Liebner captures second All-American title in rain-soaked NCAA classic race

Stowe, Vt. – Northern Michigan’s Andy Liebner made the most of a warm, wet day at the Trapp Family Lodge, earning his second straight All-American honor with an eighth -place finish in the NCAA Championships 20K classic race. The result earns the junior a spot on the All-American second team and one-ups his ninth-place finish in the national freestyle race on Wednesday.

Wildcat teammate Marie Helen Soderman turned in the CCSA’s top performance on the women’s side as well, taking 13th place in the 15K race and finishing just 11 seconds off of a top-ten finish herself.

“Andy’s feeling really good,” Northern Michigan head coach Sten Fjeldheim said. “He had decent skis, not great, but was able to hang with the lead pack most of the race. He didn’t use to like classic skiing, but something just clicked this fall and now he loves it. I think that’s given him a lot of confidence. His race today was awesome.”

“Marie had one of her best races of the year too. She got off to a really slow start, but just continued to pass people the whole way. If the race had been any longer, she would be an All-American too.”

Unpredictable weather conditions throughout the day made life hard on both skiers and coaches alike, as rain fell throughout most of the women’s race before stopping halfway through the men’s event.

“It was difficult to dial in the wax today,” Alaska head coach Scott Jerome said. “I think a lot of people had trouble with their skis today, and if you didn’t have the wax just right, it made for a tough day.”

Despite the weather, there was no slowing the in-form Liebner. The Alaska native hung with the lead pack much of the way, and nipped New Mexico’s Martin Kaas at the line by less than four seconds.

Alaska’s David Norris once again turned in the region’s second-best performance on the men’s side. The first-year skier turned it on over the final lap, hammering out a 14th-place finish by outsprinting Denver’s Trygve Markset to the line. Fellow Nanook Tyler Kornfield overcame a fall and a broken pole to take 17th in the race as well, a vast improvement from his 31st-place performance in the distance race a year ago.

“It was a good result for Dave,” Jerome said. “He said he felt fine physically, just had slow skis. And Tyler was able to salvage something out of the race as well.”

Michigan Tech’s Mikko Harju was the fourth CCSA skier across the line, the Finn earning a respectable 22nd-place result with his time 1:07:59.5. A pair of Central Region skiers soon followed, with Northern Michigan’s Martin Banerud and Gustavus’ Jens Brabbit taking 33rd and 34th place, respectively.

“It was heartbreaking to see Martin struggle today,” Fjeldheim said. “He’s been on antibiotics for a while now, and going up against 39 of the best skiers, it’s tough if you aren’t 100 percent. But he gave it his all, and I’ve never had a team captain do such an outstanding job as Martin has. Andy [Liebner] even came up to him after the race and thanked him. He said he wouldn’t be an All-American if it wasn’t for Martin’s help.”

Alaska’s third skier, Lex Treinen, battled bad skis while finishing 38th on the day, while Northern Michigan freshman Erik Soderman rounded out the CCSA field with his 39th-place finish.

On the women ‘s side, Marie Helen Soderman set the pace for the region, crossing the line in 55:20.7 for her 15K, good for a top-15 finish. Michigan Tech freshman Malin Eriksson earned the CCSA’s second-best women’s finish with a solid 21st-place result in 56:53.4: a sign of good things to come for the Huskies and the CCSA.

NMU’s Christina Turman finished 26th on the day with her time of 58:13.1, while Alaska’s Theresia Schnurr finished 31st, just ahead of the Wildcats’ Monica Markvardsen in 32nd.

Green Bay’s Carolyn Freeman and Raphaela Sieber, who led the CCSA throughout most of the season, both endured difficult races in the season finale. Freeman took 34th in 59:26.6, while Sieber was 36th in 1:00:14.6.

“Theresia and Raphaela had really slow skis today,” Jerome said. “It’s frustrating: it’s not a good feeling as a coach to know that you didn’t get the wax right. But that happens in ski racing, and everyone on the team was very professional about it.”

Colorado’s Eliska Hajkova won the women’s event, while teammate Reid Pletcher captured the men’s title.

For a complete list of results from the 2011 NCAA Championships, please visit http://www.barttiming.com/eisa/Results11/ncaa11.htm

Liebner lands All-American spot as CCSA skiers open NCAA’s

Andy Liebner opened the 2011 Championships in style for the CCSA, claiming an All-American spot with his ninth-place finish at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vt. Alaska’s David Norris just missed out on an All-American berth as well, taking 12th in the men’s 10K skate, while Green Bay’s Carolyn Freeman produced the region’s top performance on the women’s side, finishing 15th in the women’s 5K event.

“I’m very excited about the outcome of Carolyn’s race today,” Green Bay’s Steve Teclaw said afterwards. “Her goal was to grasp an All-American title, but she had a solid race regardless. She was up against the best in the country, and it’s obvious Carolyn feeds off their talent. It definitely increases her drive to ski fast.”

Liebner earned the CCSA’s top finish on the men’s side, crossing the line with a time of 26:45.1. The junior stood in 11th place halfway through the 10K race, but turned it on over the closing stages to earn second-team All-American honors with a ninth-place finish in his first NCAA Championship race.

