Ishpeming, Mich. – The Gustavus men’s and women’s nordic skiing teams competed in day two of the CCSA Championships on Sunday afternoon. Sunday’s race, which featured the freestyle technique, saw Scott Williams (Jr., Maple Grove, Minn.) finish 21st to lead the men and Marian Lund (Sr., Duluth, Minn.) finish 14th to lead the women.
For the men, Williams led the way in 21st with a time of 43:29.0. Tyler Gustafson (Jr., Grand Rapids, Minn.) followed in 24th with a finishing time of 43:30.6. Josh Blankenship (Jr., Maple Grove, Minn.) rounded out the top three finishers for the Gusties in 25th, crossing the line in 43:45.5.
“The guys had a strong day and were in tight with a bunch of St. Scholastica guys,” remarked Head Coach Jed Friedrich. “Our top three worked together for most of the race, which was fun to watch throughout the race.”
On the women’s side, Marian Lund led the way with a 14th place finish in a time of 38:13.6. Marit Sonnesyn (So., Plymouth, Minn.) was the second Gustie to finish. Sonnesyn crossed the line 17th in a time of 38:16.3. Mata Agre (So., Corcoran, Minn.) was the third Gustavus skier to finish in a time of 41:35.7 to place 31st.
“Marian and Marit led the way for the women,” stated Friedrich. “They didn’t feel the best, but they kept competing hard. It was not their best, but I was proud of they way they kept fighting. They will look forward to chasing top ten results next weekend.”
Both teams will be back in action next weekend when they take part in the NCAA Central Region Championships in Houghton, Mich. The two-day event will kick off on Saturday, Feb. 15th and conclude on Sunday, Feb. 16th.