Full results and team scores

A thrilling day of fast ski racing, high drama and intense competition ended with Northern Michigan and Alaska sharing the honors at the NCAA Central Region Championships in Houghton, Mich.

The Wildcats captured the region’s men’s and overall team titles, sweeping the podium on the men’s side in today’s 15K mass start free as George Cartwright, Erik Soderman and Kyle Bratrud finished first, second and third, respectively. The Nanooks, meanwhile, earned the women’s regional title and saw the red-hot Aly McPhetres win her third straight CCSA event, prevailing in the 10K skate.

It now becomes a waiting game for the CCSA coaches and skiers alike, as they wait for the scores to be tallied and the official announcement of NCAA berths, which is expected on Tuesday.

“In all my years of coaching, I have to say that this is just the most delightful team, both the men’s and women’s, that I’ve ever had,” Northern Michigan head coach Sten Fjeldheim said. “They are all very humble, push each other and work together as a team. It’s just a fun atmosphere to be in, and I think it leads to success as a team.”

Luckily, Sunday’s races largely avoided the waxing nightmare of the previous day, as steady cold temperatures and conditions made ski preparation fairly straightforward.

“I almost could have coached from an armchair today,” Fjeldheim joked. “Probably the trickiest part, if there was a tricky part, was getting the structure right.”

Fjeldheim’s strategy seemed to pay off, especially in the men’s race, as Cartwright, Soderman and Bratrud put the hammer down on the last climb to separate from the rest of the field, taking the top three spots and propelling the Wildcats to the men’s title.

“The long downhill was just so fast, any lead you had, the pack would just suck it right back in on that downhill,” Fjeldheim said. “So I told my guys that it was going to come down to that last climb, and that’s exactly what happened. It was really exciting to watch how tight the competition was today – it was like a mini national championship.”

Alaska’s Lex Treinen was the next across the line, taking fourth in the event just over five seconds off the Wildcats’ pace. Green Bay’s Matt Nichols produced his best race of the season, earning his first top-five with a time of 40:42.1.

Alaska Michael Fehrenbach finished at the tail end of the lead pack, taking sixth, while Saint Scholastica’s Paul Schommer finished seventh to earn his second top-ten in as many days, closing out an illness-plagued season on a positive note. Alaska’s Logan Hanneman (eighth) and Jonas Loffler (ninth) and Michigan Tech’s Matt Dugan (tenth) all earned all-region honors as well.

On the women’s side, it was equally as thrilling a conclusion, as McPhetres made her move on Northern Michigan’s Rosie Frankowski with 200 meters to go, passing the Wildcat junior and holding on for her third straight college win. Interestingly, McPhetres and Frankowski are already starting to build a friendly rivalry: the duo went 1-2 in last week’s freestyle race as well, working together to pull away from the field at Mt. Itasca.

“Aly just found another gear with 200 meters to go,” Alaska head coach Scott Jerome said. “She really seems to be enjoying herself out there, and I think it shows – she is skiing really well. Both races today were really exciting to watch.”

Northern Michigan Jordyn Ross landed a podium spot as well, taking third after finishing just nine-tenths of a second behind Frankowski. Alaska’s Crystal Pitney turned in an important fourth-place finish, scoring vital points for her team as well as well as boosting her own chances at a second straight NCAA spot.

“Crystal has just been really solid, just a rock for us this year,” Jerome said.

Michigan Tech’s Lynn Duijndam was next across the line, earning a top-five finish with her time of 31:27.7. Alaska’s third scoring skier, Rebecca Koneiczny, finished sixth, edging Saint Scholastica’s Sharmila Ahmed (who herself landed an important seventh-place finish in her quest to become the school’s first NCAA women’s qualifier) to wrap up the women’s crown for the Nanooks.

“I’m especially proud of Rebecca’s race today,” Jerome said. “She had bad skis yesterday because of the waxing and weather conditions, which probably knocked her out of contention for the NCAAs. But she didn’t feel sorry for herself. She just went out there today and raced for her team.”

