MCCALL, Idaho –
Jacopo Gelmetti started the 2020 season right where he left off, picking up today's individual title, as the College of Idaho won the opening Northwest Collegiate Ski Conference giant slalom qualifier at Brundage Mountain.
Gelmetti, the reigning NWCSC Skier of the Year, used a dominant afternoon run to vault to the top position on the podium – clocking a two-run time of 1:29.12 – earning his fourth-straight win in a qualifier and his fifth career gold medal.
His efforts helped the Coyotes take the team crown with a combined time of 4:36.42, over 10 seconds ahead of second-place Washington State (4:46.52). British Columbia (4:49.11), Oregon (5:46.21) and Idaho (5:47.33) rounded out the Top-5. Racing was in non-optimal conditions, as nearly a foot of snow walloped the Upper Alpine run.
Mateo Gonzalez recorded his best finish as a Coyote, earning the bronze medal with a time of 1:32.66, with
Jarod Esnoz completing C of I's scoring trio with a seventh-place effort (1:34.64). Two other athletes completed both runs –
Christopher Truksa in 17th-place (1:45.88) and
Loi Ha in 29th-place (2:09.61).
WSU had two athletes in the Top-5 – Spencer Barclay in second-place (1:30.27) and Reid Reininger in fifth (1:33.89) – with UBC's Massimiliano Duso in fourth-place (1:33.54).
The seven teams will compete in a second giant slalom qualifier tomorrow at 11 a.m.
