STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. – The Nanooks Nordic skiing team kicked off its time in Steamboat Springs on Friday with the 20k freestyle mass start races at the Colorado Invitational. The 'Nooks finished the day in sixth with 97 points. The men posted a second-place finish with 79 points, while the women, who were shorthanded and down to just one finisher, placed sixth with 18 points.
"Today's race was a real slog with heavily saturated wet snow, turning to slush in some spots," said interim head coach Ben Buck. "The course also ended up being an extra two kilometers long, favoring those who were willing to grit out a long and grueling race."
The men had three skiers finish in the top 10, with Philipp Moosmayer leading the way with a fourth-place result. The junior finished right outside the podium spots after completing his race in 57:27.6. Matyas Pavek and Blake Hanley continued their strong sophomore campaigns, finishing seventh and eighth, respectively, with times of 57:55.1 and 57:58.4. Cole Flowers came less than a second from giving the Nanooks their fourth top-10 result of the race, crossing the line in 58:08.1 to take 11th.
"The momentum continues to build for the men's team!" added Buck. "In the last few races, they've really started to figure out just how much they're capable of, and there is a belief in the team that any day could be their day, no matter the course or conditions. Both Blake (Hanley) and Maty (Pavek) notched their first career top-10 finishes, with Philipp (Moosmayer) leading the way just off the podium. Cole (Flowers) just missed out on being our fourth skier in the top-10, getting edged out in a sprint finish with DU's Krystof Zatloukal. Gabo (Rigaudo) and Josh (Baurick) sat out today due to illness."
The women had just one skier finish in the 20k freestyle, as Viktorie Kahounova crossed the line in 1:17:08.1 to grab 17th. "Viky (Kahounova) continues to build confidence each week!" said Buck. "In her first-ever 20k freestyle, she started conservatively and worked her way up through the field to earn her first top-20 of the season. It was an impressive performance for the freshman on a day where her teammates could not finish the race due to illness."
The Nanooks conclude the Colorado Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 14, with the 7.5k classic interval start races, beginning at 7:30 a.m. AKST.
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