CCSA Performers of the Week! After last weekend's

A very close battle this weekend had the @mtunordi

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Performers of the Week! After a fantastic day of

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Saint Scholastica’s Hecker, Alaska’s McPhetres named CCSA skiers of the week

CCSA News, CCSA Skiers of the Week

The College of Saint Scholastica’s Jeremy Hecker and Alaska’s Aly McPhetres were named the Central Collegiate Ski Association’s male and female skiers of the week, the conference announced Thursday. It is both skiers’ first such award of the 2013 season.

A participant at the NCAAs a year ago and a key part of Saint Scholastica’s landmark 2012 season, Hecker looks to have picked up right where he left off, turning in a pair of impressive performances at the Tour de Twin Cities SuperTour stop last weekend. The senior placed fifth among college skiers in the 10K skate race, and used a trademark late surge to earn second place in the CCSA (and 16th overall) in the 20K mass start classic.

McPhetres, meanwhile, enjoyed a breakthrough weekend at the Tour de Twin Cities, announcing herself as a genuine NCAA contender with a pair of top-ten overall finishes at Wirth Park. The Chugiak, Alaska native earned her first collegiate win in the women’s 5K freestyle race, where she placed ninth overall, and followed that up with a second place CCSA finish in the 15K classic – a race head coach Scott Jerome labeled as “her best classic race ever” for the Nanooks.

The CCSA skiers return to action this weekend as they head to Giants Ridge to take part in the St. Scholastica-hosted Saints Invitational. Races kick off at noon CST, as the men hit the trails for a 10K classic event, followed by the women’s 5K classic.

Alaska’s Sieber, Loeffler top CCSA field at Tour de Twin Cities classic events

CCSA News, Race Results

It was another big day for Alaska at the second day of the Tour de Twin Cities SuperTour stop, as the Nanooks, led by a resurgent Raphaela Sieber, swept the college podium in the women’s 15K mass start classic and saw Jonas Loeffler claim his first college win in the men’s 20K event at Wirth Park in Minneapolis.

“I’m really happy for our team, and for our women,” Alaska head coach Scott Jerome said. “We had a good day yesterday, but we were still kind of holding our breath on the classic race today. But it worked out and I’m really happy for Raphaela. Any time you can sweep the podium, it’s really exciting.”

After battling illness during the early part of the season and at U.S. Nationals, Sieber looks to be hitting her stride once again, as she raced her way to an impressive seventh place overall finish Sunday. Sieber crossed the line in 47:21.7 – a good 54 seconds ahead of her nearest collegiate competition.

Teammate Aly McPhetres, who also earned her first collegiate win in the skate race yesterday, completed a standout weekend for herself with a second-place collegiate finish, and ninth-place overall, in 48:25.4. The Nanooks’ Rebecca Konieczny took third in the CCSA with a tenth-place overall finish of her own, in 48:38.0.

“Aly had her best classic race ever today,” Jerome said. “That’s what she needed to do if she wants to make it to NCAAs, so this is a good start for her.”

Northern Michigan’s Jordyn Ross took fourth in the CCSA with her 11th-place overall finish in 48:41.3, just edging out Alaska’s Theresia Schnurr, who finished 12th overall and fifth in the CCSA in 48:41.8.

A solid performance from Green Bay’s Kailey Mucha saw her earn the conference’s sixth-best finish, taking 15th overall in 49:18.9. A pair of Northern Michigan Wildcats were next across the line – Mary Kate Cirelli and Hannah Boyer earning 17th and 18th place, respectively.

Alaska’s Heather Edic’s 19th-place finish was good enough to earn her ninth among collegiate skiers, while Saint Scholastica’s Sharmila Ahmed rounded out the CCSA top ten, edging NMU’s Rosie Frankowski by just under a second to earn a 20-place overall finish.

On the men’s side, Loeffler separated himself from the rest of the CCSA pack to claim his first ever conference win, earning an eighth-place overall finish with a time of 48:06.7.

“This was a huge race for Jonas,” Jerome said. “It will be a really big boost for him. He was actually having a really good race at U.S. Nationals in the 30K before he broke a pole, so it was good to see him get his first CCSA win today.”

