Feb. 17, 2007

Saturday was not the best day of the season for the Alaska Nanooks cross country ski team.

The opening day of the Central Collegiate Ski Association Championships in Ishpeming, Mich., belonged to the Northern Michigan Wildcats as they took commanding leads in both the men's and women's team standings.

"We got a good old fashioned shellacking by Northern Michigan today," Alaska coach Scott Jerome said via telephone Saturday evening.

"They just trounced everybody. I've got to hand it to them because they had a great day and looked awesome out there."

The Nanooks are in second place in both divisions, but it would take a miracle for Alaska to successfully defend the championship it won outright for the first time last year.

"I think we can bounce back and we'll have better races tomorrow (Sunday), but Northern has a pretty insurmountable lead," Jerome said.

While the Nanooks didn't have their best day during Saturday's freestyle races -- 5 kilometers for women and 10 kilometers for men -- they still turned efforts that have them in second place in the team standings.

Jerome said he was pleased with the way the women's team performed as four skiers placed in the top 10, even though Northern Michigan swept the top four positions.

Redshirt freshman Anna Coulter led the way for the Nanooks with a fifth-place finish, followed by sophomore Julia Coulter in seventh, sophomore Aurelia Korthauer in eighth and sophomore Paula Daabach in 10th place.

"The women had a good day," said Jerome. "I'm really pleased to have four in the top 10 and fifth place is a very good finish for Anna."

Jerome said junior Krynn Finstad did not finish the race because of an asthma attack.

The top three Alaska men finished 11th or better, led by junior Marius Korthauer in fifth place. Junior Vahur Teppan placed 10th and freshman Henri Soom was 11th.

Jerome said that Soom placed well enough to remain in contention of a qualifying berth to the NCAA championships next month in Jackson, Vt.

"That was his best skate race of the season," Jerome said of Soom.

"Henri is a better classic skier so if he has a good race Sunday, he could still make it."

Sophomore Allan Spangler and freshman Anders Gillis rounded out the Alaska men's squad finishing 36th and 42nd in a field of 71 skiers.

Today's schedule features a 10K mass-start classic race for women and a 15K race for men. Marius Korthauer is the defending 15K champion.

"Marius will be motivated to defend his title and I'm sure he'll lay it all on the line," Jerome said. "In general, we're better classic skiers, so I think we'll come back with some strong performances."