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Ole Nordic skiers fight cold temperatures in St. Olaf invitational

Kevin Johnson
January 29, 2003

The Ole nordic skiers hosted the St. Olaf Invitational in Ironwood, Michigan this past weekend. The 5K freestyle race was held on Saturday, but the 10K race scheduled for Sunday was cancelled due to ten below zero temperatures and thirty mile-per-hour winds. The Ole men finished the Saturday event in fifth place, and the women finished in seventh place.

Considering the cold weather and new snow, the course held up well, as conditions remained fairly fast throughout the day. John Giese (Jr.) was the early leader with most of the favorites going out later. Jay Eidem (Sr. )'03 once again led the Ole skiers, with a 9th place finish. With Giese finishing 17th and Winthrop Smith (FY, ) rounding out the scoring in 31st, the Ole men secured a 5th place team finish on the day.

By the time that the women's 5K started, the winds had picked up, and the air became more frigid. Frost-bitten faces were the theme of the day for the women. The Ole women were led by Erin Forsythe (FY ) who missed her first top-20 finish by 2.1 seconds. The Ole scoring was completed by Mary Krusen (FY ) in 28th and Jenny Ester (FY, ) in 40th. With a team comprised exclusively of first-years this weekend, the Ole women managed a very respectable 7th place finish.

The nordic squad travels back to the Upper Pennsula of Michigan this weekend where they will compete in Marquette, MI. With the absence of top rated teams, the NCAA qualifiying points may be easier to achieve. The upcoming races may be some of the most important and most exciting races of the year for the St. Olaf skiers.

Contact Le Ann Finger at 507-786-3315 or finger@stolaf.edu.