Complete Results

HOUGHTON, Mich. – St. Scholastica sophomore #Eleanor Magnuson# (So.-Champlin Park, Minn.) turned in the best collegiate race of her brief career Sunday, staying with the lead group to the final dash to the line in the women's 10km mass start freestyle NCAA Central Regional Championships at Michigan Tech University.

Northern Michigan's Christina Gillis out-sprinted teammates Monica Markvardsen by 4.8 seconds and Laura DeWitt by 5.3 seconds to take the victory in 30:20.8 seconds. Magnuson finished a program-best sixth at the NCAA Regionals, just 13.1 seconds off the win in 30:33.1 seconds.

CSS junior #Julia Curry# (Jr.-Woodbury, Minn.) also posted a strong finish and personal best for the NCAA Regionals in 12th, with a time of 31:18.0 seconds, just 57 seconds off the win. Senior #Megan Holmes# (Sr.-Gilbert, Minn./Mesabi East) rounded out the scoring in her final collegiate race of her career, finishing 40th in 34:18.0 seconds. The Saints finished a program-best fourth on the day. Northern Michigan won with a perfect score.

Magnuson became the first Saints female skier to garner All-Central Region honors with an eighth place finish Saturday in the women's 5km classic, and becomes the first women's skier to earn that honor in freestyle, as well as the first to earn the honor twice.

“Both Eleanor and Julia had the best races of the season if you look at time off the winner,” said Saints head coach Chad Salmela. “Even though they've both placed higher, neither has been so in the race amongst the leaders like they were today, and some of those races did not have Alaska-Fairbanks present. It was an exciting and groundbreaking day.”

The Saints program unofficially failed to qualify a skier to the NCAA Championships for the third straight season. The Saints have sent a male skier the past two seasons. Magnuson is unofficially the second alternate for the Central Region, Curry the third. The official nominations will be made Monday.

“This was an amazing season for the women's program,” according to Salmela. “If we had the same quota of 11 like last season, both Eleanor and Julia would be going to NCAAs, with a position to spare, as they would have qualified ninth and 10th. We didn't have anyone close last year, which tells you the impact Eleanor's arrival has had and how big an improvement Julia made this year. I just hope we can win back some quota spots at NCAAs as a region. I think we have a good shot with the women who did qualify.”

The women's program took big strides this season according to Salmela. “If you look at the program from the perspective of past qualifying standards, the women's team absolutely arrived this season. And we've totally stepped up a notch in the team standings. I'm so happy with what the ladies achieved this year. We have great momentum going into next year.”

Sunday's race signals the completion of the Saints' fourth season.

NCAA CENTRAL REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Women's 10km Mass Start Freestyle
Houghton, MI
1 Gillis , Christina NMU 0:30:20.8
2 Markvardsen , Monica NMU 0:30:25.6
3 DeWitt , Laura NMU 0:30:26.1 3 28
4 Korthauer , Aurelia UAF 0:30:27.9
5 Soderman , Marie Helen NMU 0:30:31.1
6 Magnuson , Eleanor CSS 0:30:33.9
7 Riikonen-Purtsi , Henna MTU 0:30:40.0
8 Pierson , Julia UAF 0:30:42.3
9 Coulter , Anna UAF 0:30:44.3
10 Schnurr , Theresia UAF 0:31:02.0
12 Curry , Julia CSS 0:31:18.0
40 Holmes , Megan CSS 0:34:18.2
41 Wallis , Lindsay CSS 0:34:41.5
43 Lund , Caroline CSS 0:34:59.7
47 Johnson , Lindsey CSS 0:36:05.9
62 Johnson , Sarah CSS 0:38:30.2


Team Scores
1 NMU 30 29 28 87
2 UAF 27 24 23 74
3 MTU 25 17 15 57
4 CSS 26 21 6 53
5 CSB 20 19 10 49
6 GAC 18 14 13 45
7 UWGB 22 11 9 42
8 STO 16 7 4 27
9 SCSU 12 8 5 25

Combined Classic/FreestyleTeam Scores
1 NMU 174
2 UAF 145
3 MTU 122
4 CSB 102
5 CSS 99
6 GAC 89
7 UWGB 84
8 SCSU 53
9 STO 46