Saint Scholastica’s Jeremy Hecker took the silver spot among collegiate skiers, completing his 20K in 48:20.2. An NCAA participant a year ago as part of a landmark season for Saint Scholastica, Hecker too enjoyed a fine stay at Wirth Park, earning a fifth-place finish in the skate race yesterday.

Northern Michigan’s Chris Bowler rounded out the CCSA podium, finishing 18th overall with a time of 40:30.8. Alaska’s second scoring skier, Michael Fehrenbach, just missed out on his first CCSA podium spot, coming in fourth just three-tenths of a second behind Bowler.

“Michael actually had a hard fall today that cost him a lot of positions,” Jerome said. “He could have easily had a top-ten finish today as well.”

The Nanooks’ Tyler Kornfield completed a solid weekend of racing with a fifth-place collegiate finish and 22nd overall on Sunday, followed closely by Northern Michigan’s George Cartwright and Erik Soderman, who took 24th and 26th overall, respectively.

A pair of Nanooks, Lex Treinen (33rd overall) and Max Olex (36th overall) were next across the line for the CCSA, meaning Alaska earned five of the region’s top-ten spots on Sunday. Michigan Tech’s Matt Wong rounded out the top ten with his 39th place overall finish.

“It was a good weekend for us,” Jerome said, “and having a good final race makes the flight home a lot easier.”

The CCSA skiers now head to Giants Ridge for their next NCAA qualifier next weekend, with races being held Jan. 26-27.

Full race results >>

Alaska’s McPhetres, Kornfield land top spots at Tour de Twin Cities SuperTour skate race

CCSA News, Race Results

It was a Blue and Gold first day at the Tour de Twin Cities SuperTour stop, as the Alaska Nanooks’ Aly McPhetres earned her first collegiate win in the women’s 5K skate while teammate Tyler Kornfield took the top spot in the men’s 10K at Wirth Park in Minneapolis.

It was a particularly impressive display of depth from Alaska on the women’s side – five Nanooks skiers not only placed within the top ten among collegiate skiers, but also within the top 20 of the entire 160-skier SuperTour field.

“I think we really needed this mentally more than anything else,” Alaska head coach Scott Jerome said. “We needed to have a good day today, and we are pleased with how things went today. It’s a good first step, but tomorrow’s classic races are important as well, so we need to continue this momentum.”

Though a lack of snow forced the CCSA skiers to head to Wirth Park this week instead of the originally-scheduled Battle Creek trails, the change in venue seemed to suit McPhetres just fine. Skiing on a 5K loop of manmade snow with little room to warm up or cool down, the Alaska native enjoyed a breakout performance, soaring to a ninth-place overall finish with a time of 12:50.8 – nearly five seconds better than her closest competitor.

“Aly has really worked on her skate technique, and right now she’s skating as well as anyone on the team,” Jerome said.

Second place in the CCSA also went to the Nanooks, as Crystal Pitney landed a tenth-place finish with her time of 12:55.7.

Northern Michigan’s Jordyn Ross earned the CCSA’s bronze spot after finishing 15th overall, followed closely by a trio of Nanooks ¬– Rebecca Konieczny, Theresia Schnurr and Raphaela Sieber finished 16th, 17th and 18th, respectively after all crossing the line within three-tenths of a second of one another.

“You see it a lot: when people train together, they feed off one another,” Jerome said of the consistency of his group. “It’s fun to see it all work out as it did today.”

The College of Saint Scholastica’s top finisher, Sharmila Ahmed, took seventh in the CCSA and 19th overall in the event, completing her 5K in 13:09.2. Alaska’s Marit Rjabov finished eighth, in 13:09.7, while Michigan Tech’s Lynn Duijndam (13:11.3) and NMU’s Rosie Frankowski (13:16.1) rounded out the CCSA’s top ten.

All told, CCSA women accounted for 10 of the top 25 spots in the SuperTour field: a testament to the strength of the region’s field this year.

On the men’s side, Alaska’s Kornfield showed signs of regaining his top form by racing to a ninth-place overall finish of his own. Kornfield’s time of 21:45.1 for his 10K earned him a ten-second victory over his closest college competitor.

“This was a critical race for Tyler,” Jerome said. “He struggled a little bit at altitude earlier this season, including at U.S. Nationals. “So we are really pleased to see him do as well as he did today. I think it will be good for him mentally. ”

Two Northern Michigan skiers joined Kornfield on the podium, as George Cartwright placed an impressive 15th overall with his time of 21:55.9, and Erik Soderman continued his search for another NCAA berth with an 18th-place overall finish in 22:00.3.

