Northern Michigan’s Rosie Frankowski cracked the overall top 10 against some of the nation’s top skiers in the women’s mass start 20K skate, and St. Olaf’s Jake Brown cruised to his first career CCSA win in the men’s 30K event in the third day of racing at the U.S. Cross Country Championships at Soldier Hollow Resort in Utah.

Northern Michigan’s Adam Martin also placed 11th in the junior 10K freestyle, meaning that the freshman has now qualified for the Junior World Championship team and earned an automatic berth to this season’s NCAAs.

Fresh snow falling on top of the manmade base made for tricky waxing conditions for skiers and coaches alike, and brought a slower overall pace to today’s events – a change from the fast conditions that have characterized much of this year’s U.S. Nationals thus far.

The change in pace, however, suited Frankowski just fine.

“I think the conditions played right into Rosie’s hands,” Northern Michigan head coach Sten Fjeldheim said. “Tougher, slower skiing really works to Rosie’s advantage, and she just had a great race today.”

After losing her legs a little following a fast start in the season opening distance classic race on Saturday, Frankowski wouldn’t make the same mistake Tuesday. In the top third of the field after the start, the senior moved up four or five places nearly every lap around the 5K loop, crossing the finish line in 1:00:10.2 – more than two and a half minutes ahead of the next CCSA competitor.

“Rosie just ran out of real estate,” Fjeldheim said. “If she had just had a few more kilometers, she would have caught more skiers and finished even higher.”

Northern Michigan’s Mary Kate Cirelli took the conference’s silver medal, finishing her 20K skate in 1:03:42.8. Michigan Tech’s Alice Flanders wasn’t far behind, crossing the line just under four seconds later to earn the region’s third place and 23rd overall.

Alaska’s Nicole Bathe completed an impressive debut week in the CCSA with a fourth-place finish in the region (36th overall). Michigan Tech’s Deedra Irwin then won a sprint to the finish between a trio of central region skiers – Irwin’s time of 1:06:25.3 just edging out her teammate Lynn Duijndam by twenty seconds to earn 39th place overall. Duijndam, in turn, nipped Green Bay’s Kailey Mucha by 12 seconds, forcing the Phoenix skier to settle for 41st overall and seventh in the region.

A fourth Michigan Tech skier, Sarah Daniels, was next across the line, placing 43rd overall, while NMU’s Felicia Geisor and Alaska’s Heather Edic completed the CCSA top ten.

On the men’s side, it was a day to remember for Brown. After impressing with a seventh-place finish in the region on Saturday, the junior did even better, topping the CCSA podium for the first time in his career after a dominating performance. Brown’s time of 1:20:42.7 not only earned him 11th place overall (missing out on the top ten by less then seven seconds), but also put him a full two minutes ahead of his nearest regional competitor.

Paul Schommer was next across the line for the CCSA, taking 25th overall with his time of 1:22:49.0 – a promising sign that the junior has shaken off any ill effects from an injury-shortened 2013 campaign. Northern Michigan’s George Cartwright landed the region’s bronze medal with his 33rd-place overall finish.

Alaska’s Kenneth Brewer captured fourth place (40th overall) with his time of 1:25:16.1, followed closely by a pair of teammates: Logan Hanneman, in 45th overall, and Max Olex, in 48th. Saint Scholastica’s second scoring skier, Joe Dubay, took seventh in the region after completing his six 5K loops in 1:27:11.3. Alaska’s Jonas Loffler (53rd overall), NMU’s Kyle Bratrud (54th) and Alaska’s Stefan Hajdukovich (55th) rounded out the CCSA’s top ten.

The CCSA skiers stay at U.S. Nationals concludes on Friday, as they hit the course for the classic sprints. For complete results from all U.S. Nationals events, please visit Summit Timing’s results page.

A pair of newcomers announced their arrivals in the CCSA in style, as Alaska’s Nicole Bathe and Northern Michigan’s Adam Martin both claimed the region’s top spot in the distance classic event at the U.S. Cross Country Championships at Soldier Hollow Resort in Utah. Bathe completed her 10K in 32:01.2 to earn 19th place overall, while Martin sailed through his 15K in 40:40.8 to finish with a share of 15th place.

Both freshmen, and competing in their first official CCSA event, Bathe and Martin showed remarkable composure to not only battle through elite competition, but also to handle the altitude as well: at nearly 6,000 feet above sea level, Soldier Hollow approaches the legal altitude limit for Nordic skiing competition.

“To finish in the top 30 at U.S. Nationals is impressive, but to get into the top 20 is really just incredible,” Northern Michigan head coach Sten Fjeldheim said. “It’s huge for our programs to have someone finish up there. That’s how high the level of competition is out here.”

Earmarked by head coach Scott Jerome as one to watch this season, Bathe lived up to expectations, turning in a mature performance in her first CCSA event. The Wisconsin native stayed within the top 20 throughout the race, finishing 19th overall and claiming the conference’s top spot.

