STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. - The Nanooks Nordic team competed on day two of the NCAA Skiing Championships, the first of Nordic races, on Thursday March 7. After the 7.5k interval start freestyle races, the 'Nooks find themselves in 10th-place with 72 points. 

The men's team posted 27 points while the women's team put up 45 in the first of two Nordic races this week. 

Rosie Fordham led the way for the women's side, pushing through the finish line in 22:51.5. The junior was near the front of the pack for a majority of the race, hitting the 2.5k mark with a time of 7:17.6, only 20 seconds off the lead at the time. At the 5k mark, she was at a time of 15:04.8 before finishing in 22:51.5. She finished 43 seconds behind the winning time (22:08.1) and took sixth-overall for a Second Team All-American finish. She missed out on the top-five by only one second and led the way for Alaska. 

Trailing her in 13th was Kendall Kramer. Kramer missed the All-American top-10 by only 11 seconds, finishing the 7.5k in 23:19.1. At the 2.5k checkpoint, Kramer was at a race time of 7:32.8. She checked in at 15:30.7 at the 5k mark before finishing in 13th. The final women's racer for the Nanooks was Mariel Pulles. Pulles took 31st with a finishing time of 24:34.4. She was right behind Kramer's time at the 2.5k checkpoint, coming through at 7:32.9 before coming through the 5k at 16:01.7. She finished just four seconds behind a top-30 finish.

In the men's race, the Nanooks were led by Christopher Kalev. The senior posted a men's team-high finish in 17th-place with a finishing time of 20:28.2. At the 2.5k checkpoint, Kalev was at 6:29.4 before coming through the 5k checkpoint at 13:34.6. His finishing time was nearly matched by freshman Ben Dohlby as the newcomer finished just behind Kalev in 18th with a time of 20:28.9, finishing .7 seconds behind. After the 2.5k checkpoint, Dohlby was 12 seconds behind Kalev but made up serious ground in the next 2.5k, coming through the 5k checkpoint at 13:35.5, only a second off of Kalev's pace. He'd go on to finish in 20:28.9. 

Mike Ophoff was the final Nanooks men's racer to cross the finish line. The senior took 32nd with a finishing time of 21:37.2. At the 2.5k checkpoint, Ophoff came through at 6:55.7 before coming through the 5k checkpoint at 14:20.8. 

Both sides are back in action on Saturday, March 9 at Howelsen Hill in Steamboat Springs, Colo. They will compete in the 20k classic to wrap-up the 2024 NCAA Skiing Championships.

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