MIDWAY, Utah - The University of Colorado's Nordic Ski Team delivered an impressive performance at the Utah Invitational this weekend, finishing in third place overall.
On the first day, the team finished second overall with 162 points – just 33 points behind the host team, Utah. Colorado trailed behind Utah in both the men's and women’s races but was able to stay ahead of Denver, who scored 157 points.
Colorado freshman Astri Lunde made an outstanding debut for the women’s team, securing second place in the 7.5K for her first-ever collegiate race. Tilde Baangman also delivered, finishing fourth, while veteran Hanna Abrahamsson took 15th and Karolina Kaleta rounded out the team with a 16th-place finish.
On the men's side, Will Koch led the Buffs with a fourth-place finish, marking his third consecutive top-five finish this season. Johannes Flaaten, also making his season debut, placed eighth. Eemil Juntunen rounded out the team’s top scorers with a 13th-place finish. Alexander Maurer (16th) and Luka Riley (17th) also performed well, placing in the top 20.
Overall, Colorado’s Nordic team showed considerable grit, with all seven of its competitors finishing in the top 20, showcasing strong potential for the season ahead. Lunde and Flaaten’s performances highlight Colorado's growing strength in Nordic skiing, as both athletes were named to be contenders for top spots at the NCAA Championships.
Following Sunday’s competition, the Buffs placed third overall with 299 points, behind Utah (389 points) and Denver (331.5 points). Despite a solid performance, the Buffs fell one spot after finishing third in both the men’s and women’s races.
On the men’s side, Will Koch continued his strong start to the 2025 season, finishing fifth in the men’s 15K freestyle race, marking his fourth consecutive top-five finish.
On the women's side, Astri Lunde came in sixth in the 15K freestyle, following her second-place finish in the classic race. Karolina Kaleta placed seventh, while Hanna Abrahamsson was the Buffs’ third scorer in 17th.
Despite dropping a place from the previous day of racing, the Buffs still managed to steal a spot on the podium and show strong potential for the rest of the season.
The Buffs will now head to Bozeman, Montana, next weekend for the Montana State Invitational to close out January.
Cover photo via @stuf_bydrew/Instagram
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