a non-deciding set since January 2025.

Alongside Kelly in the offensive are seniors outside hitter Zach Rama and setter Andrew Rowan. Over the opening two victories, Rama led the team with 27 total kills on a .420 hitting percentage, while Rowan added an efficient 12.67 assists per set.

With both entering their final year as Bruins, they understand the increased leadership role they will play throughout the season.

“We got a lot of new pieces in the starting lineup, so early on in the year, we’re trying to find our groove and find our rhythm,” Rowan said. “It’s definitely so familiar being a senior here … but every season is different. To the younger guys, we’re just trying to teach them the work ethic that we try to build here.”

Junior middle blocker Micah Wong Diallo has already seen an elevated role from last season, where he only started in two matches. The Los Angeles local started both matches to open up the season, tallying 14 kills on a .824 hitting percentage and adding three blocks.

Junior middle blocker Micah Wong Diallo jumps with his arm extended in preparation to spike the ball. (Amelia Chief/Daily Bruin senior staff)

Coach John Hawks – now in his second season as UCLA’s head honcho – spoke about his high hopes for Diallo moving forward in the year.

“Micah’s got a bright future,” Hawks said. “Last year, we probably would have played him more. I think there were just some injuries that he dealt with that he had to work through. I expect big things from Micah.”

Hawks has been experimenting with a rotation of Diallo and senior middle blocker Cameron Thorne to open up the season, and he is pleased with the results so far. Thorne recorded five blocks in each match, accompanied by 13 total kills on a .688 clip.

“I thought our middles were perfect,” Hawks said. “We just need to get those guys more attempts and figure out how to open them up a little bit.”

The victories did not come without mistakes. The Bruins committed 18 service errors against McKendree and 11 against Concordia. Hawks said he wanted to clean up ball control and tighten up blocking rotations.

And for a team that came so close to a national championship just eight months ago, correcting those mistakes could help ensure a different ending to this season.

UCLA will now look ahead to next weekend, when they will match up against Ball State and Loyola Chicago as part of the First Point Collegiate Challenge.

“I’m excited,” said Hawks, who served as head coach of Loyola Chicago from 2022-24. “I’m excited where we are right now, and I’m looking forward to some team bonding.”

Link

Sports

Three Podiums Highlight Season Opening Alpine Action

Published

2 hours ago

January 13, 2026

Your Sports Nation

GEORGETOWN, Colo. – The Colorado Buffaloes ski team opened the alpine portion of the season with three podium finishes Monday in the slalom races at Loveland Ski Area as part of the Denver Invitational.

The Buffaloes earned runner-up finishes in both the men’s and women’s races, highlighted by Louison Accambray’s career-best second-place finish on the women’s side and a 2–3 showing from freshmen Stanley Buzek and Feb Allasina in the men’s race. Through two of eight alpine races this week, Colorado sits second in the team standings.

Accambray led the CU women, while Alexa Brownlie finished seventh, Hannah Soria placed 14th and Cathinka Lunder finished 16th. Paige DeHart did not finish her first run.

On the men’s side, Colorado faced adversity early, as Justin Bigatel and Christoffer Oestroem did not finish the first run, while Filip Wahlqvist crashed just five gates from the finish on the second run after holding a sizeable lead following the opening run. Despite the setbacks, Buzek and Allasina delivered podium performances to keep the Buffs firmly in contention. It was the first time two alpine newcomers were on the podium in their first college race since 2007 when Drew Roberts and Stefan Hughes went 1-2 in a slalom race at Utah.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The CU women were first on the course and posted a solid opening run before surging in the second run. Accambray climbed from sixth after the first run to finish second overall, while Brownlie jumped from 16th to seventh and Soria made a significant move from 23rd to 14th. Lunder remained steady throughout the race, sitting 14th after the first run and finishing 16th. Collectively, the three skiers gained 22 positions between runs, with Soria posting the fourth-fastest second run and Brownlie recording the fifth-fastest.

