Colorado University Athletics
Friday, January 9
Lake Placid, N.Y.
8 AM Men / 9 AM Women (Qualifiers)
Colorado
vs
Classic Sprints at Mt. Van Hovenberg
Elena Grissom picked up her career-best finish for the second-straight race, taking eighth place in the classic sprints.
Photo by: Matan Coll, CU Athletics
Baangman Hits Podium Again At RMISA Invitational
January 09, 2026 | Skiing
Three Buffs Pick Up Top Five FInishes; Team Finishes Third In Meet
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – Colorado closed out the opening week of Nordic competition with strong performances from both the men's and women's teams Friday in the classic sprint races at Mt. Van Hovenberg.
The races were part of a US Super Tour race at the conclusion of the 2026 US Cross Country Skiing National Championships. The Buffaloes finished third in the team standings for the RMISA Invitational.
The Buffaloes' women placed all four skiers inside the top 13 and were led by Tilde Baangman, who finished third to earn her third straight podium to open the season. Baangman has now finished first, second and third through CU's first three races of the year. Nina Schamberger followed closely in fourth, recording her first top-five finish of the season and her third top-seven result in as many races.
Elena Grissom continued her upward trajectory with an eighth-place finish, marking her second straight career-best performance after placing ninth in Thursday's 20K freestyle RMISA qualifier. Selma Nevin rounded out Colorado's results with a 13th-place finish.
On the men's side, Storm Pedersen led the Buffs with a fifth-place finish, earning the first top-five result of his collegiate career. Jakob Moch placed 12th, while freshman William Bentley finished 13th, cracking the top 15 in just the second collegiate race of his career. Luka Riley added a 19th-place finish for Colorado.
In the team standings, Colorado's men finished third in the classic sprint with 68 points, while the women placed second with 88 points. Through all four races of the RMISA Invitational, the Buffaloes finished with 293 points, third behind Utah and Alaska Anchorage.
HOW IT HAPPENED
On the women's side, only four RMISA skiers advanced out of the qualification round and into the quarterfinal heats — two from Colorado and two from Utah. Baangman and Schamberger both qualified and were placed in the same quarterfinal heat, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Baangman narrowly missed advancing to the semifinals as a lucky loser, falling short by just over one second, despite posting a time that would have won three of the five quarterfinal heats.
In the men's race, nine RMISA skiers advanced to the quarterfinals, with Pedersen representing Colorado. Pedersen won his quarterfinal heat to advance to the semifinals, where he finished sixth.
UP NEXT
The opening week of Nordic competition is complete, as Colorado's focus now shifts to alpine racing with the DU Invitational and the Colorado Spencer James Nelson Memorial Invitational, Jan. 12–13 at Loveland and Jan. 14–15 at Aspen, with slalom races at Loveland and giant slalom races at Aspen. The first day at each venue will count toward the DU Invitational and the second toward the CU meet.
TEAM NOTES
MEN'S CLASSIC SPRINT: 1. Max Kluck, Utah, 3:11.28 (third place, finals heat); 2. Zach Jayne, Utah, 3:11.70 (fourth place, finals heat); 3. Erling Bjoernstad, Alaska Anchorage, 3:02.44 (third place, semifinal heat 1); 4. Carl Rune, Utah, 3:09.84 (fifth place, semifinal heat 1); 5. Storm Pedersen, Colorado, 3:18.02 (sixth place, semifinal heat 1); 6. Eemil Juntunen, Denver, 3:00.22 (third place, quarterfinal heat 3); 7. Murphy Kimball, Alaska Anchorage, 2:56.55 (fourth place, quarterfinal heat 4); 8. Cole Flowers, Alaska Fairbanks, 2:57.79 (fifth place, quarterfinal heat 1, 2:58.17 qualification time); 9. Simon Chappaz, Montana State, 3:00.37 (fifth place, quarterfinal heat 4; 2:59.50 qualification time); 10. Mons Melbye, Utah, 2:59.58 (qualification time). Other CU Finishers: 12. Jakob Moch, 3:02.00; 13. William Bentley, 3:02.49; 19. Luka Riley, 3:06.70.
WOMEN'S CLASSIC SPRINT: 1. Erica Laven, Utah, 3:43.45 (sixth place, finals heat); 2. Sofia Pedersen, Utah, 3:34.14 (fifth place, semifinal heat 1); 3. Tilde Baangman, Colorado, 3:30.80 (fourth place, quarterfinal heat 3); 4. Nina Schamberger, Colorado, 3:36.53 (fifth place, quarterfinal heat 3); 5. Marlie Molinaro, Alaska Anchorage, 3:42.41 (qualification time); 6. Neve Gerard, Utah, 3:42.83 (qual.); 7. Marit Flora, Alaska Anchorage, 3:42.89 (qual.); 8. Elena Grissom, Colorado, 3:44.01 (qual.); 9. Constance LaPointe, Alaska Anchorage, 3:45.68 (qual.); 10. Synne Bollingmo, Denver, 3:45.99 (qual.). Other CU Finisher: 13. Selma Nevin, 3:51.05.
