Results

STOWE, Vt. – The Alaska Nanooks men's and women's Nordic ski teams closed out the 2018-19 season on Friday morning, competing in the 20/15km mass-start, classic race in the 2019 Skiing National Championships at the Trapp Family Lodge.

At the conclusion of the Nordic results on Friday, Alaska's four representatives had totaled 57 points, 32 from Wednesday's 10/5km individual-start, freestyle race and 25 from Friday's classic competition.

"Today's race was very challenging for both the men's and the women's category," assistant coach Eliska Albrigtsen said on Friday. "A punishing 5km loop in quickly-changing snow conditions was not an easy journey to do three times for the women and four times for the men. Our athletes gave it their best and fouth until the very end."

Senior Kati Roivas wrapped up her career with the Nanooks placing 16th overall in the women's 15km classic race, registering a time of 49:25.6 for 15 points. Among fellow Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association racers, Roivas ranked eighth in a field of 40 competitors.

Roivas' time was only 2:59.9 behind Dartmouth's Katherine Ogden, who placed first overall with a time of 46:25.7.

"Kati showed incredible vigor fighting with her body more than with her opponents in this challenging race," Albrigtsen said of Roivas. "Her determination to success amazed us all the entire season. She helped the entire team become more competitive."

Rounding out the Alaska Nanooks women's team was sophomore Anja Maijala, who registered a 15km classic time of 54:21.8 to close-out her first NCAA Championships. Maijala's time ranked her 39th overall and 18th among conference foes.

"Anja had a tough starting position being placed in the last row but fought through her pains and finished higher up," Albrigtsen said of Maijala. "We are looking forward to seeing Anja for two more years, she is a strong talented skier and a big cornerstone to the Nanooks ski team."

In the men's 20km mass-start, classic race, redshirt-senior Seiji Takagi placed 21st overall and 11th among RMISA skiers with a time of 58:04.3, earning 10 points for the Nooks.

"Seiji skied most of the course right behind the No. 1 skier from the Eastern Region, which ended up being not only Seiji's best classic race of the season, but of his entire collegiate career," Albrigtsen said of Takagi.

New Mexico's Ricardo Izquierdo-Bernier earned the national championship title on Friday, posting a time of 55:50.6 for 40 points. Takagi's time was only 2:13.7 behind Izquierdo-Bernier's first place time.

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's and women's Nordic ski teams, follow @AlaskaNanooksXC on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks XC team page on Facebook.