Alaska’s Lex Treinen earned fourth in the region and 22nd overall with his time of 22:11.6, followed closely by St. Scholastica’s Jeremy Hecker, who took 23rd overall. Northern Michigan’s third finisher, Chris Bowler, earned sixth in the region with his 26th-place overall finish, while a pair of Alaska newcomers, Michael Fehrehbach and Max Olek, placed 28th and 33rd overall respectively.

Michigan Tech’s Raphael Bechtiger (34th overall) and Saint Scholastica’s Scott Johanik (37th overall) round out the CCSA top ten on the men’s side.

The skiers return to Wirth Park bright and early tomorrow morning, as the men’s 20K mass start classic event kicks off at 10 a.m. CST, followed by the women’s 15K mass start race at 11:15 a.m.

Full listing of final results [PDF]

Fehrenbach, Frankowski lead CCSA at U.S. Nationals classic event; Hanneman, Bratrud finish one-two in Junior race

CCSA News, Race Results

Alaska and Northern Michigan skiers led the way for the CCSA in the distance classic races at U.S. Nationals, as the Nanooks’ Michael Fehrenbach and the Wildcats’ Rosie Frankowski both turned in top-15 performances at Soldier Hollow in Utah. Fehrenbach, a freshman, took 13^th overall in the men’s 30K event – just his second CCSA race – while Frankowski continued her impressive start to the season with a 10^th-place finish in the women’s 20K.

NMU's Kyle Bratrud (left) and Alaska's Logan Hanneman (center) stand on the podium after the 10K race

In addition, Alaska’s Logan Hanneman won the 10K junior race, securing NCAA qualification for the Fairbanks native, while Northern’s Kyle Bratrud took silver in the same event.

“I’m proud of how the team performed today,” Alaska head coach Scott Jerome said. “We are confident in our classic skiing, and I think that showed. Michael [Fehrehbach] getting a top-15 finish is one of the best results we’ve had for a freshman at U.S. Nationals in a while. I’m proud of him and think it’s a sign of good things to come.”

“Logan’s been skiing really well too,” Jerome said. “He, Kyle Bratrud and another University of Utah skier were all pretty close going into the final hill, but Logan just put the hammer down and pulled away to win.”

Besides Fehrenbach’s performance, Alaska had plenty else to celebrate in the men’s 30K, as the returning Lex Treinen and Jonas Loffler also earned spots on the CCSA podium. Treinen was the conference’s second-best skier, taking 20^th overall in 1:28:37.2, while Loffler finished 21^st overall despite breaking a pole and having to ski several kilometers with an oversized replacement.

“It was unfortunate that Jonas broke his pole – I think he was up in the top eight when it happened,” Jerome said. “But that’s ski racing, and it’s was pretty impressive that he was able to crawl back into 21^st the way he did.”

Northern Michigan’s Chris Bowler took fourth place among CCSA skiers, placing 26^th overall with his 1:29:07.7 time. Teammates Erik Soderman and George Cartwright finished soon after, with the former taking 29^th overall and the latter 30^th. Alaska Tyler Kornfield (31^st) and Max Olex (45^th), Michigan Tech’s Luke Gesior (49^th) and the Nanooks’ Andrew Arnold (53^rd) round out the CCSA top ten.

For the women, Frankowski continued to set the bar for CCSA skiers. The junior earned an impressive 10^th-place finish with her time of 1:09:34.3 to take the conference’s top spot for the second straight race.

Her Wildcat teammate, freshman Mary Kate Cirelli, turned more than a few heads as well, placing second in the CCSA and 18^th overall with a time of 1:10:36.6. Racing in only her second NCAA qualifier, Cirelli is already showing plenty of promise for the Wildcats – the Vermont native was running among the conference’s top skiers in Friday’s race as well before a fall cost her some time.

Alaska’s Heather Edic took third among conference skiers, crossing the line in 1:12:18.2 – good for 28^th place overall. Teammate Crystal Pitney wasn’t far behind, finishing 30^th overall in 1:12:54.0.

