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Ole Nordic Ski Teams Open Season at Michigan Tech

Fred Kueffer
January 15, 2001

This past weekend the St. Olaf Nordic Ski team competed in the Michigan Tech University Invitational in Ishpeming, Michigan. These races were the first events of the Central Collegiate Ski Association.

Throughout January and February, the Ole nordic ski team competes at the Division I level against teams from the Central Region, and through these qualifying races, individuals attempt to qualify for the NCAA Championships in early March. These championships involve 40 of the top collegiate skiers in the country.

Over the weekend races, the Oles surprised the Central Region with its impressive results. In the classical technique races on Saturday, the men's team had one of their strongest results in a few years by placing a close third behind Northern Michigan University and University of Alaska at Fairbanks. Jay Eidem (Bloomington, Minn.) led the team with a 13th place finish with teammates Fred Kueffer (Shoreview, Minn.) and Kevin Hochtl (Vail, Co.) following right behind Eidem in 14th and 15th. Just slightly off the pace was Nate Christopherson (St. Paul, Minn.) in 18th, but his results emphasized the depth of the men's team this year. On the women's side, the Oles finished 5th in a very tough field. Dawn Youngren (Roseville, Minn.) led the team with a 13th place finish while teammates Margie Tilman (St. Louis Park, Minn.) and Sonja Bostrom (St. Paul, Minn.) finished in 14th and 20th. On Sunday the team competed in the freestyle technique. Both teams received outstanding performances from a few individuals. The highlight of the races was Sonja Bostrom's (St. Paul, Minn.) 7th place finish which earned her important qualifying points towards a berth at the NCAA Championships. Sonja's performance set a solid foundation for her attempt to return to the National Championships. She qualified for the championships in Rumford, Maine her first year. Behind Bostrom's efforts, the women placed 4th in the team standings for Sunday's event.

On the men's side, Jay Eidem (Bloomington, Minn.) finished with a strong 10th place finish, and Kevin Hochtl (Vail, Co.) in 15th. These results helped the men's team finish 4th for Sunday's race. Next weekend, the Oles compete in a MIAC Invitational held in Winona, Minnesota.

Contact Pat Buresh at 507-786-3315 or buresh@stolaf.edu.