Results
ISHPEMING, Mich. – Junior
Logan Hanneman (Fairbanks, Alaska/Mechanical Engineering) earned another opportunity to go race in Europe this season but respectfully declined the invitation, deciding to hang back in the states to train with his team. On Saturday, he showed why he made that decision.
Hanneman cruised to the individual title in the 10-kilometer classic race on day one of the 2014 Central Collegiate Ski Association Championship, as the Alaska men's skiing team sits in second place after day one of the conference event at Al Quaal.
"Today was great and this was all part of the plan where I wouldn't be too fast earlier on in the year but now is when I'll start coming around and today showed that," Hanneman said. "I needed to win badly for me and everything going into NCAAs. It will only get better."
"That's the type of result and type of effort that people need if they want to do well at the NCAA Championship," head coach
Scott Jerome said. "I've always told the team if you want to be an All-American at NCAAs, you have to win CCSA races. He took that to heart and ran with it and certainly showed he has the ability to race well."
The junior won his first individual CCSA title by nearly half a minute, crossing the finish line in 20 minutes, 17.8 seconds. That time was 29 seconds faster than the CCSA's top-ranked skier (by points average),
Kyle Bratrud of Northern Michigan, who was runner-up in 20:46.8.
"A lot of it is how the training has worked out but a lot of it is mental," Hanneman said. "Now I have to ski fast. Earlier in the year, I had to train well but now I'm in racing mode. In preparation for the race yesterday, I was in a different mindset than I have been all year."
"After five kilometers, he was leading and kept that through the whole race," Jerome said. "He didn't start conservatively; he put the pedal to the metal from the get-go. It wasn't a challenging course and it was relatively fast conditions. He set the tone for everyone in the race and they knew they were chasing Logan."
The Wildcats lead the CCSA men's championship with 66 after claiming second through fourth places in the classic event. The Nanooks, however, are only four points back with 62 points after grabbing fifth and seventh places as well.
Taking the fifth-place spot was sophomore
Michael Fehrenbach (Saint Märgen, Germany/Mechanical Engineering), as he completed the trek in 21:11.9. Rounding out Alaska's scoring total was senior
Max Olex (Aalen, Germany/Business Administration, who crossed the line in 21:18.1, which was good for that seventh position.
Two other Nanooks competed in the race Saturday. Sophomore
Kenneth Brewer (Chugiak, Alaska/Biological Sciences) just finished outside the top 10 by fractions of a second as he took 11th in 21:48.7. Freshman
Isaac Lammers (Eagle River, Alaska/Mechanical Engineering) was also 24th in 22:31.6.
Following NMU and Alaska in the CCSA standings are College of St. Scholastica (52), Michigan Tech (41), Gustavus Adolphus (25), Wisconsin-Green Bay (24) and St. Olaf (24).
The championship concludes Sunday afternoon with the racing of the 20K free skate mass start, which is slated to begin at 12:30 p.m. EST.
"We had a pretty good skate race a couple weeks ago at Telemark in the mass start, so we're excited for tomorrow," Jerome said. "We're going to have to earn it but I think we're set up well for tomorrow."
CCSA Men's Championship Standings
1. Northern Michigan – 66 (2,3,4)
2. Alaska – 62 (1,5,7)
3. College of St. Scholastics – 52 (6,8,9)
4. Michigan Tech – 41 (15,17,20)
5. Gustavus Adolphus – 25 (22,26,31)
6. Wisconsin-Green Bay – 24 (18,29,35)
7. St. Olaf – 24 (21,27,33)