Alaska freshman Norris wasn’t far behind, however, taking 12th place in the event with a time of 26:53.5, just over seven seconds out from 10th place finisher Torhakon Hellebostad. Teammate Lex Treinen, a former All-American himself, took 15th place in the men’s event with his 26:57.5.

“There were a couple of good things to come out of today,” Alaska coach Scott Jerome said. “Dave Norris getting 12th and being less than eight seconds out of the top ten. And Lex has been sick half of the season, so for him to come in 15th was pretty good.”

Northern Michigan freshman Erik Soderman earned a top-twenty finish in his first trip to nationals as well; his time of 27:14.1 proving good enough for 19th place overall. Alaska’s third skier, Tyler Kornfield, crossed the line in 28th place, nipping Montana State’s Ryan Scott by just two-tenths of a second.

Northern’s Martin Banerud took 33rd place, with a time of 27:54.5, while Michigan Tech’s Mikko Harju and Gustavus’ Jens Brabbit, among the first competitors out on the course in the morning, finished 35th and 36th, respectively.

On the women’s side, Freeman led the way for the CCSA, with her 15:06.8 landing a top-20 finish for the senior. Northern Michigan’s Marie Helen Soderman missed out on 20th place by just one-tenth of a second, taking 21st in 15:16.0.

Alaska’s Raphaela Sieber was next in line for the region, finishing 24th with a time of 15:23.1 in her first NCAA appearance, while Wildcat Christina Turman came in 27th in 15:26.1. Alaska’s Theresia Schurr, racing in NCAA nationals for the third straight season, placed 28th, six-tenths of a second behind Turman.

“Today just wasn’t our day on the women’s side.” Jerome said. “It was a pretty easy wax day, but we just didn’t ski the way we expect to. But nobody mailed it in by any stretch of the imagination. Everyone gave it their all, I know that.”

Northern Michigan’ s Monica Markvardsen and Michigan Tech’s Malin Eriksson rounded out the CCSA field, taking 36th and 37th place, respectively.

The skiers now benefit from a day off before returning to Trapp Family Lodge on Friday to close out the 2011 season with a women’s 15K classic, starting at 9:30 a.m., followed by a men’s 20K classic, beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Early forecasts call for warm temperatures and rain on Friday, making for a potentially wet and unusual race. Regardless, the CCSA coaches maintain that they will be prepared.

“Regardless of the weather, we’ll be ready to go,” Jerome said. “We look forward to getting another chance.”

“I hope the predicted rain isn’t too much of a factor,” Teclaw said. “We’re confident that we can improve, and I believe our region has the talent to meet and exceed the results of the West and Eastern regions.”

For complete results from today’s races, please visit http://www.barttiming.com/eisa/Results11/ncaa11.htm.

CCSA skiers gear up for NCAA Championships

The CCSA winds up its 2011 season this week as the region’s top athletes head to the NCAA Championships in Stowe, Vt. The centerpiece of the college skiing season, the event brings together the best skiers from across the county to compete in four days of Nordic and Alpine events.

Representing the Central Region this season will be 15 student-athletes. On the men’s side, the CCSA will be represented by Northern Michigan’s Martin Banerud, Andy Liebner, and Erik Soderman; Alaska’s Tyler Kornfield, David Norris, and Lex Treinen; Gustavus’ Jens Brabbit and Michigan Tech’s Mikko Harju.

The region’s seven-woman team, meanwhile, consists of NMU’s Marie Helen Soderman, Monica Markvardsen, and Christina Turman; Alaska’s Raphaela Sieber and Theresia Schnurr; Green Bay’s Carolyn Freeman, and Michigan Tech’s Malin Eriksson.

“We are going to be up against the best 39 skiers in the country,” Michigan Tech head coach and CCSA president Joe Haggenmiller said. “It’s going to be good competition. So we will see how things go.”

While the region may have a few less representatives than it has in years past, the skiers that did qualify represent the best of the best, as each one has a legitimate shot of making a real impact at the NCAA event this season.

On the women’s side, Sieber and Freeman have set the pace for the CCSA throughout most of the season. The two combined to take the region’s top spot in all but one event this season – Sieber topping the CCSA podium six times while Freeman did so five times. Neither one produced a finish lower than sixth in the region at any event this season.

The lone race not won by Sieber or Freeman, the classic event at the CCSA Championships, was claimed by Michigan Tech’s Eriksson; the freshman proving she is more than capable of popping a big race as well, taking two other top five finishes throughout the year as well.

Alaska’s Schnurr will make her third appearance at the NCAA Championships this season, earning first team all CCSA honors with 10 top five regional finishes this season, included a second-place CCSA finish at the U.S. National classical event.

Northern Michigan’s trio rounds out the women’s participants. Though Turman has yet to top the podium this season, she does have four silver medal finishes and eight top-fives to her credit, while Soderman and Markvardsen earned podium spots in the U.S National classic event and the MTU Supertour skate event, respectively.