In the men’s race, early first-run exits by Bigatel and Oestroem placed increased pressure on the remaining Buffs, and both Buzek and Allasina responded. Allasina surged from a starting position of 35 to 15th after the first run, then vaulted into third place with one of the fastest second runs in the field. Buzek, who started 16th, was third after the first run and moved up one position to finish second. Buzek recorded the second-fastest second run, while Allasina posted the third-fastest.

UP NEXT

Colorado remains at Loveland Ski Area on Tuesday for another set of slalom races as part of the Spencer James Nelson Memorial Colorado Invitational before heading to Aspen for giant slalom races Wednesday and Thursday.

WHAT IT MEANS

The somewhat short-handed alpine teams had a solid season opening performance, with some highs (two freshmen on the podium, career-best finish for Accambray) and lows (Filip Wahlqvist crashing five gates from the finish, three DNFs on the men’s side), which is the nature of the business for all skiers, especially alpine skiers. But CU did place four women in the top 16 and despite only scoring two men, still are just eight points out of the lead. A solid start to the alpine season.

TEAM NOTES

SKIER NOTES

Louison Accambray finished second for her career-best slalom result and sixth podium finish overall, including her second slalom podium, in 15 career races.

Alexa Brownlie / Hannah Soria both made strong collegiate debuts for Colorado, with Brownlie placing seventh in her first college race and Soria finishing 14th. For Soria, the result marked her 10th career top-20 finish in her 19th collegiate slalom race.

Cathinka Lunder placed 16th, recording her fourth career top-20 finish and second in slalom. It marked her second-best slalom finish, trailing only a 12th-place result at Loveland in a qualifier race last season.

Stanley Buzek / Feb Allasina both reached the podium in their first collegiate race, with Buzek finishing second and Allasina third. It marked the first time two alpine newcomers finished on the podium in the season-opening race since Drew Roberts and Stefan Hughes went 1–2 in the Utah slalom opener in 2007.

TEAM SCORES (DAY 1): 1. Denver, 163; 2. Colorado, 155; 3. Utah, 127.5; 4. Alaska Anchorage, 125; 5. Montana State, 110; 6. Colorado Mountain, 104; 7. Nevada, 92.5; 8. Westminster, 30.

WOMEN’S SLALOM: 1. Sara Rask, Denver, 1:29.20; 2. Louison Accambray, Colorado, 1:29.66; 3. Elisabeth Creighton, Denver, 1:30.05; 3. Mia Hunt, Denver, 1:30.05; 5. Ella Bromee, Alaska Anchorage, 1:30.11; 6. Stella Buchheister, Denver, 1:30.18; 7. Alexa Brownlie, Colorado, 1:30.20; 8. Carmen Nielsen, Alaska Anchorage, 1:30.22; 9. Nicola Rountree-Williams, Denver, 1:30.36; 10. Tea Kiesel, Montana State, 1:30.45.

Other CU Finishers: 14. Hannah Soria, 1:31.19; 16. Cathinka Lunder, 1:31.40; Paige DeHart, DNF (Run 1).

MEN’S SLALOM: 1. Johs Herland, Utah, 1:29.59; 2. Stanley Buzek, Colorado, 1:30.29; 3. Feb Allasina, Colorado, 1:31.00; 4. Lucas Ellis, Colorado Mountain, 1:31.05; 5. Pierick Charest, Utah, 1:31.34; 6. Harry Hoffman, Utah, 1:31.38; 7. Sindre Myklebust, Utah, 1:31.64; 8. Adrian Hunshammer, Denver, 1:31.78; 9. Bosse Mikelsson, Montana State, 1:31.79; 10. Giorgio Baldo, Alaska Anchorage, 1:32.02.

Other CU Finishers: Filip Wahlqvist, DNF (Run 2); Justin Bigatel, DNF (Run 1); Christoffer Oestroem, DNF (Run 1).

Link