FAIRBANKS - It was a cloudy and chilly day on the UAF Competition Ski Trails, but that did not stop the Nanooks from impressing in their final home race of the season. The Alaska Nanooks Nordic skiing teams concluded the UAF Invite on Monday with individual victories in both the men's and women's 10k freestyle interval start. Ben Dohlby and Kendall Kramer claimed the top spot with outstanding performances, and Tabitha Williams secured a third-place result to join Kramer on the podium.
The 'Nook's familiarity with the track proved advantageous, as they were able to pace themselves to the finish line. According to head coach Eliska Albrigtsen, the team handled things brilliantly, opting for a strategic approach to their races, and it showed in the final results.
After the first lap of the women's race, Kramer was over 11 seconds behind Utah's Erica Laven in first. However, she kept calm and was able to close that gap, posting the fastest time in each of the final four laps and eventually overtaking Laven in the final lap to take first place by over 15 seconds. Kramer notched a time of 25:57.4 in the 10k. This marks her second RMISA race win this season, picking up a victory in the 20k classic at the U.S. Nationals in Anchorage earlier this year.
Williams earned her first career RMISA podium in the race. She posted the fifth-fastest time on both the first and second laps, ending the first half of the 10k in fourth. However, she put herself into the top three on the third lap and stayed there to the finish, posting a 27:07.9 and taking third.
Aila Berrigan and Lucca Duke also finished the women's race, placing 28th and 32nd, respectively.
Dohlby began his race with the second-fastest time on the opening lap, trailing Utah's Brian Bushey by just under a second. He ended the halfway point of the race in second but kept pushing and led the third lap by nearly five seconds. That put him in the lead by 14 seconds with one lap remaining. He secured the top result decisively, finishing 16.7 seconds ahead of second place and completing his race in 23:05.8 to earn his first collegiate victory.
Philipp Moosmayer followed with a top-seven finish. He posted the eighth-fastest time at the 5k split but used the fifth-fastest third lap to propel him to a 23:48.7 and a seventh-place result. Aidan Hay (T-13), Gabriele Rigaudo (17th) and Matyas Pavek (20th) placed in the top 20, while Blake Hanley followed closely behind with a 21st-place finish. Cole Flowers (27th) and Josh Baurick (33rd) were the final two finishers for the Nanooks men.
Final UAF Invite Team Standings
Denver 345, Utah 307, Alaska 291.5, Colorado 258, Alaska Anchorage 250.5, Montana State 232
Final Men's Standings
Denver 188, Alaska 152.5, Alaska Anchorage 137.5, Colorado 137, Utah 137, Montana State 90
Final Women's Standings
Utah 170, Denver 157, Montana State 142, Alaska 139, Colorado 121, Alaska Anchorage 113
Up Next
The 'Nooks will stay in Alaska for the RMISA Championships, racing at Kincaid Park in Anchorage. They are looking to build off the momentum from their home invite, but are focused on turning their attention to the conference championships, which will be held on Feb. 21-22.
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