Northern Michigan freshmen Mary Kate Cirelli and Hannah Boyer, along with Michigan Tech’s Sarah Daniels, rounded out the top ten and all-region spots, taking eighth, ninth and 10th respectively.

With the final NCAA qualifier complete, the CCSA now waits on Tuesday announcement, which will determine which seven men and six women represent the region at the NCAAs. This year’s national championships will be held March 6-9 in Middlebury, Vt.

Full results and team scores

It was a Blue and Gold day at the NCAA Central Region Championships as Alaska skiers took the top two spots in both the men’s individual start 10K classic as well as the women’s 5K event in Houghton, Mich. Freshman Michael Fehrehbach earned his first career CCSA win, finishing ahead of second-placed teammate Logan Hanneman, and the Nanooks’ Aly McPhetres won her second straight collegiate race, with Theresia Schnurr taking second, in what proved to be a tricky waxing day on the women’s side.

The results mean that the Nanooks hold a slender advantage (three points on the women’s side, five points on the men’s) over rivals Northern Michigan going into the final day of regionals tomorrow.

“It was a really good effort today,” head coach Scott Jerome said. “I’m proud of the team, and how people that needed to have a good classic race today, like Aly and Theresia, stepped up. You could feel it out there today, that these were important races.”

Any tension Fehrehbach was feeling ahead of the final NCAA qualifiers, however, did not show one bit, as the freshman produced arguably his best race of the season and cruised to a comprehensive 48-second victory.

“Michael’s been doing his thing all year,” Jerome said. “He’s really fun to coach and I’ve been really impressed with him. I don’t want to put the cart before the horse, but he looked like a legitimate NCAA skier out there today.”

Teammate Hanneman, who just rejoined the Nanooks after competing internationally in the World Junior championships, took second and Northern Michigan’s Erik Soderman landed the final podium spot in the men’s race, which, due to its earlier start time, largely avoided the waxing difficulties of the women’s event.

Northern Michigan’s Kyle Bratrud, fresh off being named the CCSA skier of the week last week, finished fourth with his time of 31:35.5., while Saint Scholastica’s Jeremy Hecker took fifth. In the closest result of the day, Alaska’s third scoring skier, Lex Treinen, edged Northern Michigan’s Chris Bowler for sixth by just a tenth of a second – a vital two point swing in the team standings.

Northern Michigan’s George Cartwright (eighth), Alaska’s Jonas Loffler (ninth) and Saint Scholastica’s Paul Schommer (10th) rounded out the top ten.

In the women’s race, however, the combination of sun and snow led to a waxing nightmare for coaches and student-athletes. McPhetres and Jerome’s decision to race on zero skis paid off, however, as the sophomore won her third event of the CCSA season by 13 seconds.

“I got really lucky,” McPhetres said afterward. “My skis were actually great – they iced up a little at one point but I was able to get through it.”

Schnurr, also racing on zeroes, turned in her best race of the season for Alaska as well, taking second among college skiers to score a vital 23 points.

“I’m really proud of Theresia – she came through for us today,” Jerome said. “She’s been one of our top skiers for a long time. But everyone feels important on this team – we never know who our three scorers will be on any given day.”

Northern Michigan’s Jordyn Ross, one of the region’s most consistent performers in 2013, landed the final CCSA podium spot, placing third, while fellow Wildcat Rosie Frankowski took fourth with her time of 17:59.7.

Michigan Tech’s Deedra Irwin, an NCAA competitor a year ago, took fifth among CCSA skiers with her time of 18:00.3. Northern Michigan’s third scoring skier, Mary Kate Cirelli, took sixth, finishing one spot ahead of Alaska’s final scorer, Crystal Pitney, in seventh.

Northern Michigan freshman Hannah Boyer, and a pair of Michigan Tech Huskies (Rachel Mason and Sarah Daniels) round out the top ten.

The region’s skiers return to the trails tomorrow for a pair of crucial mass start freestyle events: a men’s 15K and a 10K for women. The races will not only decide the 2013 regional champions, but, as the final NCAA qualifier, will determine who will represent the Central Region at the NCAA Championships next month.

