March 8, 2008

BOZEMAN, Mont. --- University of New Mexico skiers Karin Ohlin and Thomas Schwab earned All-America honors today for their Top 10 finishes in the women's and men's slalom competition at the NCAA Ski Championships at Bridger Bowl, Mont. The Lobos finished the 2008 meet in seventh place with 404 points.

"This was a very good performance for us this week, considering all of the injuries and illnesses that we have been fighting all season," said Lobo head coach Fredrik Landstedt. "We got six All-American performances and that is something to be proud of. Everyone fought their hardest in every race and several skiers had some of their best performances of the season this week."

Ohlin, a junior from Malung, Sweden, earned All-America honors in the women's slalom for the second time of her career with her eighth-place finish in a combined time of 1:29.28. Defending champion Malin Hemmingsson was in second place after the first run with a time of 43.95, but had to hike down the course on the second run to finish 33rd overall.

Schwab, a freshman from Groebming, Austria, earned the first All-America honor of his young collegiate career in the men's slalom with his seventh-place finish in a combined time of 1:43.87. Junior Tor Fodnesbergene, skiing on a painful ankle, finished 20th overall to earn points for the Lobos, while freshman Christoffer Norell was disqualified for hooking a gate on his second run.

The Lobos, as a team, have finished in the Top Nine at NCAA Championships for 27 consecutive years.

Lobo Results (Top 10 finishes earn All-America honors)
Nordic
Women's 5K Freestyle - 8. Polina Ermoshina (18:08.6); 39. Melanie Zemp (20:35.4)
Men's 10K Freestyle - 12. Simon Reissmann (31:56.8); 14. Casey Dyck (32:01.8); 29. Tor-Hakon Hellebostad (33:12.8)
Women's 15 K Classical - 2. Polina Ermoshina (55:59.4); 22. Melanie Zemp (1:01:25.7)
Men's 20K Classical - 8. Tor-Hakon Hellebostad (1:04:23.1); 26. Simon Reissmann (1:07:35.0); 31. Casey Dyck (1:08:12.5)

Alpine
Women's Giant Slalom - 7. Malin Hemmingsson (1:47.23); 12. Karin Ohlin (1:48.42)
Men's Giant Slalom - 13. Thomas Schwab (1:41.61); 27. Christoffer Norell (1:43.97); DNS 2nd Run - Tor Fodnesbergene
Women's Slalom - 8. Karin Ohlin (1:29.28); 33. Malin Hemmingsson (2:00.52)
Men's Slalom - 7. Thomas Schwab (1:43.87); 18. Tor Fodnesbergene (1:48.02); DQ - Christoffer Norell

Final Team Standings
1. Denver - 649.5
2. Colorado - 619
3. Utah - 550
4. Dartmouth - 546
5. Middlebury - 529
6. Vermont - 455
7. New Mexico - 404
8. Alaska-Anchorage - 334.5
9. Nevada - 303
10. Northern Michigan - 287
11. New Hampshire - 286
12. Alaska-Fairbanks - 253
13. Colby - 227
14. Williams - 223
15. Bates - 153
16. Montana State - 145
17. Michigan Tech - 63
18. Gustavus Adolphus - 59
19. St. Scholastica - 35
20. Wisconsin-Green Bay - 26
21. Whitman - 14