“Heather had a great race, she’s really come a long way,” Jerome said. “And Crystal keeps rising and rising, she’s really done her homework and is really figuring out how to race.”

Northern Michigan’s third skier to cross the line, Jordyn Ross, rounded out the CCSA top five with her 32^nd-place overall finish. Michigan Tech’s Sarah Daniels was next across, in 36^th place overall with a time of 1:13:59.8, followed closely by Alaska’s Marit Rjabov, who placed 37^th and MTU’s Rachel Mason (40^th). Alaska’s Theresia Schnurr and Saint Scholastica’s Sarah Allen rounded out the conference’s top ten.

The CCSA skiers conclude their stay at U.S. Nationals with the freestyle sprints on Tuesday before heading to the Battle Creek SuperTour stop for their next NCAA qualifiers on Jan. 19-20.

View the College Cup 2013 scores [PDF] >>

NMU’s Soderman, Frankowski lead CCSA at U.S. Nationals freestyle event

CCSA News, Race Results

For the CCSA’s 2013 season opener, the 2012 Central Region champions, Northern Michigan, picked up exactly where they left off last season, as the Wildcats’ Erik Soderman and Rosie Frankowski claimed the conference’s top finishes of the men’s 15K and women’s 10K interval start freestyle races at U.S. Nationals at Soldier Hollow in Utah.

Soderman, the reigning NCAA freestyle champion, turned in another outstanding performance Friday against arguably the most competitive field the skiers will see all season. Pacing himself early to combat the altitude (Soldier Hollow sits nearly 6,000 feet above sea level), Soderman’s late charge saw him rise to 19^th overall and seventh collegiately.

“That’s Erik’s style,” Northern Michigan head coach Sten Fjeldheim said. “He always starts really relaxed, does a good job of pacing himself and just keeps getting faster and faster.”

Two of Soderman’s teammates, George Cartwright and Kyle Bratrud, weren’t far behind. Cartwright took 27^th overall with his time of 39:39.8, while Bratrud finished 29^th, just two seconds behind his summer training partner.

“George and Kyle did a great job training together this summer,” Fjeldheim said. “George came back in great shape, and can go hard for a long time – he’s got a lot of gas in the tank. And Kyle is super fit, super positive. I think that shows how helpful it is to have teammates motivating one another.”

Alaska’s Logan Hanneman took fourth among CCSA skiers, finishing just over a second behind Bratrud in 30^th place overall, while fellow Nanook Tyler Kornfield finished 45^th after completed his 15K in 40:10.7.

Another Alaska skier, Lex Treinen, took sixth in the CCSA (46^th overall) in his first race back in action after redshirting the 2012 season. Northern’s Chris Bowler finished seventh in the conference with his 55^th place overall finish in 40:36.0.

A trio of Alaska newcomers rounded out the CCSA top ten, as transfer Max Olex (67^th overall) and freshmen Michael Fehrenbach (73^rd overall) and Stefan Hajdukovich (80^th overall) all turned in solid debut performances for the Nanooks.

On the women’s side, Frankowski took 30^th place overall, with a time of 32:28.4, to cross the line as the CCSA top finisher. The Minneapolis native used a late charge of her own, climbing ten spots in the last few kilometers, to secure the top spot.

“It amazing to see how far Rosie has come,” Fjeldheim said. “She has worked as hard and as diligently as anyone. If there was an all-uphill race, I can’t think of anyone that could beat Rosie Frankowski. She’s that tough.”

Michigan Tech’s Lynn Duijndam finished second among CCSA skiers, and 36^th overall, with her time a 32:42.9 – a fantastic performance for a senior earmarked by her head coach, Joe Haggenmiller, as a leading contender for an NCAA spot this season.

Alaska’s Heather Edic rounded out the CCSA podium, taking third in the conference and 41^st overall with a time of 32:53.4. Teammate Aly McPhetres continued to impress as well, finishing just behind Edic in 42^nd place overall.

The Nanooks’ third skier, Crystal Pitney, finished with the CCSA’s fifth-best time, clocking in at 33:03.1 – good for 44^th overall. The College of Saint Scholastica’s Sharmila Ahmed came in sixth in the conference, and 53^rd overall, with her 33:19.6.