“I’m excited to get out there,” McPhetres said. “I don’t like sitting around and waiting. My attitude has been to just love what I do, and not worry about the things I can’t control.”

“You can’t ask for a better way to finish the regionals than a mass start race,” Jerome echoed. “It’s so exciting and everyone’s skiers are going to be fast tomorrow. We’ll just do the best we can, give it our all and let the chips fall where they may.”

Men’s 20K freestyle results
Women’s 15K freestyle results

For the second straight day, a Northern Michigan man and an Alaska woman earned the conference crown at the CCSA Championships, as the Wildcats’ Erik Soderman again took top spot in the men’s 20K mass start freestyle and the Nanooks’ Aly McPhetres edged NMU’s Rosie Frankowski to win the women’s 15K event at Mt Itasca.

Despite a strong showing in both genders from Alaska, however, it was Northern Michigan’s day, as the Wildcats swept the men’s, women’s and overall team titles for the four-race CCSA Championships.

“Everyone’s really happy to have won,” NMU head coach Sten Fjeldheim said. “It was an interesting format this year, having the sprints and the relays involved. I think our team has really been firing on all cylinders this weekend though, and we are happy with how things turned out.”

There was even more déjà vu about Sunday’s men’s race – Soderman and teammate Kyle Bratrud again took the top two spots, just as they did in Saturday’s classic race. According to Fjeldheim, however, it took every ounce of energy his racers had to hold onto the podium spots.

“UAF busted apart the pack right away,” he said. “They really pulled out at a really hard pace – them, our guys and (St. Scholastica’s) Jeremy Hecker put the hammer down from the start. It was great racing and awesome competition.”

While Soderman and Bratrud took the top two spots, Alaska’s Lex Treinen earned the bronze medal position, finishing just four seconds behind Bratrud. The Nanooks’ Michael Fehrenbach would take fourth, slightly behind the lead trio, while Northern Michigan’s third scoring skier, George Cartwright took fifth, wrapping up the men’s title for the Wildcats.

St. Scholastica’s top skier on the day, and one of the CCSA most consistent performers on the year, Hecker just missed out on a ninth-straight top-five finish, as his time of 55:56.9 put him in sixth on the afternoon. A pair of Alaska skiers, Jonas Loffler and Max Olex, placed seventh and eighth, respectively, while NMU’s Chris Bowler and Michigan Tech’s Matt Dugan rounded out the top ten.

On the women’s side, the competition was equally as fast and furious – as McPhetres and Frankowski battled back and forth for most of the afternoon.

“Aly is really an excellent downhill skier – I was impressed with her downhill ability,” Fjeldheim said. “Every time Rosie would try and pull away , [McPhetres] would close that gap on the downhill.”

In the end, McPhetres would seize on a late stumble from Frankowski to earn her first CCSA title. Frankowski, forced to settle for second place, still finished nearly a full minute ahead of the third placed skier: Alaska’s Crystal Pitney, who earned the final podium spot in 49:37.8.
Northern Michigan’s Jordyn Ross was next across the line, followed by a pair of Nanooks in Heather Edic (fifth) and Rebecca Koneieczny (sixth). NMU’s Mary Kate Cirelli took seventh overall to round out a solid weekend for the freshman, while Alaska’s Raphaela Sieber, Gustavus’ Erica Hett and St. Scholastica’s Sharmila Ahmed rounding out the top ten.

With today’s results, Northern Michigan captured the men’s title with 303 points, while St. Scholastica landed its best-ever CCSA Championship finish by taking second with 252 points. Alaska’s rounded out the podium by taking third on 242 points.

On the women’s side, the Wildcats were again on top, albeit by a slightly slimmer margin. NMU’s 292 points earned them the conference crown by 20 points over Alaska’s 272 points. Michigan Tech took the bronze on the women’s side, finishing with 225 points.

Overall, NMU’s 595 total points gave them a comfortable victory over Alaska, who finished second with 514 points. Michigan Tech took third with its 454 points, just beating out St. Scholastica by a single point.

