COLERAINE, MN – It was a Blue and Gold second day at the Hilltop Invitational, as Alaska claimed both the men’s and overall team titles with four podium finishes (including wins by both Erik Soederstrom and Marit Rjabov) in the men’s and women’s classic sprints. Northern Michigan claimed the women’s title for the weekend, ousting the Nanooks by a slim one-point margin at Mt. Itasca.

Alaska’s Soederstrom powered his way to the top spot in the men’s A final, followed closely by teammate Logan Hanneman, who continues to impress in his freshman campaign with the Nanooks. Michigan Tech’s Mikko Harju rounded out the podium spots on the men’s side; the sophomore landing two top five finishes in his first two races of the year.

Alaska’s third scoring skier, Jonas Loeffler, took fourth in the final, while St. Scholastica, the event’s host, saw its own Jeremy Hecker take fifth. Northern Michigan’s Kevin Cutts rounded out the A final with his sixth place finish.

Another Northern skier, Kjell-Christian Markset, won the B final to claim seventh place, holding off teammate Chris Bowler.

In the women’s event, Rjabov continued what’s been an excellent third season for the Nanooks, claiming her first win of the young CCSA campaign. Northern Michigan’s Monica Markvardsen took second, continuing her impressive string of results after a pair of CCSA top spots at U.S. Nationals a week ago.

Another Nanook, Rebecca Konieczny, placed third in the women’s A final, followed by a pair of Michigan Tech skiers – Deedra Irwin placing fourth and Malin Eriksson taking fifth. Northern Michigan’s Rosie Frankowski rounded out the top six. Alaska’s Crystal Pitney earned seventh place, winning the B final.

With Sunday’s results, Alaska finished the weekend with 286 total points, six more than second-place Northern Michigan. Michigan Tech rounded out the top three with 242 points, with hosts Saint Scholastica fourth on 211 points.

The full points standings for the weekend are as follows:
Men’s:
Alaska 144
Northern Michigan 137
Saint Scholastica 116
Michigan Tech 113
Gustavus Adolphus 70
Green Bay 69
St. Olaf’s 59

Women’s:
Northern Michigan 143
Alaska 142
Michigan Tech 129
Saint Scholastica 95
Gustavus Adolphus 70
St. Olaf’s 55
Green Bay 54
St. Cloud State 36

Total Team Combined
Alaska 286
Northern Michigan 280
Michigan Tech 242
Saint Scholastica 211
Gustavus Adolphus 140
Green Bay 123
St. Olaf’s 114
St. Cloud State 36

COLERAINE, Minn. ­- Northern Michigan and Alaska skiers dominated the podium spots at the first day of the Hilltop Invitational, with the Wildcats’ Molly Burger claiming her first collegiate win in the women’s 5K skate and Alaska’s Tyler Kornfield taking the top spot in the men’s 10K freestyle event.

All told, the Wildcats put two skiers in the top three in both the men’s and women’s events, giving them 76 points on the day and a six point lead over Alaska (69 points) in the team standings heading into Sunday’s classic events.

Burger set the pace on the women’s side, completing her trek around the Mt. Itasca course in 11:48.5 – good enough for a comfortable three and a half second victory over Alaska’s Marit Rjabov, who followed up an impressive performance at last week’s U.S. Nationals with a silver medal finish on Saturday.

Northern’s Monica Markvardsen, an NCAA qualifier in 2011, took third place, finishing just two-tenths of a second behind Rjabov with a time of 11:52.2. Another NMU sophomore Jordyn Ross, was next across the line, nipping Michigan Tech’s Lynn Duijndam, who landed her best finish of the young season with a fifth-place result in 11:54.5.5.

Alaska freshman Aly McPhetres continued to turn heads with her sixth-place finish, followed by a pair of Northern skiers in juniors Libby Ellis and Marie Helen Soderman. Alaska’s Crystal Pitney (12:03.4) and Michigan Tech’s Deedra Irwin rounded out the top ten.

On the men’s side, Kornfield carried over his momentum after an impressive stay at U.S. Nationals, where the junior took the CCSA’s top spot in the 30K classic and earned a national championship by topping the podium in the classic sprints. On Saturday, Kornfield cruised to an 11-second win, finishing his 10K race in 20:32.9.

