Tech wraps up competition at the NCAA Skiing Championships Saturday
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Michigan Tech Huskies Nordic skiers wrapped up their final event Saturday, March 10 at the NCAA National Skiing Championships in Steamboat Springs, Colo. hosted by the University of Colorado. Gaspard Cuenot led the Huskies with his 21st place performance in the 10-kilometer classic race Thursday.
MTU participated in the Nordic events March 8, where all five skiers competed in the classic races. Tech's women, sophomore Amanda Kautzer and freshman Sarah Goble raced in the 5-kilometer race. Juniors Tom Bye and Gaspard Cuenot and freshman Reid Goble raced in the men's 10-kilometer competition. The team's final competition Saturday, March 10 consisted of the women's 15-kilometer race and the men's 20-kilometer race.
"We did not have the championship races that we were hoping for," said head coach Tom Smith. "I think overall the athletes were searching for their best races and gave their best efforts but unfortunately, they didn't have their best performances here. The altitude affected our team pretty heavily this week and our ability to compete with the higher end of the competition.
That being said, we are so proud of this team and what we have achieved overall this year. We will certainly use this as fuel to propel us into next season."
Collectively as a team, Michigan Tech compiled 11 total points. Tech did not compete in the slalom races, therefore, scores were solely based from the two events March 8 and 10. Denver University led the boards compiling a total of 644 points from all four of the ski events.
In Thursday's 5K classic race, Sarah Goble placed 31st in a field of 40 skiers. Goble cracked the line at 17:05.7, followed by Amanda Kautzer in 39th place with a time of 17:55.
Goble, positioned herself a spot ahead in Saturday's 15-kilometer freestyle race, crossing the line in 30th place at a time of 48:13.4 and Kautzer earned a time of 50:09.3 for the 39th spot.
In a field of 40 elite competitors, Gaspard Cuenot took 21st place in the men's 10-kilometer classic race Thursday. Cuenot finished with a time of 29:27. He also led the team in the men's 15-kilometer freestyle race in 33rd place, with his final time of 57:23.1.
Tom Bye placed 37th in the classic event with a time of 30:23.2 and edged back to 35th in the skate races. Bye's final freestyle time was 57:59.5. Teammate Reid Goble finished 40th in the field in the classic with a time of 30:49.6 and was 36th in the freestyle. Goble's freestyle time was 58:57.6.
Eric Houck and Patrick Acton had great success over the weekend at the Junior National Championships in Soldier Hollow, Utah. Houck placed 6th in the skate sprint in the U20 division and Acton took 4th place in the skate mass start.
These events will conclude the Huskies Nordic Ski Team's 2017-18 season.
