Complete Results
HOUGHTON, Mich. – St. Scholastica sophomore #Jeremy Hecker# continued to show strong form at the Saints ski team's first regional collegiate test, the Husky Challenge men's 10km freestyle hosted by Michigan Tech University on Saturday.
Hecker finished third and on the podium in a time of 28:14.7, 1:30.8 down to Northern Michigan's All-American, Martin Banerud. NCAA All-American, Andy Liebner, now racing for Northern Michigan after a two-year hiatus from NCAA competition and transfer from Alaska-Anchorage, finished second in 27:44.3. The Husky Challenge is an early season tune up race with a four-team field that included Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Wisconsin-Green Bay, and the Saints.
CSS senior #Waylon Manske# helped Hecker break the stranglehold the Wildcats tried to put on the top of the running order, finishing fourth in 28:53.5, to put two Saints in the top five. The Wildcats showed their depth taking places 5-7, putting five skiers in the top 7, but it was the Saints again in eighth and ninth with freshman, #Scott Johanik# scoring for the Saints and finishing eighth, 1.7 seconds ahead of teammate, sophomore #Kasey Bacso# in ninth. The race was all NMU and CSS with the two teams taking all of the top ten spots between them except for Michigan Tech's Jesse Smith in the 10th spot. The Wildcats won the team event with the Saints finishing second.
“We don't focus much on racing well early, but the results for the men today are less about being in great form at the moment and more a statement of where we are as a program now,” said Saints head coach #Chad Salmela#. “Nobody on our team felt super jazzed about their performance, most saying they felt like it really hurt and were a little flat.” Salmela was encouraged by the results, but also sober. “This is kind of where I want them this early, so the results being what they are, are quite encouraging, though (NMU's) Banderud put the wood to the field. I think if our guys get better along with NMU's best guys, we will have a good year. It's that simple.”
The Saints men and women combined to finish second as a team on the day. The men race the 10km classic Sunday in Houghton.