“The girls have been training really well, and everyone is feeling good and ready to go,” NMU head coach Sten Fjeldheim said. “We try not to talk to much about specific outcome goals, but I think we have the talent on both sides to have a number of All-Americans.”

Indeed, few skiers finished the regular season hotter than the NMU men. Banerud, Liebner, and Soderman swept the podium spots in both the skate and classic events at regionals. Banerud has won four of the last six events he has competed in, while Liebner has finished on the CCSA podium in all but one event this season.

Soderman, though only a freshman, has enjoyed a stellar first season with the Wildcats, taking second at the CCSA skate race on his way to eight top-five finishes throughout the year.

“Nothing seems to faze Erik at all, even though he’s a freshman,” Fjeldheim said. “He’s just a really solid racer.”

Alaska’s trio of Kornfield, Treinen and Norris all impressed at U.S. Nationals, with Treinen and Norris winning the skate race and classic race, respectively. The three then jetted off to Europe to take part in international competitions, before returning to head into the NCAA’s.

Michigan Tech’s Mikko Harju has been a revelation in his first season with the Huskies, earning seven top-five CCSA finishes.

“Mikko and Malin both seem really relaxed and really excited about the chance to compete,” Haggenmiller said.

Gustavus’ Jens Brabbit rounds out the men’s field, as he returns to the NCAA Championships for the second straight year. Brabbit took fourth in the skate event at the Hilltop Invitational, and landed a fifth-place finish in his last time out, the skate race at regionals.

A substantial Sunday night snowfall has left the course with plenty of white stuff heading into the big races.

“It was kind of tricky even getting out of our hotel and up to Stowe for training [on Monday],” Haggenmiller joked. “But having plenty of snow is good: at least we are not dealing with a shortened loop or grass and rocks and things.”

The CCSA skiers hit the course Wednesday, March 9, for the freestyle events, which will be a 10K for men at 10 a.m., and a 5K for women starting at noon. The classic events will be held on Friday, with the women’s 15K starting off at 9:30 a.m. while the men’s 20K begins at 11:30 a.m. All events can be streamed live on the NCAA website at www.ncaa.com/sports/skiing/d1.

The CCSA announced the 15 student-athletes that will represent the region in next month’s NCAA Championships in Stowe, Vt.

All told, five different CCSA programs will send skiers to nationals, as athletes from Northern Michigan, Alaska, Michigan Tech, Gustavus Adolphus, and Green Bay will all take to the trails among the nation’s best.

On the men’s side, Northern Michigan and Alaska both qualified the full allotment of three skiers each. The Wildcats’ trio of Martin Banerud, Andy Liebner and Erik Soderman make the trip to Vermont, while the Nanooks’ David Norris, Lex Treinen and Tyler Kornfield all earned automatic berths after qualifying for international competition at U.S. Nationals.

Michigan Tech’s Mikko Harju qualifies for his first NCAA Championships; the Finn proving a solid addition for Joe Haggenmiller’s men this season. Gustavus’ Jens Brabbit returns to nationals for the second straight year as well, rounding out the eight-man CCSA field.

For the women, Northern Michigan will again field a full team, as Christina Turman, Marie Helen Soderman, and Monica Markvardsen all qualify for the NCAA’s. Alaska’s Raphaela Sieber finishes the season as the women’s top scoring skier, and she will be joined by teammate and fellow German Theresia Schnurr at the national championships.

Green Bay senior Carolyn Freeman looks to end her career on a high note in Stowe, qualifying as the region’s second-best scoring woman. Michigan Tech freshman Malin Eriksson completes a seven-athlete field for the region after a promising first season with the Huskies.

To determine who will represent the central region, the CCSA scores student-athletes in each of the six NCAA qualifier races that he or she competes in over the season. The skier’s top two freestyle scores are then averaged together, as well as his or her top two classical scores. Those two numbers are then averaged together as well to create the skier’s overall score. Those athletes with the lowest overall score are then selected for the NCAA Championships, though each school is limited to a maximum of three athletes per gender.

This season, the CCSA was allotted eight men’s spots and seven women’s spots for the NCAA races. Those spots are determined by a region’s performance in previous NCAA appearances. The better a region’s athletes perform in a season, the more likely the region will be to earn more allotted spots in the following year.

For the complete 2011 CCSA Points Standings on both the men’s and women’s side, please download them below.

CCSA Points Men Final 2011
CCSA Points Women Final 2011

CCSA Announces All-Conference Teams; Jerome, Fjeldheim named Coaches of the Year

The Central Collegiate Ski Association announced its 2011 All-CCSA teams on Tuesday, with Northern Michigan the most represented team with seven honorees, followed closely by six all-conference nods for Alaska.

Northern’s power trio of Martin Banerud, Andy Liebner, and Erik Soderman all earned All-CCSA first team nods on the men’s side. The three racers accounted for five wins in CCSA events this season, and accounted for back-to-back podium sweeps at the Michigan Tech SuperTour stop.

“I think it means a lot to our athletes to earn these honors,” NMU head coach Sten Fjeldheim said. “They’ve worked extremely hard in the season as well as the offseason to get better, and we are very proud of what they have accomplished.”

