The St. Olaf men’s and women’s nordic ski teams competed at the USCSA Nationals at Lake Placid, New York this past weekend. Both teams improved upon last season’s impressive results in which men’s nordic placed third and women’s nordic took second.
Women’s nordic secured wins in three out of four team events, including the 7.5k freestyle, 15k classic and freestyle team – their only loss came in the classic sprint, in which the team still managed a respectable second place. Breakout first year Stephanie Balas ’21 led the charge in the 7.5k, placing third overall with a time of 25:39.80. Fellow rookie Erica Meyers ’21 came third in the classic sprint and posted the Oles’ top time in the 15k classic, finishing sixth with a mark of 1:01:43.20. Other contributions to the team win came from veteran Rebecca Walton ’19 (1:01:56.50), Daisy Richmond ’19 (1:02:21.40) and Balas (1:02:24.90) finished right behind Meyers in seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively.
On the men’s side, star Tyler Radtke ’20 secured individual victories in the classic sprint and the 15k classic, helping the Oles to second place finishes in both events. His 50:28.40 time in the 15k blew away the competition, finishing over 14 seconds ahead of the field. Despite only winning the freestyle team sprint, St. Olaf placed second in every other event.
Combined, men’s and women’s nordic and alpine teams were awarded the President’s Cup in each gender, a prestigious honor reserved for collective excellence in every race throughout the week.
seidel1@stolaf.edu
