Complete Results

MINNEAPOLIS (csssaints.com) -- St. Scholastica senior Jeremy Hecker (Andover, Minn./Andover HS (Minnesota-Twin Cities)) matched program-best finish with all Central Collegiate Ski Association (CCSA) teams in attendance Sunday in the Men's 20km Classic Mass Start, as part of the USSA SuperTour at Wirth Park in Minneapolis. 

Hecker has the honor as the only Saint ever to win a CCSA race last season, but did so with powerhouse programs, Northern Michigan and Alaska Fairbanks not in attendance.  Today's second, much like Paul Schommer (Appleton, Wis./Kimberly HS)'s last season at the NCAA Regionals, was a horse of different color than the lone Saints win.

Hecker started slow, trailing slightly off the main SuperTour pack in the early stages of the race.  Hecker is a trademark slow starter which has cost him in mass start races in the past, losing contact with the lead pack early never to regain it.  CSS junior John Wessling (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS) took things out very fast and sat near the front of the main field early until a fall on a downhill turn caused him to play catch the rest of the race, while Hecker stayed calm and slowly over the nearly 50-minute race, weaved his way up the field to be in contention for the win with 2km left. 

As the Supertour field began its mad dash for the finish, skier after skier in the CCSA field who had been ahead of Hecker most of the race, slowly faded.  With 1km left, Michael Fehrenbach of Alaska Fairbanks was clearly coming apart physically while in second in the CCSA field.  Hecker capitalized on a fall by Fehrenbach, passing him quickly, then tried to gain on his Nannook teammate, Jonas Loeffler who held a 10 second lead over Hecker.  Hecker put a big dent in the time between himself and Fehrenbach by the finish but made no dent into Loeffler's lead.  Loeffler crossed the line eighth overall in the SuperTour with a CCSA-winning time of 48:06.7.  Hecker crossed the line 13.5 seconds later to claim the second CCSA spot and 16th in the overall SuperTour.  Fehrenbach would cede third to Northern Michigan's Chris Bowler by three-tenths of a second to give the Wildcats a podium placing with a time of 48:30.8, finishing 18th and 19th respectively in the SuperTour.

Hecker's performance tied the best full-CCSA-field finish and is the superlative individual classic result with full conference attendance.

Sophomore Chris Parr (Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS) posted his best CCSA finish for the second day in a row, with a 12th place finish, crossing the line 50:32.0. Wessling followed 10.1 seconds back in 50:42.1 in 15th.

The Saints posted a strong team statement for the second straight day, taking third spot with 61 points, behind Alaska's winning 74 points and Northern Michigan's 68.

The Saints men finished third on the weekend posting 119 points to Alaska's winning 146 point total, and second place Northern Michigan's 141 points.  The Saints men outdistanced rival Michigan Tech by 12 points.

For the first time in program history, the Saints finished third overall with combined men's and women's weekend scores.  Alaska Fairbanks won with 301, Northern Michigan finished second with 276, the Saints scored 225, while Michigan Tech finished with 213.

"You start a program, and you don't know where it's ever going to go," commented Saints head coach Chad Salmela.  "You work hard, you train hard, you analyze things, and you try to put smiles on your skiers' faces.  That's a harder task than you might think."

Salmela has been the only coach of the program, now in its seventh season.  He felt the weekend was a watershed for the program. 

"This is not a widely-followed sport in general.  Few people know, understand, follow, or care what we do.  But those who do, know what this weekend shows.  It's a big deal for a kid to come to a Division III program, and go toe-to-toe with Division I and II program, and actually be competitive.  This was probably the best weekend of Saints ski racing top to bottom, and I'm so proud of this team.  And I don't think this is a fluke.  I think this is where we are.  And after seven years, it feels really good."

CCSA NCAA Qualifier
Men's 20km Classic Mass Start
Wirth Park, Minneapolis

1. Jonas Loeffler   UAF   48:06.7
2.  Jeremy Hecker (Andover, Minn./Andover HS (Minnesota-Twin Cities))   CSS   48:20.2
3.  Chris Bowler   NMU   48:30.8
4.  Michael Fehrenbach   UAF   48:31.1
5.  Tyler Kornfield   UAF   48:38.6
6.  George Cartwright   NMU   48:42.6
7.  Erik Soederman   NMU   48:54.0
8.  Lex Treinen   UAF   50:02.8
9.  Max Olex   UAF   50:02.8
10.  Matt Wong   MTU   50:10.9
12. Chris Parr (Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS)   CSS   50:25.9
15.  John Wessling (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS)   CSS   50:42.1
16.  Scott Johanik (Washburn, Wis./Washburn HS )   CSS   50:57.6
22.  Matt Lee (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji HS )  CSS   53:04.4
25.  Jake Morgan (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS)   CSS   53:34.7
28.  Kasey Bacso (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS)   CSS   53:42.3
30.  Mike Widmer (Bend, Ore./Summit HS (Central Oregon Community College))   CSS   53:49.4
31.  Kelin Dunfee (St. Paul, Minn./St. Paul Central HS)   CSS   53:50.3
43.  Ryan Wright (Wyoming, Minn./Forest Lake HS)   CSS   56:17.0