Alaska’s John Parry and Michigan Tech’s Mikko Harju also earned first-team honors: Parry, an NCAA competitor a year ago, made the most of his senior season by earning his first career victory in the Hilltop Invitational skate race while Finland’s Harju has been a model of consistency in a breakthrough first season with the Wildcats.

Three more Alaska skiers – Ray Sabo, Alex Morris, and Erik Soederstroem – landed All-CCSA second team honors: a testament to the depth of the Blue and Gold roster. Northern’s Chris Bowler and Saint Scholastica’s Waylon Manske and Jeremy Hecker also earn second team nods after impressive performances over the weekend. Bowler took third in the skate race at the CCSA Championships, while Hecker and Manske finished sixth and tenth, respectively.

On the women’s side, Alaska’s Raphaela Sieber and Green Bay’s Carolyn Freeman both grabbed spots on the All-CCSA first team after setting the pace in the region throughout most of the season. Sieber finished atop the CCSA podium five times this season, while Freeman won four events herself.

“Raphaela has had a very good season,” Alaska head coach Scott Jerome said. “Watching her train last year, we knew she was the real deal. She’s been very consistent for us this season.”

Alaska’s Theresia Schnurr joins teammate Sieber on the first team side, as does Northern Michigan’s Christina Turman and Marie Helen Soderman: both of whom played a key role in the Wildcats’ CCSA championship and NCAA Central Regional wins.

The women’s All-CCSA second team is filled by a pair of promising young Michigan Tech skiers. The Huskies’ Malin Eriksson claimed her first collegiate win at the CCSA Championships classical race, while fellow freshman Alice Flanders, also earning a second team nod, took third at the Mayor’s Challenge skate event.

Northern Michigan’s Monica Markvardsen also earned second-team all conference honors, as did St. Olaf’s Paige Schember and St. Cloud State’s Elizabeth Simak.

The CCSA also announced that Alaska’s Scott Jerome has been named the association’s Men’s Coach of the Year, while Northern Michigan’s Sten Fjeldheim earned the Women’s Coach of the Year honor.

Jerome kept the Nanook men within the top two of every event they competed in, despite an unusual season that saw Alaska lose three skiers to European competition soon after U.S. Nationals. That challenge allowed Jerome to demonstrate the depth of his program, as no fewer than five Alaska skiers recorded their first CCSA victory in 2011.

“I’m really humbled to win this award, but the credit should really go to the team,” Jerome said. “Everyone knew we had a strong team, but I think after U.S. Nationals, when we skied really well even without our top three guys, people saw the depth of our program here.”

Fjeldheim, meanwhile, guided the NMU women to the CCSA Championship and a second-place finish at the NCAA Central Region Championships. True to form, Fjeldheim, now in his 22nd season at the helm of the Wildcats, has his women racing their best right when it matters most.

“It’s awesome to be nominated and named Coach of the Year by your peers,” Fjeldheim said. “We had a great group of girls: they trained very hard and made my job easy. It means a lot and I’m very proud of our program.”

The complete listing of this season’s All-CCSA teams are as follow:

Women’s First Team All-CCSA:

Raphaela Sieber UAF
Carolyn Freeman UWGB
Theresia Schnurr UAF
Christina Turman NMU
Marie Helen Soderman NMU

Women’s Second Team All-CCSA:

Malin Eriksson MTU
Monica Markvardsen NMU
Alice Flanders MTU
Elizabeth Simak SCSU
Paige Schember STO

Men’s First Team All-CCSA:

Andy Liebner NMU
Martin Banerud NMU
John Parry UAF
Erik Soderman NMU
Mikko Harju MTU

Men’s Second Team All-CCSA: (includes 6 due to a tie)

Ray Sabo UAF
Alex Morris UAF
Erik Soederstroem UAF
Chris Bowler NMU
Waylon Manske CSS
Jeremy Hecker CSS

CCSA Men’s Coach of the Year: Scott Jerome, UAF
CCSA Women’s Coach of the Year: Sten Fjeldheim, NMU

An exhausting day at the Michigan Tech Ski Trails in Houghton, Mich. ended in glory for Northern Michigan, as they capture both the men’s and overall team titles at the NCAA Central Region Championships on Saturday. The Wildcats swept the podium in the men’s 10K skate race in the morning, then scored three of the top four finishers in the afternoon’s men’s 10K classic to secure the regional title.

“I’m very proud of our team,” Northern Michigan head coach Sten Fjeldheim said afterward. “It’s really cool to win the overall title. It was a team effort all around, everyone pitched in to help with testing, waxing, and everything. And we couldn’t have done it without assistant coach Jenny Ryan. To me, she’s the Assistant Coach of the Year without a doubt.”

It wasn’t to be all NMU on the day, however, as a solid Alaska effort in the afternoon classic race broke open a tight race on the women’s side to hand the Nanooks females a regional crown as well.

