UAF opened the first day of the NCAA Skiing Championships with All-American finishes on both the men’s and women’s sides.
Philipp Moosmayer, fresh off of earning his first collegiate win late last month, earned second-team All-American honors for the Nanook men. The junior placed seventh in the 7.5-kilometer classic, traversing the distance in 22 minutes and 11 seconds (22:11).
His teammates, sophomore Ben Dohlby and freshman Cole Flowers, placed 21st and 31st, respectively. Dartmouth’s John Steel Hagenbuch won the men’s race on his home course in Hanover, New Hampshire. His finishing time was 20:52.
Kendall Kramer came away with a top-10 finish at the NCAA Skiing Championships for a fifth straight season, placing ninth in the 7.5k classic with a time of 25 minutes and two seconds (25:02). Utah’s Erica Laven, who Kramer beat twice this season, won the women’s race in 23:43. UAF sophomore Tabitha Williams placed 19th, crossing the finish line in 25:40.
“Big day for the team today with three of our five starters making their NCAA Championship debuts!” UAF assistant coach Ben Buck said via university release. “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.”
The NCAA Skiing Championships will conclude Saturday morning with the 20-kilometer freestyle mass start. UAF sits in seventh place in both the men’s and women’s nordic standings and fifth in the overall nordic standings behind Dartmouth, Utah, Vermont and Colorado.