NMU’s Jordyn Ross took seventh in the CCSA – her time of 33:34.5 good enough for 59^th place overall, while a pair of Alaska skiers (Marit Rjabov, 68th overall, and Theresia Schurr, 70^th overall) and Northern’s Elizabeth Simak (84^th overall) rounded out the top ten.

The CCSA skiers now get a well-deserved day off before hitting the trails again on Sunday for the distance classic races – a 30K for men and a 20K for women.

Central Collegiate Ski Association teams set for season opener

CCSA News

The new year brings the start of a new season for the Central Collegiate Ski Association programs. The region will look to continue some of the momentum they gained in the NCAA championships last year – after a series of disappointing seasons at nationals, the CCSA finally regained a place atop the podium as Northern Michigan’s Erik Soderman captured the national championship in the men’s 10k skate.

Including Soderman, CCSA skiers earned three other All-American spots at NCAAs a year ago – all in the freestyle race.

This season, the CCSA powerhouses all appear to be fully prepared for another run at the podium spots at the NCAA Championships in Middlebury, Vt in March. The Wildcats of Northern Michigan seem as deep as ever, returning a full handful of former nationals participants as well as four of the top 12 skiers on each the men’s and the women’s side from a year ago.

Likewise, Alaska looks to have strength in numbers as well, especially on the women’s side, where head coach Scott Jerome estimates he could have as many as six skiers that could challenge for a trip to nationals.

With a solid returning core on both the men’s and women’s side, Michigan Tech will be looking for their collective experience to pay off, as they look ready to make the next step into the nation’s elite. Saint Scholastica, meanwhile, come into the new season with as much promise as any team in the region – not only do the Saints return both of their two NCAA participants from a year ago on the men’s side (the first skiers to qualify for nationals in program history), but they boast an exciting, up-and-coming women’s team as well.

The regions other programs, such as St. Olaf College, Green Bay, St. Cloud State and Gustavus Adolphus, all welcome a handful of talented young skiers, all eager to make their impact and challenge for the region’s seven men’s and six women’s NCAA spots this season.

The CCSA skiers get their first taste of regional qualifiers on Friday, as the teams take part in the distance freestyle races at U.S. Nationals at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah, where the women open things up with a 10K individual start event at 10 a.m. Mountain time, followed by the men’s 15K individual start race at noon. For complete updates and results, please visit http://summittiming.com/races/race_results.php.

For more information on each program, please visit the team’s profile page:

University of Alaska Fairbanks
College of Saint Scholastica
Gogebic Community College
Gustavus Adolphus College
Michigan Tech University
Northern Michigan University
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Olaf College
University of Wisconsin – Green Bay

Joda Hired as Associate Head Coach/Assistant Coach

CCSA News

HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech athletic director Suzanne Sanregret announced that former Michigan Tech student-athlete Andrew Joda has been hired as the associate head coach Nordic skiing/assistant coach cross country and track and field.

“I am really excited to return to Michigan Tech,” said Joda. “Michigan Tech means a lot to me after being a student-athlete for the Huskies. I am looking forward to helping the student-athletes improve and excel.”

Joda has served as a volunteer coach with the Peak Nordic Ski Club for the past year, and served as a graduate assistant coach with the Huskies following his collegiate career. He was a member of both the cross country and Nordic ski teams at Tech earning All-American honors at the US Junior National Skiing Championships.

Head Coach Joe Haggenmiller commented: “I am excited to have Andrew join the coaching staff. I know he will bring energy and enthusiasm to the position. He will be a great resource for the programs. Andrew’s hard working attitude and knowledge of Michigan Tech will pay dividends for each program.”

Joda, who earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and materials sciences and a master’s degree in electrical engineering, spent the last year as an engineering associate with Union Pacific Railroad. He will begin his duties in early October.

Siblings Erik, Marie Helen Soderman named region’s Most Outstanding Athletes; Fjeldheim earns Coach of the Year honors

CCSA News

Green and gold dominated the Central Region postseason awards, as Northern Michigan’s Erik Soderman landed the men’s Most Outstanding Athlete award, while teammate and sister Marie Helen Soderman earned the region’s Most Outstanding Athlete honor. Coach Sten Fjeldheim completed the sweep for the Wildcats, collecting both the men’s and women’s Coach of the Year honor.