Following Bathe, a flood of Northern Michigan skiers crossed the line next for the CCSA, including sophomores Mary Kate Cirelli and Hannah Boyer – a sign of the depth and young talent competing in the region this season. Cirelli took second in the CCSA and 23rd overall as she begins her quest for a return visit to NCAAs, while Boyer took the bronze medal spot and 30th overall in a time of 32:46.4.

Fellow Wildcat Felicia Gesior turned in the conference’s fourth-best time, placing 42nd overall in 33:21.1, edging teammate Rosie Frankowski by just a tenth of a second; the Northern Michigan senior forced to settle for 43rd overall.

“Overall, our women had a good day today,” Fjeldheim said. “Mary Kate, Hannah and Felicia all raced really well. Rosie started a little too fast and was never able to recover, but a lot of skiers here made that same mistake today, and she’ll learn from it.”

An impressive performance by Paige Schember saw the St. Olaf skier land a sixth-place finish in the region and 45th overall, followed by Michigan Tech’s Alice Flanders, whose time of 33:41.6 earned her 53rd place. The Huskies’ Sarah Daniels (59th overall), along with Alaska’s Heather Edic (63rd) and Michigan Tech’s Lynn Duijndam (73rd), rounded out the region’s top ten.

On the men’s side, Martin turned plenty of heads in his CCSA debut, pacing himself with a steady start before rising as high as eighth during one split to earn his top 15 finish.

“Adam had an awesome day today,” Fjeldheim said. “It’s really just awesome for him to get in the top 15, and bodes really well for his chances of qualifying for the Junior Championships in February.”

Alaska’s Logan Hanneman, an NCAA qualifier in 2013, took second in the region, and 24th overall, with his time of 41:17.4 in the individual start event. Northern Michigan’s Kyle Bratrud earned his way onto the CCSA podium as well, placing third in the region and 33rd overall despite struggling with his skis.

“Kyle’s skis were a little slow – otherwise, he would be up there in the top 20 as well,” Fjeldheim said.

Alaska’s second scoring skier, Jonas Loffler, grabbed fourth in the CCSA with his time of 42:15.0, while Michigan Tech’s Jay Woodbeck got his season off to a fine start as well, placing 39th overall to land the region’s fifth position.

Looking to put a challenging and injury-shortened 2013 season behind him, St. Scholastica’s Paul Schommer earned the region’s sixth-place spot; his time of 42:39.0 putting him 45th overall. St. Olaf skier Jake Brown continued his fine form as well, placing 55th overall, just ahead of Michigan Tech’s Kyle Hanson, in 57th. St. Scholastica’s Chris Parr and Northern’s George Cartwright rounded out the CCSA top ten with their 60th and 66th place finishes, respectively.

The CCSA skiers now hit the Soldier Hollow trails for a freestyle sprint tomorrow prior to their next NCAA qualifier, Wednesday’s distance skate event.

For complete results, please visit http://summittiming.com/races/race_results.php.

Men’s results
Women’s results

The CCSA skiers ended the 2013 season on a positive note, capturing three All-American spots and placing five student-athletes in the top 15 (and seven in the top 25) at the final day of the NCAA Championships at Middlebury College.

Northern Michigan’s Erik Soderman led the way for the region, earning first-team All-American honors with his fourth-place finish in the men’s 20K mass start freestyle race. Teammate Kyle Bratrud finished 10th to earn a second-team All-American spot in the same event, while St. Scholastica’s Jeremy Hecker just missed out on the top 10 in his final collegiate race, taking 11th in the Saints’ best ever NCAA finish.

On the women’s side, the Wildcats’ Rosie Frankowski crossed the line in seventh in the women’s 15K skate, collecting her first All-American award as all the Northern Michigan women finished among the top 20.

“I think today was super critical for our region,” St. Scholastica head coach Chad Salmela said afterward. “This is much more indicative of how good we are as a region. It felt good to be out there showing what we can do, and hopefully we earned a couple of qualifying spots back for our region.”

Warm temperatures throughout the races (the mercury would soar as high as 40 degrees during the men’s event), led to quick conditions on the Rikert Nordic Center course. The blend of mostly manmade and some natural snow stayed surprisingly firm during the women’s race, and largely kept its integrity during the men’s race as well, though some wet spots began to appear in areas affected the sun.

The fast conditions didn’t seem to faze Frankowski, however. A strong skater, she never drifted out of the top 11, springing up into seventh midway through the race and never looking back.

“Rosie just had a great race,” Northern Michigan head coach Sten Fjeldheim said. “She’s worked so hard to get where she has, and this was just the crowning moment of her year.”

Teammate Mary Kate Cirelli finished off a solid week with a 14th place finish in the freestyle race – the freshman’s second top-15 finish of the NCAA Championships. NMU’s Jordyn Ross wasn’t far behind, either, taking 17th in her first trip to nationals as well.

Alaska’s Crystal Pitney finished 27th in the event, crossing the line just ahead of teammate, Aly McPhetres, who, unfortunately, battled an ear infection most of the week and was unable to perform at her top level. McPhetres, only a sophomore, had finished the season as the region’s top scoring freestyle skier.