Alaska clung to just a one point advantage after the morning skate, but a season-best second place finish from Rebecca Konieczny, coupled with typically consistent performances from German duo Theresia Schnurr and Raphaela Sieber, gave the Blue and Gold a six-point margin of victory.

“It was a very solid team effort today,” Alaska head coach Scott Jerome said. “The women did a great job, as did the men. They certainly have nothing to hang their heads about. It was really exciting to see some different people step up and have some good races.”

After Friday’s races were postponed due to what one coach labeled as “hurricane-force winds,” the CCSA athletes faced the daunting task of having a pair of high-profile, high-importance races contested within the span of a few hours. Despite the difficult circumstances, coaches were quick to downplay the impact of the change.

“I think the older student-athletes, the ones with a little bigger base, it wasn’t as much of a problem for them,” Fjeldheim said. “They actually were pretty excited about it, it was something different, a little bit of a challenge.”

“I just told the team that it was the same for everyone, we were all in the same boat,” Jerome said.

The grueling events did not seem to slow down the in-form Northern Michigan skiers, as the red-hot Martin Banerud and Andy Liebner raced to the top-two spots in both the freestyle and classic events. Banerud finished his skate in 26:11.3, with Liebner 10 seconds behind, and captured the classic title six seconds ahead of his teammate.

The Wildcats Erik Soderman, who has enjoyed a phenomenal freshman campaign for the team, took third in the freestyle event, followed closely by Alaska’s David Norris, who returns to CCSA action for the first time since U.S. Nationals after competing in Europe.

“Erik really came on strong in the second lap,” Fjeldheim said. “He was probably ninth or 10th going into the second 5K. He’s just really solid for a freshman.”

Gustavus’ Jens Brabbit rounded out the top five for the men’s freestyle, while Alaska Tyler Kornfield took sixth, all but securing a second straight NCAA berth for the sophomore.

In the men’s classical event, another Alaska skier, Erik Soederstroem, turned some heads with a third-place finish, just over 13 seconds behind second-placed Liebner. Northern Michigan’s Chris Bowler continued his strong finish to the second with a fourth-place finish, followed closely by Alaska’s David Norris and teammate Kevin Cutts.

On the women’s side, Alaska’s Sieber earned her sixth victory of the season in the morning’s skate race, completing her 5K in 14:44.6. Northern’s Christina Turman took second, just over seven seconds behind, and Green Bay’s Carolyn Freeman finished third.

Schnurr crossed the line in fourth-place as Alaska’s second scoring skier, while a pair of Michigan Tech’s young rising stars, Alice Flanders and Lynn Duijndam, took fifth and sixth, respectively. NMU’s Ingrid Fjeldheim finished as her team’s second scoring skier in seventh place in 15:12.8, less than a second behind Duijndam.

In the women’s classical, however, there was no catching Freeman, as the Green Bay senior cruised to a comfortable 24-second victory over the impressive Konieczny. Northern’s Monica Markvardsen and Marie Soederman took third and fifth in the afternoon session to put the pressure on Alaska, but a fourth-place finish for Schnurr and a sixth-place result for Sieber wrapped up the women’s regional title for the Nanooks.

Saint Scholastica’s Eleanor Magnuson took seventh in the afternoon event, wrapping up an outstanding afternoon for the junior, who also finished eighth in the freestyle race.

With the grueling CCSA season now behind them, the region’s skiers now await the final tally of points to find out who qualifies for the season’s ultimate prize: a trip to next month’s NCAA Championships. This year’s event will be held in Stowe, Vt., with the Nordic races falling on March 9 and March 11.

While the final roster of skiers has yet to be announced, rest assured coaches are already getting prepared for the collegiate skiing centerpiece.

“We’ve got a few things we know we can work on to improve, both fitness-wise and a few technique things,” Fjeldheim said. “We will get together with all our skiers on Monday and get input from everyone on how to fix these things. I think we are still getting better and getting faster every weekend, and I am looking forward to the next two weeks.”

Central Regionals Results and Team Scores – DOWNLOAD

NMU on top as Liebner, Freeman win at CCSA Championships Freestyle

Northern Michigan sits atop both the men’s and women’s leaderboard after the first day of racing at the CCSA Championships in Ishpeming, Mich. The Wildcats swept the podium in the men’s 10K skate, and put each of their three scoring skiers in the top 8 in the women’s 5K event.

Andy Liebner continued his outstanding 2011 season for the Wildcats with a dominate victory at the Al Quaal Trails on Saturday. The junior crossed the line in 29:24.8 – over a minute and 20 seconds faster than his nearest competitor.

NMU freshman Erik Soderman enjoyed one of the best finishes of his young career, taking second, followed closely by teammate Chris Bowler to round out the Wildcat-heavy podium.

Alaska’s Alex Morris earned fourth place with his 31:11.3, while Michigan Tech’s Mikko Harju secured another top-five finish for himself with a 31:28.3.

Saint Scholastica also enjoyed a fine day at the trails on Saturday, led by the sixth-place finish by Jeremy Hecker. Hecker, who completed his 10K in 31:36.4, was one of the Saints two top-ten finishers on the day: Waylon Manske grabbed tenth with a 32:08.6.