“I’m just really, really proud to win these awards,” Northern Michigan head coach Sten Fjeldheim said. “It’s a great honor for all of us, and really just caps off a great season with a great group of kids.”

On the men’s side, Erik Soderman found his best form when it mattered most; his late season surge culminating in a national championship at the NCAA skate race. Appearing in his second consecutive NCAA Championships, the sophomore dominated the field during the interval start freestyle, claiming the top spot by over 25 seconds over his nearest competitor.

Soderman also captured both the freestyle and classic titles at regionals, taking the skate race by a comfortable 51-second margin, and outsprinting Alaska’s Jonas Loeffler to take the classic crown by less than a second.

“Erik is just one of the easiest athletes I’ve ever coached,” Fjeldheim said. “He listens and communicates really well. When he’s skiing, he doesn’t look like he’s going fast – he just looks smooth and glides really well.”

“He really lit it up in the skate race at regionals, and, though I didn’t say anything to anyone because I didn’t want to jinx it, I just had a feeling that if he had another race like that at nationals, he’d be tough to beat.”

On the women’s side, Marie Helen Soderman made the most of her senior season, capturing All-American honors in the skate race at the NCAA Championships, where she took tenth. The Sweden native was the CCSA’s top finisher in the classic race at nationals as well, finishing 13^th to just miss out on a second All-American spot.

“Marie is a senior, and she’s been really close to being an All-American before – it’s been one of her goals,” Fjeldheim said. “So it was really cool of her to finally get it in one of her last races. She just really turned it on in the last couple kilometers, and went from 16^th or so up to tenth.”

Soderman also claimed a Central Regional crown in the 5K skate race, and placed third in the regional classic event as well.

Now in his 23^rd season with Northern Michigan, Fjeldheim helped the Wildcats to a sweep of the men’s, women’s and overall team titles at the NCAA Central Region championships. He also led the team to the women’s and overall titles at the CCSA Championships as well, and finished the season with five of the top ten scoring skiers on the women’s side, and four of the top ten skiers on the men’s side.

“I’m honored that my peers have selected me for this honor,” Fjeldheim said. “It’s really a credit to the hard work of the athletes as well: they are the ones making me look good. My two student assistants, Ingrid [Fjeldheim] and Martin Banerud, have also been a huge, huge help – they’ve spent tons of time helping the athletes, and Jenny Ryan came down to help us at nationals as well. It’s been a great season, and this is a big honor.”

Soderman, Schommer tops for CCSA at NCAA Championships classic race

CCSA News, Race Results

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Northern Michigan’s Marie Helen Soderman and Saint Scholastica’s Paul Schommer emerged as the CCSA’s top finishers in the final race of the college season at the third day of the NCAA Skiing Championships.

Fresh off of an All-American performance in Wednesday’s skate race, Soderman earned 13^th place in the women’s 15K mass start classic on Friday, while Schommer wrapped up an impressive freshman campaign for the Saints with an 18^th place finish in the men’s 20K mass start classic.

“Paul definitely raced better than his seed,” Saint Scholastica head coach Chad Salmela said. “To be seeded 33^rd and finish 18^th, there’s no way you can say that’s anything but a good thing. He had his best classic race of the year today, and his best skate race of the year on Wednesday, so to have everything come together like that, I’m just thrilled.”

Though there was to be no repeat of Wednesday’s trio of All-Americans from the CCSA, Soderman came the closest, coming within three spots of the top ten with her time of 55:46.5. Teammate Monica Markvardsen was the next closest CCSA skier, edging St. Lawrence University’s Caroline Carpenter to earn 24^th spot.

Alaska’s duo of Raphaela Sieber and Marit Rjabov took 28^th and 29^th place, respectively; the former finishing exactly 14 seconds ahead of her teammate with her time of 58:11.2.

“It was a better performance from our women today,” Alaska head coach Scott Jerome said. “We are certainly not satisfied with this week, but it was better at least. At this level, it’s a whole different ball game.”

Michigan Tech freshman Deedra Irwin finished 36^th with a time of 1:01:15.3, while NMU’s Molly Burger (38^th) and Crystal Pitney (39^th) rounded out the CCSA field.

On the men’s side, another solid race from Schommer gave Saint Scholastica plenty of reasons to be excited about the future; the Kimberly, Wis. native kept pace with a group of Northern Michigan skiers before pulling away late on, completing his 20k around the Bohart Ranch Cross Country Ski Center course in 59:06.7.

