HOUGHTON, Mich. – Saints sophomore #Julia Curry# (So.-Woodbury, Minn.) posted her second straight top-20 finish at the NCAA Central Regional Championships today in Houghton, Michigan, finishing 18th in the women's 10 kilometer mass start freestyle.

Curry sat in 15th place for most of the race, went out hard, shooting for a top-10 finish. Her effort had her within 15 seconds of that goal for most of the race, but her early charge cost her three places in the final kilometers of the race, dropping her to 18th at the finish, in a time of 35:35.3. Alaska Fairbank's, Julia Pierson edged her twin sister and teammate, Anna Coulter, by ten seconds for the win with a time of 31:17.4 to Anna's 33:27.4. Junior #Megan Holmes# (Jr.-Gilbert, Minn./Mesabi East) finished in 29th with a time of 37:43.5, and junior #Caroline Lund# (Jr.-Duluth, Minn./East) rounded out the Saints team scoring in 34th with at time of 38:11.3. The Saints finished the day in seventh, and seventh overall for the combined weekend scoring.

“Julia had a stellar weekend and she's finally showing what she can do,” said Saints Head Coach Chad Salmela. “I was really happy with the way the whole women's team raced today as well. It was our best performance of the season. It gives us something to build off of for next year, sort of like an appetizer of what we are capable of.”

Curry will continue racing for one more big week of ski racing at the USSA Junior Olympics in Truckee, California next week. “I think Julia can really have some great races,” continued Salmela. “It's been a trying season for her up until recently and the momentum is just great going into JOs.”

NCAA CENTRAL REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WOMEN'S 10KM MASS START FREESTYLE
1. Pierson , Julia UAF 0:33:17.1
2. Coulter , Anna UAF 0:33:27.4
3. DeWitt , Laura NMU 0:33:28.4
4. Chaudoin , Kelly GAC 0:33:35.5
5. Fjeldheim , Ingrid NMU 0:33:37.3
6. Gillis , Christina NMU 0:34:33.3
7. Schnurr , Theresia UAF 0:34:36.5
8. Klein , Jenna MTU 0:34:38.6
9. Nowak , Christi CSB 0:34:39.7
10. Monahan , Kristen MTU 0:34:40.3
18. Curry , Julia CSS 0:35:35.3
29. Holmes , Megan CSS 0:37:43.5
34. Lund , Caroline CSS 0:38:11.3
52. Mueller , Katherine CSS 0:42:05.8
53. Donars , Amelia CSS 0:42:36.4

TEAM SCORES
1. UAF 92
2. NMU 88
3. MTU 70
4. GAC 64
5. UWGB 60
6. CSB 52
7. CSS 46
8. STO 38
9. SCSU 29
10. NOR 12

TWO-DAY COMBINED CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM SCORE
1. NMU 183
2. UAF 163
3. MTU 152
4. UWGB 130
5. GAC 124
6. CSB 105
7. CSS 87
8. STO 75
9. SCSU 59
10. NOR 24