HANOVER, N.H. - The Nanooks Nordic skiing team kicked off the NCAA Championships this morning with the 7.5k classic individual start. Racing in warmer conditions, with the weather in the 40s throughout the two races, the Nanooks were able to notch a pair of All-American results. Kendall Kramer began the day by finishing ninth in the women's race, and Philipp Moosmayer followed with a seventh-place finish in the men's race.
"Big day for the team today with three of our five starters making their NCAA Championship debuts!" said assistant coach Ben Buck after the first day of skiing. "In extremely difficult conditions, Philipp skied with composure and finesse and found himself in the top 10 in his first-ever NCAA Championship race! Kendall was fighting with the skis a bit today but managed to secure yet another All-American finish in her prolific career, and we're all looking forward to Saturday."
Moosmayer followed up his first-place finish in the 20k freestyle at the RMISA Championships by leading the Nanooks to start the national championships. He began the race by posting the sixth-fastest time on the first lap but dropped two places after his second lap. He would make the final 2.5k count, finishing his race in 22:11.9, 0.6 seconds in front of Utah's Zachary Jayne to grab seventh place and an All-American Second Team result in his first NCAA Championship race.
Ben Dohlby followed in 21st place. After sitting in 31st at the 5k checkpoint, he picked up speed, using the sixth-fastest time on the third and final lap to climb 10 spots and finish with a time of 23:08.5. Rounding things off on the men's side was Cole Flowers, who finished 31st in his race with a 23:56.4.
The men ended day one seventh in the Nordic standing, tallying 35 points.
Kramer earned the fifth All-American honor of her career, posting a 25:02.6 to take ninth place in the 7.5k classic. She opened her race by posting the 16th-fastest time on her first lap but would climb up the field as the race developed. She jumped six spots on the next lap, finishing the first 5k in 10th. Her eighth-fastest time on the final lap garnered her a ninth-place finish, earning Second Team All-American honors. Tabitha Williams was the final skier for the women, skating to a 19th-place finish with a time of 25:40.3.
The women also finished seventh in the Nordic standings after the 7.5k classic, earning 34 points, while the 'Nooks sit in fifth place as a team.
Up Next
The season concludes on Saturday with the 20k freestyle mass start. The men will start first, beginning their race at 6 a.m. AKT, while the women follow at 8 a.m.
Follow the 'Nooks
IG - @NanookSkiing
X - @NanooksSki
FB - Alaska Nanooks XC