“Even though we had to drive to do it, we’ve been concentrating on our classic skiing, and it’s really starting to show,” Salmela said. “[Saint Scholastica] only had one top 30 finish at NCAAs before this year, and we came in here and put down three top 20s, between Wednesday and today.”

Another freshman, Alaska’s Logan Hanneman was next across the line for the CCSA, earning 23^rd place with his 1:00:07.8. Northern Michigan’s Kjell-Christian Markset, also a first-year skier, took 25^th a time of 1:00:25.9, while his Wildcat teammate Chris Bowler placed 30^th.

Alaska’s Tyler Kornfield led a quartet of CCSA skiers soon after, with the junior taking 34^th place in 1:02:12.4. Michigan Tech’s Mikko Harju soon followed in 35^th place, while Jeremy Hecker (36^th) and Erik Soderman (37^th) rounded out the field.

After three days of competition, Northern Michigan is currently the highest ranked CCSA team in the NCAA Championship team standings, sitting in 10^th with 227 points, making them the highest-ranked team without an alpine team. Alaska is in 14^th with 81 points, while St. Scholastica is 16^th with 75 points and Michigan Tech 19^th with 22 points.

The NCAA Skiing Championships concludes tomorrow with the final alpine slaloms.

NMU’s Erik Soderman wins national championship at first day of NCAAs

CCSA News, Race Results

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Northern Michigan’s Erik Soderman claimed the national championship with a dominant performance in the men’s 10k skate, and three CCSA skiers (all from NMU) earned All-American honors in the first day of racing at the NCAA Championships.

Soderman’s sister, Marie Helen Soderman, finished as the region’s top finisher on the women’s side, collecting a second-team All-American spot with her 10^th place finish in the women’s 5K race, while Wildcat teammate Kjell-Christian Markset took ninth place at Bohart Ranch Cross Country Ski Center.

“We are really happy with our results today,” Northern Michigan head coach Sten Fjeldheim said. “It was a real team effort – everyone worked really hard, from the athletes to the assistant coaches and the alumni that showed up to help out. We are really excited with how things went today.”

The story of the day, however, belong to Soderman. The Sweden native, who also won both events at the NCA regionals last month, was tied for sixth after the first 5K: a good 13 to 14 seconds out of the lead. Soon after, however, he turned on the jets and never looked back, winning the race by a substantial 25 second margin over his nearest competitor.

“Erik really knows how to pace himself,” Fjeldheim said. “It really fits his personality – he’s an even-keeled, level headed guy and just has a great work ethic.”

Markset took ninth place with his time of 26:10.9 – an impressive performance from the true freshman, who had little experience racing at altitude prior to this event.

Saint Scholastica’s duo of Paul Schommer and Jeremy Hecker turned in solid performances in their first NCAA Championship appearance as well, taking 15^th and 16^th place, respectively, in the interval start race. Alaska freshman Logan Hanneman finished as the Nanooks top skier, taking 22^nd place in 27:01.8.

Northern Michigan’s third skier, Chris Bowler, took 33^rd,completing his 10K in 27:40.2, while Alaska’s Tyler Kornfield (37^th) and Michigan Tech’s Mikko Harju (38^th) rounded out the CCSA field.

On the women’s side, Soderman led the CCSA charge with her time of 15:10.5, earning her an All-American award in her final skate race for the Wildcats.

“It was a super positive day for Marie,” Fjeldheim said. “She had a heck of a race today.”

Northern Michigan teammates Monica Markvardsen and Molly Burger were next across the line for the region, with Markvardsen landing 18^th spot in 15:34.8 and Burger taking 26^th in 15:53.4.

Michigan Tech freshman Deedra Irwin took 29^th spot in 16:06.8, and a trio of Nanooks skiers rounded out the field: Raphaela Sieber finishing 33^rd, Marit Rjabov 35^th, and Heather Pitney 39^th.

The CCSA skiers now have a day off before returning to Bohart Ranch for their final event of the 2012 season on Friday – a 20K mass start classic for men, starting at 9 a.m., and a 15K mass start classic for women, at 11 a.m. The event will be broadcast live at www.ncaa.com/liveschedule.