NEDERLAND, Colo.—The Westminster alpine ski teams began the 2019 Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association with the RMISA Qualifiers at Eldorado.

Five men and five women competed in the Giant Slalom event.  Oskar Voello and Petra Smaldore recorded the fastest times for the Griffins.  It was a good day with only three of the 10 not finishing.

RMISA qualifier races count toward NCAA qualification for the individual skiers and not towards the team results.

Men's Giant Slalom: Voello posted a final time of 1:55.05 to finish 12^th overall.  He recorded the second fastest time in the second run (58.54) which moved him up from six places.  Mikkel Wahl finished second for the Griffins in 18^th (1:56.44).  Rafael Breu came in 21^st (1:57.21) and Jeppe Baardseth finished 33^rd (2:01.67).

Martin Arene recorded Westminster's fastest time in the first round (55.97) but failed ot finish the second run.

Women's Giant Slalom: Smaldore finished 17^th in 1:59.72 to lead the Griffins.  With two skiers in 13^th and 14^th after the first run, the women's team would have hoped for a higher finish.  Smaldore dropped a few places and finished 17^th (1:59.72) to lead the Griffins.  Giulia Lorini finished  20^th (2:00.93) and Juliette Gauthier finished 21^st (2:00.95).

Madison Ostergren and Anika Angriman did not finish the second run.  Ostergren finished the first run in 58.41 and Angriman finished in 58.02.

Up Next: The Griffins return to the slopes for the Spencer James Nelson Memorial Invitational, hosted by University of Colorado.  The giant slalom is on Thursday and the slalom is on Friday.