Soldier Hollow, Utah – The Gustavus Adolphus men’s and women’s nordic skiing teams competed in the U.S. National Championships on Friday. In a challenging field, Marian Lund (Jr., Duluth, Minn.) captured the top spot for the Gustie women in 104th place, and Josh Blankenship (So., Maple Grove, Minn.) was the top finisher for the men in 153rd place. No team scores were kept.
On the women’s side, Lund finished her 10k in 34:58.5 to record a 104th place finish. Erica Hett (Sr., Burnsville, Minn.) crossed the line in 35:41.5 to place 117th while Marit Sonnesyn (Fy., Plymouth, Minn.) was the only other Gustie woman to finish in the top 150 with a 139th place rank in a time of 37:00.2.
In the men’s 15k race, the Gusties were led by Josh Blankenship, who finished in 153rd place in a final time of 44:12.5. The only other Gustie to finish in the top 200 was Zach Wagner (Sr., Marquette, Mich.). Wagner finished in 47:25.7 for 198th place.
The Gusties will return home on Sunday, Jan. 6th and will next compete in the first of three NCAA qualifiers in St. Paul, Minn. on Saturday, Jan. 19th and Sunday, Jan. 20th.