The races were part of a US Super Tour race at the conclusion of the 2026 US Cross Country Skiing National Championships. The Buffaloes finished third in the team standings for the RMISA Invitational.
The Buffaloes' women placed all four skiers inside the top 13 and were led by Tilde Baangman, who finished third to earn her third straight podium to open the season. Baangman has now finished first, second and third through CU's first three races of the year. Nina Schamberger followed closely in fourth, recording her first top-five finish of the season and her third top-seven result in as many races.
Elena Grissom continued her upward trajectory with an eighth-place finish, marking her second straight career-best performance after placing ninth in Thursday's 20K freestyle RMISA qualifier. Selma Nevin rounded out Colorado's results with a 13th-place finish.
On the men's side, Storm Pedersen led the Buffs with a fifth-place finish, earning the first top-five result of his collegiate career. Jakob Moch placed 12th, while freshman William Bentley finished 13th, cracking the top 15 in just the second collegiate race of his career. Luka Riley added a 19th-place finish for Colorado.
In the team standings, Colorado's men finished third in the classic sprint with 68 points, while the women placed second with 88 points. Through all four races of the RMISA Invitational, the Buffaloes finished with 293 points, third behind Utah and Alaska Anchorage.
HOW IT HAPPENED
On the women's side, only four RMISA skiers advanced out of the qualification round and into the quarterfinal heats — two from Colorado and two from Utah. Baangman and Schamberger both qualified and were placed in the same quarterfinal heat, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Baangman narrowly missed advancing to the semifinals as a lucky loser, falling short by just over one second, despite posting a time that would have won three of the five quarterfinal heats.
In the men's race, nine RMISA skiers advanced to the quarterfinals, with Pedersen representing Colorado. Pedersen won his quarterfinal heat to advance to the semifinals, where he finished sixth.
UP NEXT
The opening week of Nordic competition is complete, as Colorado's focus now shifts to alpine racing with the DU Invitational and the Colorado Spencer James Nelson Memorial Invitational, Jan. 12–13 at Loveland and Jan. 14–15 at Aspen, with slalom races at Loveland and giant slalom races at Aspen. The first day at each venue will count toward the DU Invitational and the second toward the CU meet.
TEAM NOTES
- Colorado's four race point total of 293 points was good enough for third place, behind Utah (414) and Alaska Anchorage (306).
- Colorado's women finished second overall through the four-race RMISA Invitational with 173 points.
- The Buffs' men placed fourth through the two scored Nordic races with 120 points.
- Colorado placed second in the combined Day 2/classic sprint team standings with 156 points.
MEN'S CLASSIC SPRINT: 1. Max Kluck, Utah, 3:11.28 (third place, finals heat); 2. Zach Jayne, Utah, 3:11.70 (fourth place, finals heat); 3. Erling Bjoernstad, Alaska Anchorage, 3:02.44 (third place, semifinal heat 1); 4. Carl Rune, Utah, 3:09.84 (fifth place, semifinal heat 1); 5. Storm Pedersen, Colorado, 3:18.02 (sixth place, semifinal heat 1); 6. Eemil Juntunen, Denver, 3:00.22 (third place, quarterfinal heat 3); 7. Murphy Kimball, Alaska Anchorage, 2:56.55 (fourth place, quarterfinal heat 4); 8. Cole Flowers, Alaska Fairbanks, 2:57.79 (fifth place, quarterfinal heat 1, 2:58.17 qualification time); 9. Simon Chappaz, Montana State, 3:00.37 (fifth place, quarterfinal heat 4; 2:59.50 qualification time); 10. Mons Melbye, Utah, 2:59.58 (qualification time). Other CU Finishers: 12. Jakob Moch, 3:02.00; 13. William Bentley, 3:02.49; 19. Luka Riley, 3:06.70.
WOMEN'S CLASSIC SPRINT: 1. Erica Laven, Utah, 3:43.45 (sixth place, finals heat); 2. Sofia Pedersen, Utah, 3:34.14 (fifth place, semifinal heat 1); 3. Tilde Baangman, Colorado, 3:30.80 (fourth place, quarterfinal heat 3); 4. Nina Schamberger, Colorado, 3:36.53 (fifth place, quarterfinal heat 3); 5. Marlie Molinaro, Alaska Anchorage, 3:42.41 (qualification time); 6. Neve Gerard, Utah, 3:42.83 (qual.); 7. Marit Flora, Alaska Anchorage, 3:42.89 (qual.); 8. Elena Grissom, Colorado, 3:44.01 (qual.); 9. Constance LaPointe, Alaska Anchorage, 3:45.68 (qual.); 10. Synne Bollingmo, Denver, 3:45.99 (qual.). Other CU Finisher: 13. Selma Nevin, 3:51.05.
Players Mentioned
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