Northern Michigan freshman Kjell-Christian Markset continued to prove his pedigree as well, storming to a second-place finish in 20:44.3. The Wildcats Erik Soderman earned the final podium spot, showing the form that led him to a NCAA berth a year ago by taking third place in 20:55.2.

An outstanding race by St. Scholastica’s Jeremy Hecker saw the junior cross the line in fourth place, while Northern’s third-scoring skier (and third racer in the top 5), Chris Bowler, finished fifth in 21:23.6.

Michigan Tech welcomed back the returning Mikko Harju, as the Finn took sixth in 21:25.2. Alaska freshman Logan Hanneman continued to state his case for an NCAA position with a seventh-place finish, while another Husky, Michigan Tech’s Jesse Smith, took eighth in 21:30.2.

Northern Michigan’s Kevin Cutts and Alaska’s Ludwig Schott rounded out the top ten on the men’s side.

The CCSA competitors return to the Mt. Itasca course again tomorrow for a classic sprint, with the men’s individual start qualification kicking off at 10 a.m., followed by the women’s qualification at 10:30 a.m.

For more information, please visit the CCSA website at www.ccsaski.com.

RUMFORD, MAINE – A quick turnaround after a long day of racing Thursday didn’t faze Northern Michigan’s Monica Markvardsen as the junior skier made it two CCSA top spots in two days on Friday, finishing as the conference’s top skier in the women’s 20K classic at U.S. Nationals. Alaska’s Tyler Kornfield, who earned a bronze medal in the freestyle sprints earlier in the week, led the charge for the CCSA men, storming to a tenth-place overall finish in the men’s 30K race.

“Monica is finally healthy again this year,” Northern Michigan head coach Sten Fjeldheim said. “She struggled a bit with overtraining and maybe overreaching last year, but she’s gaining in confidence and is really improving. It’s fun to watch.”

Despite facing a 9 a.m. start after skiing 10K less than 24 hours ago, Markvardsen quickly picked up where she left off, never dropping out of the top 20 in the race on her way to a 16th overall finish.

“Everyone competing in this sport has a pretty high level of fitness, but being able to compete in back-to-back races like this has a lot to do with experience as well,” Fjeldheim said. “The athletes that eat right, rest and do what they need to do to recover between races usually do well.”

Alaska’s Marit Rjabov earned her first CCSA podium of the season, completing the Historic Black Mountain course in 1:11:06.1. Fellow Nanook Aly McPhetres finished third among conference skiers, completing her 20K in 1:12:24.6.

In the tightest finish in the mass start event, Alaska’s Rebecca Konieczny nipped Northern Michigan’s Rosie Frankowski by a tenth of a second, earning 33rd place. The Nanooks’ Crystal Pitney wasn’t too far behind the 34th-placed Frankowski, either, crossing the line just a second later with her time of 1:12:27.8.

Alaska’s Heather Edic continued her steady start to the season with a 36th-place overall finish in 1:13:17.1, while Michigan Tech sophomore Sarah Daniels placed eighth in the conference (38th overall) with her time of 1:14:05.6. Northern Michigan’s Jordyn Ross and Michigan Tech’s Christina Mishica rounded out the top 10 for the CCSA, respectively.

On the men’s side, Kornfield earned his first CCSA win of the season and a top-10 overall finish with his time of 1:28:23.2 over the 30K course. Northern Michigan’s Kjell Christian Markset continued to impress in his first CCSA event; the freshman earning 12th-place overall and second in the conference in 1:28:26.6.

Another first-year student-athlete, Alaska’s Ludwig Schott, took 29th overall in 1:31:48.4, making him the CCSA’s third-best skier in the event. Northern Michigan’s Erik Soderman was next across the line – the NCAA qualifier from a year ago taking 33rd overall with a time of 1:32:08.8.

Alaska’s Logan Hanneman, the conference’s top skier in Thursday’s freestyle race, took 35th overall and fifth in the CCSA with his time of 1:32:32.4. A pair of NMU skiers followed him across the line, with George Cartwright and Chris Bowler earning the race’s 36th and 37th spots, respectively.

“Kjell is a real character, and a really talented classic skier,” Fjeldheim said. “We are glad to have George back, and our other returning skiers like Erik and Chris have been looking really good as well.”

