Northern Michigan University’s Erik Soderman and College of St. Scholastica’s Sharmila Ahmed were named the Central Collegiate Ski Association’s skiers of the week, the conference office announced Wednesday. It is both skiers’ first such award of the 2013 season, though it marks the second straight week that St. Scholastica has been represented in the conference awards.

The 2012 NCAA champion in the freestyle race, Soderman showed his ability in the classic tracks as well, winning the 10K event at the Saints Invitational by a comfortable 20-second margin. The junior came within a whisker of repeating the feat in Sunday’s mass start freestyle, finishing just behind teammate George Cartwright and Saint Scholastica’s Jeremy Hecker in one of the most exciting finishes of the CCSA season to date to earn his second podium spot of the weekend.

Ahmed, meanwhile, earned her best career finish in the women’s classic race at the Saints Invitational, taking second in the 5K event. The sophomore followed that up by landing another CCSA podium spot in the 15K skate, finishing third among conference skiers. Ahmed’s impressive weekend played a key role in helping St. Scholastica to a second place team finish for the weekend.

Soderman, Ahmed and the rest of the CCSA skiers head to Al Quaal for the first leg of the conference championships this weekend, starting with a 1.5K freestyle sprint on Saturday, Feb. 2.