MIDWAY, Utah – The Alaska Nanooks Nordic skiing team opened the Utah Invitational on Saturday morning with the 7.5k freestyle individual start at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center. The Nanooks finished in fifth place with 118 points. The women took fifth with 45 points, while the men grabbed third with 73 points.
"Great day!" said interim head coach Ben Buck. "Our three freshman women held their own in a strong RMISA field with the goal of pacing themselves here at altitude. Kolibri (Drobish) didn't make the trip due to illness. The men's team is starting the season in strong form, picking up right where we left off last spring. Big breakthrough day for Blake Hanley, who skied with confidence and left it all out there."
The day began with the women's race, where Piper Sears led the way for the Nanooks with a 21st-place finish, completing the 7.5k in 23:10.9. Õnnela Rodendau followed right behind her in 22nd place after posting a time of 23:34.8, and Viktorie Kahounova took 23rd in her Nanooks debut, finishing in 23:38.8.
The 'Nooks notched two top-10 finishes in the men's race, with Ben Dohlby and Philipp Moosmayer placing fourth and eighth. Dohlby completed his race in 18:03.3, while Moosmayer crossed the line in 18:22.4. Blake Hanley followed with the best result of his collegiate career, securing a 12th-place result with a time of 18:38.1. Gabriele Rigaudo (18:43.5) and Cole Flowers (18:58.3) added two more top-20 finishes for the 'Nooks, placing 14th and 19th. Matyas Pavek (19:10.7) and Josh Baurick (21:24.4) were Alaska's final two finishers, taking 24th and 31st.
"Looking forward to the classic race tomorrow where we are anticipating fast and firm conditions!" said Buck.
The Nanooks go again tomorrow morning with a 15k classic mass start. The men's race starts at 7 a.m. AKST, while the women's race kicks off at 8:40 a.m. AKST.
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