Complete Results

LAKE ELMO, Minn. -- It was an historic day for the St. Scholastica men's ski program at Green Acres recreation area as the Saints men grabbed their first ever Central Collegiate Ski Association (CCSA) team and individual win, in the US Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) SuperTour 20km freestyle pursuit. 

The pursuit format sent the winner of Saturday's SuperTour 10km mass start classic out first with each subsequent competitor chasing him from the time interval they finished behind on Saturday.  The CCSA College results were derived from the elapsed time on course for the day.

Michigan Tech's Mikko Harju was the first to take the course in the CCSA field with the Saints' Paul Schommer (Appleton, Wis./Kimberly HS) and Jeremy Hecker (Andover, Minn./Andover HS (Minnesota-Twin Cities)), starting 32 and 37 seconds back, the third and fourth collegiate starters, respectively.  Quickly, Hecker and Schommer came together and closed the five-second advantage MTU's Jesse Smith held on Schommer.  The three would form an unofficial alliance as they assailed Harju's pace further up the trail.

By 7km, the trio had taken 11 seconds out of the tall Huskie from Finland, but Harju was getting information on the course about the charge from behind as well, and used a strong train of SuperTour skiers to  turn that deficit 20 seconds the other direction and lead by 10 at the 14km mark.  By 17km as Harju struggled to meet the pace of his early comrades, Hecker pushed the pace of the chase trio and pulled within two seconds of Harju, with Schommer in tow a virtual nine seconds down and Smith 14 down to his teammate. 

A kilometer later, Smith cracked from the fierce pace being set by Hecker at the front, but Schommer hung tight to his teammate.  As the Saints duo rolled through the final kilometer mark with Smith out of the picture, Hecker had 2.5 seconds on Harju and Schommer in virtual third, five seconds back of Harju.  Hecker would more than double that in the closing meters, dropping Schommer by a few more seconds, taking the Saints' first-ever CCSA individual victory by 6.2 seconds over Harju, posting the 12th fastest time in the overall SuperTour field with 52:25.7. 

Harju posted 52:32.2, in second and 13th overall for the SuperTour.  Schommer took the third CCSA podium spot for the second day in a row, 15th overall in the SuperTour and 6.3 seconds behind Harju, in 52:38.5.  Saints sophomore Scott Johanik (Washburn, Wis./Washburn HS ) posted the sixth fastest collegiate time in 54:21.3, to round out the Saints scoring.  The Saints beat the Huskies, 74-73, to take its first CCSA team victory in program history.

“I don't think the race could have been more exciting,” said Saints head coach Chad Salmela. “Mikko had a really good group to ski with so when the guys closed on him so early, I thought maybe we would just surprise them and it would be a formality.  But it's never over.  Mikko's group increased the pace and suddenly it looked like he was going to ski away with it a half hour later.  When he got dropped, I just told the guys, 'hey, he's all alone and he is getting info on what you guys are doing.  You have to push now and swing the momentum your way.'  They did just that.  I wanted him (Harju) to hear they were closing in those final kilometers, because it's so hard to be alone and react to that.  It was an exciting race between the two teams, and the guys have such a good, friendly rivalry."

The weekend yielded the Saints their first CCSA podium finish—Schommer's third on Saturday--its first individual CCSA win, and first CCSA team win. 

“We knew UAF wouldn't be here all along, but when NMU decided not to show, we had a unique opportunity to win here,” said Salmela.  “With how Jeremy and Scott have been skiing, and knowing what Paul could do if we just found the right balance, I felt it would be a shame to leave here without setting some program firsts.  My brother who coached at a high level for years, always said at whatever level, it takes everything going well, and maybe a little luck to win.  We definitely did not have that luck yesterday, so to leave here with what we've accomplished this weekend feels nice.  Not entirely lucky, but things went our way today, because Tech skied well.  I think that's what so rewarding about today.  Tech skied well, and we still got the win.  They are a great team and great group of guys, and the race is always heated but friendly.  It's just nice to be on the right side of once.”

The weekend also doubled as the Minnesota College Championships.  The Saints won for a sixth straight year and have not lost since the program's inception.

The Saints take a weekend off from racing and head to Houghton, Mich. for the CCSA Championships February 11th and 12th.  After the first of three CCSA Championship events, the Saints go to Houghton in third place behind Alaska Fairbanks and Northern Michigan.