A fifth-year senior for the Nanooks, Alex Morris ended a solid stay at U.S. Nationals for himself with a 44th-place finish in 1:34:32.6. Alaska’s Ian Wilkinson and Green Bay’s Edward Gurney rounded out the top ten for the CCSA.

After a well-earned day off tomorrow, the CCSA skiers wind up U.S. Nationals with the classic sprint races on Sunday, before heading off to Duluth for the second NCAA qualifier of the season – the Hilltop Invitational on Jan. 14-15.

RUMFORD, MAINE ­– Alaska’s Logan Hanneman and Northern Michigan’s Monica Markvardsen topped the first CCSA podium of the season, each earning top spot in their respective races at the U.S. Cross Country Championships in Rumford, Maine.

Hanneman, a first-year skier for the Nanooks, completed the 15K freestyle around the Historic Black Mountain course in 31:04.3: good enough for 11th place overall. Markvardsen, meanwhile, finished her 10K skate in 27:41.9, taking 21st overall.

“Logan had a great race today,” Alaska head coach Scott Jerome said. “He’s a true freshman, and for him to come out and be that strong not just within our region, but in the nation as well is pretty incredible.”

Youth reigned supreme on the men’s side: in addition to Hanneman just missing out on a top 10 finish in his CCSA debut, first year NMU skier Kjell-Christian Markset impressed as well, taking second spot among CCSA skiers and tied for 17th overall – equaling the time of former Green Bay standout Santiago Ocariz.

“I was really impressed with Kjell’s race today,” Jerome said. “It’s good to see to him and Logan have good races today – it’s good for our region to have the young guys doing so well.”

Wildcat teammate Erik Soderman, an NCAA qualifier a year ago, took third in the CCSA with his 21st-overall finish in 31.32.2. Northern’s George Cartwright finished fourth (32nd overall) in 32:08.5, showing no rust after a redshirt season in 2011.

Alaska’s Tyler Kornfield was next across the line for the CCSA. The Anchorage native, who earned a bronze medal in Tuesday’s freestyle sprints, placed 34th overall with a time of 32:13.9. Teammate Alex Morris finished sixth among CCSA skiers with his 32:45.5.

Michigan Tech’s Matthew Dugan made a late charge to rise to 59th overall with his 32:47.8, following soon after by another Nanook freshman, Ludwig Schott: the German native taking 64th overall in 32:53.3.

Fellow Nanook Ian Wilkerson (72nd overall) and Northern’s Chris Bowler (74th overall) rounded out the top 10 for the CCSA.

On the women’s side, Markvardsen, an NCAA qualifier a year ago, announced her intent to repeat that feat this year, just missing out on a top 20 finish by four seconds. Alaska’s Raphaela Sieber earned the conference’s second spot, finishing 34th overall with a time of 28:28.9.

Michigan Tech sophomore Alice Flanders continued her steady climb toward the CCSA elite with an impressive 35th place finish, placing less than a second behind Sieber. The Nanooks’ Heather Edic took fourth among CCSA skiers: the sophomore’s time of 29:02.0 good enough for 53rd overall.

“Heather Edic had a solid race today,” Jerome said, “and Raphaela is making progress as well. Hopefully this will give them a good starting point for the rest of the season.”

Northern’s Rosie Frankowski took 55th overall, rounding out the CCSA top five with her 29:04.0. Michigan Tech’s Lynn Duijndam was next across the line in 29:14.9, putting her in 63rd overall, followed closely by Alaska’s Alyson McPhetres, who was 65th overall in 29:17.2.

NMU’s third finisher, Jordyn Ross, placed 71st overall with her 29:26.2, while a pair of Nanooks (Heidi Brook and Crystal Pitney) completed the CCSA’s top ten, finishing 73rd and 74th, respectively.

Despite a grueling race today, there is little rest for the CCSA competitors as they return to the course Friday for a mass start classic race. The women’s 20K event is schedule to start at 9 a.m., while the men’s event kicks off at 11 a.m.

“It’s going to be really tough to have back-to-back races like this,” Jerome said. “What the student-athletes did this afternoon in terms of taking care of themselves will go a long way tomorrow. It’s always interesting to see how people are able to recover and bounce back – some do it better than others.”

For complete results, or to follow along with tomorrow’s action, please visit www.uscrosscountryskichampionships2012.org.

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• Women’s Freestyle Results
• Men’s Freestyle Results