Alaska’s John Parry took seventh with a 31:48.2, followed by Northern’s Martin Banerud (eighth) and Gustavus Jens Brabbit (ninth).

On the women’s side, it was the usual suspects racing for the top spot, with Green Bay’s Carolyn Freeman again showing her ability in the freestyle discipline by earning the victory in 17:23.4. Alaska’s Raphaela Sieber wasn’t far behind, taking second in 17:28.6.

Northern’s Christina Turman rounded out a tightly-contested fight for podium positions, finishing just under four seconds behind Sieber for third place.

Alaska’s Theresia Schnurr continued her push for an NCAA berth with a solid fourth-place finish, crossing the line in 17:44.8. Northern’s Marie Soderman earned 26 points for her team as the Wildcats second scoring skier, taking fifth.

A pair of Michigan Tech skiers earned spots in the top ten, as the Huskies continue to look sharper as the season progresses. Alice Flanders landed sixth-place in the event with her 18:04.7, followed by teammate Lynn Duijndam in seventh in 18:20.5.

Libby Ellis came in as Northern’s third-scoring skier, taking eighth place in 18:24.1. Teammate Monica Markvardsen and St. Olaf’s Paige Schember rounded out the top ten on the women’s side.

Behind a dominant performance on the men’s side, Northern holds a comfortable 15-point advantage over second place Alaska going into the final day of the CCSA Championships. Saint Scholastica sits third, followed by Michigan Tech, Gustavus, Green Bay, St. Olaf’s, and Saint John’s.

On the women’s side, Ellis’ finish gives the Wildcats a four-point advantage over Alaska, who themselves hold just a four-point edge over third-place Michigan Tech. Green Bay sits fourth, followed by St. Olaf’s, St. Cloud State, Saint Scholastica, Gustavus, and College of Saint Benedict.

The CCSA skiers return to action tomorrow for the mass start classic race at the Al Quaal Trails.

CCSA Championships Freestyle Results

Northern Michigan Claims Men’s, Women’s CCSA Titles

It was a double delight for hosts Northern Michigan at the CCSA Championships in Ishpeming, Mich. as the Wildcats secured both the men’s and women’s team titles on Sunday.

Behind another set of brilliant performances from in-form skiers, Andy Leibner, Martin Banerud and Erik Soderman, the Wildcat men cruised to a 24-point victory over second-place Alaska. Leibner topped the podium in both Saturday’s skate race and Sunday’s mass start classic, while Soderman continued his outstanding freshman campaign with a second-place collegiate finish in the skate race and a fourth-place result in the classic.

It was a much tighter encounter on the women’s side, however, as the Wildcats nipped UAF by the slimmest of margins: just one point separated the CCSA powerhouses. Alaska actually outscored NMU in Sunday’s classic event, but couldn’t close the four-point gap the hosts had opened up on Saturday.

The final standings weren’t the only close race of the day either. Michigan Tech freshman Malin Eriksson earned her first career win in the most dramatic of fashions, edging Green Bay’s Carolyn Freeman at the line by three-tenths of a second.

“It was exciting to see Malin win,” Michigan Tech coach Joe Haggenmiller said. “She was in the lead pack, but actually fell back a bit in the second lap. She was able to fight and claw her way back up there, and it was great to see her be able to pull it out in a sprint at the end. Everyone on our team is pretty happy for her.”

Fresh snow and oscillating temperatures on Sunday made for tricky waxing ahead of the classic race.

“Today was definitely a day it would have been better to have a skate race,” Haggenmiller said. “I think everyone had some kind of frustration with their skis.”

Regardless, plenty of NMU skiers overcame the ski trouble and shot to the top of the leaderboard. Banerud followed closely behind teammate Liebner to finish his 20K in 57:55.1, good enough for second place. Alaska’s John Parry took third in 58:20.2, followed by Soderman in fourth.

Michigan Tech’s Mikko Harju, who has become a model of consistency for the Huskies, earned fifth-place finishes in both Saturday’s 10K skate as well as Sunday’s classic.

“Mikko has been a really nice addition to our team,” Haggenmiller said. “He is a really laid back leader. He knows how to keep the mood relaxed, but also knows how to get things taken care of when they need to be done.”

Alaska’s Ray Sabo and Alex Morris took sixth and seventh, respectively, while St. Olaf’s Tom Jorgenson, who seems to be getting stronger as the year goes on, took eighth in 59:27.7.

Gustavus skier Jens Brabbit (ninth) and MTU’s Matt Dugan rounded out the top ten.

On the women’s side, Erikkson topped a five-skier lead pack that included Freeman, Alaska’s Theresia Schnurr and Raphaela Sieber and Northern’s Christina Turman. Second-placed Freeman crossed the line just five seconds ahead of Schnurr, while Turman took fourth ahead of Sieber.

Northern’s Marie Soderman took sixth with a time of 50:38.2 over the 15K race, while Alaska’s Rebecca Konieczny turned in one of her best races of the season, placing seventh in 50:48.1.

