WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. – St. Scholastica junior #Eleanor Magnuson# got the Saints women's ski season underway in West Yellowstone, Mont., finishing 56th in the 10km freestyle race, Friday.
Kate Fitzgerald of the Alaska Pacific University upset 2010 U.S. Olympian and APU teammate, Holly Brooks, who was fresh off a double-sprint showdown winner from Thursday. Fitzgerald edged Brooks by a mere 1.1 seconds over the 10km course. Relative unknown the North American racing scene, Maria Graefnings of the University of Utah, finished third in 28:06.9. Magnuson, the loan Saints women's skier on the start, finished in a time of 34:45.3.
“It was really tiring,” said Magnuson after the race. It was Magnuson's first race of the season, and West Yellowstone's 7000 feet, along with longer 10km length, affected Magnuson. “It was hard to go any faster,” she said.
“It's good to come out here and get on snow early, but it's also good motivation for the rest of the season,” said Saints head coach #Chad Salmela#. With the meat of the NCAA racing season still over a month away, Salmela says he never prepares his athletes for success this early, at these races.
“The level of competition is some of the best we see all year, so even though we aren't prepped to race well, it keeps us honest,” said Salmela. “It's like jumping off the deep end. You may not be ready to swim fast, but you've got to swim. It's good motivation to stay focused as we move into the season. Eleanor got a good dose of the deep end today, but I know what she can do and this is just prep work for bigger and better things when it matters to us a little more. It's a solid start for what I want to see.”
The Saints conclude Supertour competition and their on-snow camp in West Yellowstone Saturday with the women's 5km classic.
WOMEN'S USSA SUPERTOUR 10KM FREESTYLE
WEST YELLOWSTONE, MT
11/26/10
1 FITZGERALD, Kate APU Nordic Ski Center 27:56.9 0 0.00
2 BROOKS, Holly APU Nordic Ski Center 27:58.0 +1.1 0.52
3 GRAEFNINGS, Maria 25 FSR University of Utah Ski Team 28:06.9 +10.0 4.77
56 MAGNUSON, Eleanor St Scholastica 18 34:45.3 +6:48.4 194.84