St. Scholastica’s Sharmila Ahmed, battling health issues of her own which caused difficulty turning on downhills, finished 36th.

On the men’s side, a somewhat cautious start led to a large lead pack sticking together throughout most of the early stages.

“No one pushed it,” Salmela said. “I think everyone was waiting for someone else to push the pace, and no one did. That helped skiers like Jeremy and Erik Soderman, who typically start slow and go hard at the end. Every lap, a couple more skiers would fall back, and they kept moving up.”

When the pace finally did increase, it was Soderman who was instigating it – the defending NCAA freestyle champion surged into the lead near the beginning of the final lap, and stretched the lead pack . Though Utah’s Miles Havlick would eventually take the national title, Soderman’s fourth-place finish earned him the third career All-American spot, and second of the week.

Northern Michigan’s Kyle Bratrud turned plenty of heads as well – the sophomore more than holding his own among the leaders before crossing the line in 10th overall to wrap up his first NCAA appearance.

St. Scholastica’s Jeremy Hecker, meanwhile, shook off back spasms to turn in arguably the performance of his career, hanging with the lead pack through most of the race and crossing the line in 11th place – the school’s best ever finish at an NCAA Championship.

“Jeremy has been the most pivotal skier in the history of our program,” Salmela said. “He’s a culture setter – he has set an example for everyone. He raced today as he always races – really smart. I told him to give it everything he had today, and he did. He may not have finished as an All-American, but he skied like one today.”

Alaska’s Logan Hanneman crossed the line in 25th, just ahead of Northern Michigan’s George Cartwright, who placed 28th. The Nanooks’ Michael Fehrenbach and Jonas Loffler both got tangled up and broke poles in an early crash, finishing 29th and 40th, respectively.

Men’s 10K results
Women’s 5K results

Northern Michigan’s Erik Soderman grabbed his second All-American honor in as many years in the men’s 10K interval start classic, and Wildcat freshman Mary Kate Cirelli, in her first appearance at nationals, earned the region’s top finish in the women’s 5K as the CCSA took on the nation’s finest skiers at the NCAA Championships in Middlebury, Vt.

Though warming temperatures led to icy, fast conditions throughout both events, Soderman kept his cool early on in the race, gradually making his way through the field to grab 10th place and a second-team All-American spot, completing his 10K in 26:56.5. Soderman adds the accolade to his growing trophy cabinet – he was the individual national champion in the freestyle event at last year’s NCAAs.

“I’m really happy for Erik,” Northern Michigan head coach Sten Fjeldheim said. “He’s just so relaxed, and so cool and calm – he’s like Clint Eastwood out there. I think I’m more nervous than he is.

“It was a little bit of a tricky wax day, but I think everyone had solid skis. It was a little bit hectic in the wax room – I don’t know how many different wax combinations we tried – but I think we found something that worked.”

Teammate Cirelli turned in a solid performance of her own – the freshman taking 15th with a time of 16:22.9, just five seconds out from an All-American spot as well.

“I knew Mary Kate was going to have a good race when she came up to me beforehand and said, ‘I’m really not nervous at all, I just want to race,’” Fjeldheim said.

While Soderman led the CCSA men’s skiers, Alaska’s Logan Hanneman took 17th place: the 19-year old finishing as the Nanooks top skier with a time of 27:10.2.

Northern Michigan’s Kyle Bratrud wasn’t far behind, taking 23rd overall in his first NCAA event with a time of 27:36.6. Alaska’s Jonas Loffler (31st), Northern Michigan’s George Cartwright (33rd), the Nanooks’ Michael Fehrenbach (35th) and St. Scholastica’s Jeremy Hecker (39th) rounded out the CCSA skiers on the men’s side.

On the women’s side, Northern Michigan’s Jordyn Ross placed 23rd as well, finishing her 5K loop in 16:39.8, while teammate Rosie Frankowski skied her way to 25th place overall.

“Our women did a great job of picking their skis,” Fjeldheim said. “They all chose zeroes, which is probably only the second time we’ve raced on zeroes all year, and it worked out. Every one of them finished in the top 25.

“It was really tight competition all day, but that’s what we expect. For our young skiers to come and experience competition like this is invaluable.”

Alaska’s Aly McPhetres, who had battled some slight illness earlier in the week, came in 30th with a time of 16:53.6, while teammate Crystal Pitney (35th) and St. Scholastica’s Sharmila Ahmed (39th) completed the CCSA field.

Colorado’s Rune Oedegaard captured the men’s national championship with a time of 26:00.2 while the women’s title went to Anja Gruber, in 15:31.1.

The CCSA skiers now get a day to recover and prepare for the mass start freestyle events on Saturday. Given the fast conditions and narrow turns on the course, the races – a 15K for women scheduled for 10 a.m., followed by a 20K for men at noon – should prove to be quite exciting. Fans can follow the action live at www.ncaa.com.