The Wildcats’ third scoring skier, Monica Markvardsen, took eighth in 51:17.0, edging MTU’s Alice Flanders by just seven-tenths of a second. Northern’s Libby Ellis rounded out the top ten.

In the men’s final standings, Northern’s 173 points over the two-day event gave them a comfortable advantage over Alaska’s 149 points. Michigan Tech took third with 125, followed by College of Saint Scholastica (114), Gustavus (103), Green Bay (85), St. Olaf’s (79) and Saint John’s (60).

The women’s final standings saw NMU finish with 152 points, while Alaska earned 151. Michigan Tech captured third with 140 points, followed by Green Bay (114), St. Olaf’s (98), Gustavus (77), Saint Scholastica (73), College of Saint Benedict (57), and Saint Cloud State (56).

Next up, the CCSA skiers head to the NCAA Central Region Championships, hosted by Michigan Tech, in Houghton, Mich on Feb. 18-19.

Team Recap

Déjà vu in Houghton as Banerud, Freeman win Michigan Tech SuperTour skate races

The second day of the distance races at the Michigan Tech SuperTour stop in Houghton yielded similar results to the first: CCSA victories for Martin Banerud and Carolyn Freeman, and Northern Michigan atop the men’s and women’s team standings.

A pair of Wildcat woman (Christina Turman and Monica Markvardsen) followed Freeman in the college standings in the 10K freestyle, and the NMU men once again swept the CCSA podium in their 15K skate, with Banerud, Andy Liebner and Erik Soderstrom all reclaiming their respective finishes from a day before.

“We are pretty happy with the results this weekend,” NMU head coach Sten Fjeldheim said afterwards. “We really have a dynamic group of athletes that are all pushing each other. It’s a healthy competition: everyone really feels that they are part of a machine here.”

For the women, Green Bay’s Freeman skated to her second victory in as many days, marking the third time this season she was topped the CCSA podium. The senior earned a third-place overall finish in the mass start event, crossing the line in 33:38.5.

Northern Michigan’s Turman just missed out a second consecutive spot on the event podium as well with her fourth-place finish, though the Fairbanks, Alaska native did take second collegiately with her 33:43.7.

Fellow Wildcat Monica Markvardsen wasn’t far behind, earning the top OJ result of the day on the women’s side with her 33:47.3: good enough for third in the CCSA and fifth overall.

“Christina is feeling better and better every week,” Fjeldheim said. “She wanted to do the sprints out here and I finally agreed, and then she went out and won them. I couldn’t believe it. And Monica’s fitness is really coming back. She has been the top junior in both the races this weekend, and I think that has given her a lot of confidence.”

A pair of other junior skiers were close behind Markvardsen, offering promising signs for the future of CCSA racing. Michigan Tech’s Lynn Duijndam turned in one of her best races of the season to grab eighth place overall, and fourth in the CCSA, while St. Cloud State’s Elizabeth Simak finished ninth overall, rounding out the region’s top five with a 34:03.3.

Northern’s third scoring skier, Marie Soderman, scored the conference’s sixth spot, and tenth overall with a time of 34:07.7. A close battle between Michigan Tech’s Kristen Monahan and NMU’s Ingrid Fjeldheim saw Monahan edge her Wildcat counterpart for seventh in the CCSA (11th overall) by exactly one second.

Saint Scholastica’s Julia Curry earned her team’s top finish with a ninth-place CCSA result in 34:41.0, while Northern’s Jordyn Ross completed the top ten with her 34:46.8.

College of Saint Benedict’s Megan Smith took 13th in the conference, while Erica Hett turned in Gustavus’ top performance with a 16th-place result in 35:21.5.

On the men’s side, it was a Wildcat day as four Northern skiers filled the top five conference spots, paced by Banerud’s 41:03.9. The reigning CCSA Skier of the Week, Banerud earned eighth place overall to go along with his second consecutive conference victory.

“Martin was a little fatigued at the end,” Fjeldheim said. “These trails are really tough courses, and while he was able to stay with the lead pack most of the day, he still doesn’t feel that he has found his race gear yet. Having next weekend off is perfect timing for him to get rid of a little bit of fatigue.”

For the second straight day, teammates Liebner and Soderman joined him on the podium as well. Liebner snagged second in the region and 12th place overall with his 41:29.4 as he continues his push for an NCAA berth, while freshman Soderman’s third-place finish (13th overall) will help keep him in the running as well.

“Erik is just a really solid freshman,” Fjeldheim said. “It’s pretty impressive what he has been able to do this year. He came in with a solid base, and has a great attitude, great work ethic.”

Michigan Tech’s Mikko Harju kept his solid first season with the Huskies going with a fourth-place finish, taking 15th overall with his 42:28.8. Northern’s Kevin Cutts rounded out the region’s top five with an 18th-place overall finish in 42:33.8.

Saint Scholastica enjoyed a solid outing on Sunday as well, placing a pair of skiers in the conference’s top ten. The Saints’ Waylon Manske took 20th overall (sixth CCSA) with his 42:41.5, while teammate Jeremy Hecker had the top OJ finish for the men, taking seventh in the CCSA and 21st overall.