The CCSA skiers now head to their final NCAA qualifiers of the season, as Michigan Tech hosts the Central Region championships on Feb. 23-24.

Men’s 10K results
Women’s 5K results

Northern Michigan’s Erik Soderman and Alaska’s Raphaela Sieber each earned their first conference titles on Saturday, cruising to victories in their respective interval start classic races at the CCSA Championships at Mt. Itasca.

Despite Sieber’s victory, however, Northern Michigan, who claimed four of the six podium spots on offer today, remains on top in both the men’s, women’s and overall team standings heading into the final day.

With just four qualifiers remaining in the CCSA season, the tension is beginning to heat up in the race for NCAA berths. Soderman, a national champion in the freestyle event last year, took a major step toward confirming his spot on Saturday, turning in another impressive classic performance to earn the CCSA crown. The sophomore finished his 10K in 26:14.2 – good enough for a five-second margin of victory.

Teammate Kyle Bratrud, who has already pre-qualified for this season’s NCAAs, turned in the second best time on the day, as his time of 26:19.7 bested everyone but Soderman.

Alaska’s top men’s skier on the day, Jonas Loeffler, earned a podium spot (and a crucial 25 points for his team) with his time of 26:24.7. St. Scholastica’s Jeremy Hecker, who came into the weekend as the CCSA’s second-ranked skier, did his NCAA chances no harm with a solid fourth-place finish in 26:27.8.

Northern Michigan’s third scoring skier, Chris Bowler, posted the conference’s fifth-best time: his 26:42.0 ensuring the Wildcats’ claimed three of the top six spots on the day. Alaska Michael Fehrenbach placed sixth in the CCSA (seventh overall) to land 22 points for the Nanooks.

Seventh-place in the conference fell to Northern’s George Cartwright, as his time of 26:49.0 put him just above St. Scholastica’s John Wessling, who took eighth in the CCSA and ninth overall. Alaska’s Lex Treinen and Michigan Tech’s Luke Gesior rounded out the conference’s top ten.

On the women’s side, it was Sieber’s day, as she continues to show signs that she is back to her best form. The German native bested the field by a full 13 seconds, tearing through her 5K in just 15:05.1.

Northern Michigan’s Hannah Boyer, who won the classic event at the Saints Invitational last month, continued to demonstrate her prowess in the tracks as well, earning a second-place finish in 15:18.6. Boyer’s time meant teammate Jordyn Ross would have to settle for a third-place finish; the junior earning bronze with a time of 15:19.3.

The Wildcats third-scoring skier, Mary Kate Cirelli, took fourth place in the CCSA (fifth overall) with her time of 15:24.1, finishing just ahead of Saint Scholastica’s Sharmila Ahmed, who took fifth (sixth overall).

Michigan Tech’s top skier, Deedra Irwin, took sixth in the conference with her time of 15:26.7, followed closely by a pair of Alaska racers in Theresia Schnurr (seventh in CCSA) and Rebecca Koneiczny (eighth in CCSA). Northern Michigan’s Rosie Frankowski and Alaska’s Crystal Pitney rounded out the conference’s top ten.

With today’s results, Northern Michigan lead the overall team standings by a comfortable margin – the Wildcats 447 points putting them well ahead of second-placed Alaska’s 369 points. Both St. Scholastica and Michigan Tech finish the day with 348 points, making the shuffling for podium positions interesting going into the CCSA Championships final day tomorrow.

Full men’s and women’s team scores are as follows:

Men’s
Northern Michigan: 227 points
St. Scholastica: 196 points
Michigan Tech: 174 points
Alaska: 172 points
Green Bay: 124 points
Gustavus Adolphus College: 101 points
St. Olaf College: 77 points

Women’s
Northern Michigan: 220 points
Alaska: 197 points
Michigan Tech: 174 points
St. Scholastica: 152 points
St. Olaf College: 123 points
Gustavus Adolphus College: 104 points
Green Bay: 99 points
St. Cloud State: 17 points