RESULTS

DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) - St. Scholastica relay team 2 of Ellie Evans (New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Cooper HS), Chelsey Youngberg (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) and Anita Kirvesniemi (Simpele, Finland/Joensuun Yhteiskoulun Lukio (New Mexico)) outskied CSS team 1 teammates Liz Peterson (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake HS), Allison Ternes (Vadnais Heights, Minn./White Bear Lake HS) and Sharmila Ahmed (Burnsville, Minn./Burnsville HS) at the Minnesota College Ski Championships 3x5km freestyle relay at Snowflake Nordic Center by 19.2 seconds to take back the title they lost by just seconds to a strong Gustavus team in 2014. CSS 2 crossed the line in 48:49.5 to CSS 1's 49:08.7. 

St. Olaf claimed third overall, but second in the championship in a time of 51:05.0, while St. Cloud State, who held strong to third overall and second for the championship, but faded down the stretch, rounded out the podium in fourth overall and third in the title hunt, clocking 51:10.1. 

"I didn't really have a number 1 or number 2 team today. At least that's not how I entered them in my mind," said Saints head coach Chad Salmela. "I tried to create two almost exactly even teams, but had to name one of the '1' and one of them '2'."  

Based on current seasonal team rankings, Salmela said this is how he had to label them but the semi-upset of the second team over the first wasn't a surprise, but what Salmela was looking for on the day.

"I knew we were really strong and deep, so I divvied up the pot equally to make a race of it." And a race it was. Peterson of CSS 1 and Evans of CSS 2 entered the tag zone just inches apart and Peterson and Ternes got tangled a bit in the exchange.   

It was CSS 2's Youngberg who opened a  gap on Ternes in the second leg to give Central Collegiate Ski Association (CCSA) Skier of the Week, Anita Kirvesniemi (Simpele, Finland/Joensuun Yhteiskoulun Lukio (New Mexico)) an 11.2 second gap on Ahmed of CSS 1.  Kirvesniemi grew that gap to 19.2 seconds by the finish to claim the win. 

"Chelsey really was the x-factor for CSS 2 to grab the title," according to Salmela.  "She put in a great second leg for them and that was really the difference, I think. She knows that trail really well and showed it today. It's kind of a nice feather in the cap to win today for her."

The Saints host the CCSA Conference Championship for the relay and sprint next weekend at Spirit Mountain in Duluth.