Manske and Hecker’s impressive performances, combined with a 15th-place CCSA finish from teammate Kelin Dunfee, offers the region’s competition a timely reminder of the talent that exists on the CSS roster.

Michigan Tech’s Matt Dugan skated to eighth place in the conference with is 43:25.3, followed closely by Green Bay’s Edward Gurney, who took 25th overall and finished as the second best OJ skier. Northern’s Chris Bowler rounded out the top ten with a 43:47.3: good enough for 28th overall.

For the second straight day, Jared Sundstrom earned Saint John’s top finish with a 13th-place CCSA result, while Gogebic Community College’s Ben Noren took 25th in the region in 45:45.6.

After a month of non-stop competition, the CCSA skiers take a well-earned break before heading to the CCSA Championships, hosted by NMU in Ishpeming, Mich. on Feb. 18-19.

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Female Results

Male Results

An impressive team performance on both sides from Northern Michigan sees the Wildcats atop the men’s and women’s team leaderboards after the first day of racing at the Michigan Tech SuperTour stop in Houghton, Mich. NMU swept the CCSA men’s podium in the 10K classic, led by Martin Banerud, while the Wildcat women placed two in the top four collegiately in their 5K event.

No one, however, could keep pace with Green Bay’s Carolyn Freeman, who scored second place overall and took the women’s title in 17:48.3, four seconds ahead of Northern’s Christina Turman, who earned the bronze spot on the overall podium.

For the men, Banerud won his second straight CCSA event, crossing the line in 29:44.9: good enough for fifth place overall and just nine seconds off the pace of race winner Michael Sinnott.
Wildcat teammate Andy Liebner, who, along with Banerud, has provided NMU with a dangerous one-two punch this season, took second in the CCSA and sixth overall.

Erik Soderman completed the sweep for the Wildcats – his time of 30:50.0 securing third place collegiately and 12th overall.

Michigan Tech’s Mikko Harju earned his team’s top finish and fourth place collegiately with his 31:10.9. The Finn’s teammate, Jesse Smith, just missed out on a top five CCSA finish, as Northern’s Chris Bowler nipped in ahead of the junior to take fifth. Smith would finish sixth collegiately and 18th overall in 31:31.0.

Saint Scholastica’s Jeremy Hecker and MTU’s Matt Dugan provided the most dramatic finish of the individual start race, with Hecker edging Dugan for seventh place in the CCSA by just three –tenths of a second. Dugan, in eighth place in 31:36.8, still finished as his side’s third scoring skier, hauling in 21 points for the Huskies.

Michigan Tech’s Sondre Sandvik took ninth place collegiately and 21st overall with his 31:40.0, while Saint Scholastica’s Kasey Bacso rounded out the region’s top ten with a 22nd-place overall finish in 31:43.2. Green Bay’s Edward Gurney finished as his team’s top scorer with a 14th-place CCSA finish, as did Saint John’s Jared Sundstrom in 19th.

On the women’s side, Freeman continued to enhance her credentials for an NCAA berth with her second victory of the season, finishing as the top collegiate skier and second overall to only former NMU skier Maria Stuber.

Turman, another figure likely to be joining Freeman at the 2011 NCAA Championships, continues to find her stride as well, the in-form Wildcat earning second place in the CCSA with a 17:52.7.

Another skier making great strides as the season goes on, Michigan Tech’s Malin Eriksson, earned a spot on the college podium and fifth-place overall as she completed the 5K course in 17:56.6.
Fourth-place in the region went to Monica Markvardsen, the Northern Michigan skier earning 24 points for her team with her 18:03.0.

MTU’s Sarah Daniels earned a fifth-place collegiate finish (eighth overall) with her 18:26.3, while St. Cloud State sophomore Elizabeth Simak was not far behind, landing ninth overall and sixth in the CCSA in 18:32.4.

Northern’s Marie Soderman rounded out the scoring for the Wildcats, taking seventh in the region and tenth overall. Teammate Libby Ellis skied to a eighth-place CCSA and 12th-place overall finish in 18:42.6, while a pair of Huskies (Lynn Duijndam, 13th overall and Alice Flanders, 14th overall) completed the CCSA’s top ten for the day.

Julia Curry earned Saint Scholastica’s top spot at the event with her 12th-place finish, while College of Saint Benedict’s Megan Smith took 15th in the CCSA.

Behind their sweep of the podium on the men’s side, Northern Michigan jumped out to a ten-point lead over second-place Michigan Tech, 78 to 68. Saint Scholastica currently sits in third with 60 points, while Green Bay’s men earned 51.

On the women’s side, the Wildcats cling to a slightly smaller advantage; their 71 points giving just a three-point edge over hosts MTU. Green Bay sits in third with 58 points, while Saint Scholastica is eight points back in fourth with 50.

The skiers return to the course tomorrow for the skate events of the Michigan Tech SuperTour stop, with the men’s 15K getting underway at 9:30, followed by the women’s 10K at 10:45.

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Female Overall

Female Team Points

Male Overall

Male Team Points