[
Complete Results]
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Senior
Aurelia Korthauer (Bonndorf, Germany) got the Alaska Nanooks off to a great start in Saturday's 5-kilometer freestyle race at the Mayor's Challenge. The German native raced her way to a third place overall finish good for first among the collegiate skiers that pitted the Alaska women second with 78 points, trailing the Northern Michigan Wildcats by just three points and ahead of the Michigan Tech Huskies with 65 points.
Korthauer edged Wildcat and Fairbanks native Christina Gillis by less than three seconds with a course time of 12 minutes and 54.7 seconds.
"It was very tight in the women's race and seconds meant places," said head coach
Scott Jerome. "Aurelia was right on top of her technique and she had a great race."
Rounding out the Nanooks scoring team were senior
Julia Pierson (Traverse City, MI), who took sixth among collegians, and sophomore
Theresia Schnurr (Buhlertal, Germany) in ninth.
On the men's side, senior
John Parry (Whitehorse, Yukon) placed sixth among collegians (18th overall) in 24:24, while sophomore
Henri Soom (Tartu, Estonia) was ninth and
Ray Sabo (Whitehorse, Yukon) took 10th. The Alaska men finished the day in third with 68 points, narrowly trailing Michigan Tech (75) and NMU (70).
"John did exceptionally well and Henri had his best race in a long time," said Jerome. "I see them only getting better as the season progresses."
The races continue Sunday with the men taking on a 15km course and the women going for 10km. Both races will feature a mass start and are of the classic technique format.
Saturday's College Team Scores (10 schools):
WOMEN:
- Northern Michigan University 81
- ALASKA 78
- Michigan Tech University 65
MEN:
- Michigan Tech University 75
- Northern Michigan University 70
- ALASKA 68
