Laura Valaas, a Whitman College junior from Wenatchee, Wash., made a little school history Wednesday, placing fifth in the women's 5-kilometer cross country classic ski race at the University of Utah Invitational at Soldier Hollow, Utah.
"That was an awesome performance by Laura," Whitman director of skiing Tom Olson said. "That's the best cross country finish we've had in our three years of NCAA skiing."
Melody Sheefer, Whitman's cross country ski coach, echoed that point, noting that "this is the first time we've had one of our nordic skiers place in the top ten."
The University of Utah Invitational, which concludes Thursday, marks the start of the NCAA ski season for Whitman and nine other schools in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA).
The University of Alaska's Mandy Kaempf, a junior from Steinbach-Hallenberg, Germany, won the women's race Wednesday with a time of 16:25. The University of New Mexico's Trine Lundamo, a junior from Harstad, Norway, was a distant second in 17:13.8. Valaas was clocked in 18:02.0 in placing fifth.
Whitman's Sarah Hardee, a senior from Bothell, Wash., also made a strong showing, placing 22nd in 19:41.1.
In the men's classic race Wednesday, Whitman got its best showing from senior Conor Flynn (Aspen, Colo.), who placed 29th with a time of 33:06.3 over 10 kilometers.
Also competing for the Whitman men were sophomore Charles Erdman (Williston, Vt.), 43rd, 37:35.7; freshman Loren Schmidt (Fairbanks, Alaska), 44th, 38:01.0; junior Alex Farnand (Bend, Ore.), 45th, 38:12.6; and freshman Travis Dixon (La Grande, Ore.), 47th, 42:05.4.
Two University of Denver skiers finished one-two in the men's classic. John Stene, a freshman from Trondheim, Norway, was the winner in 28:29.7. Teammate Rene Reisshauer, a senior from Oberhof, Germany, was second in 28:47.2.
Others finishing for the Whitman women were sophomore Emma Lohr (Anchorage, Alaska), who placed 31st in 20:05.5, and senior Tara Gregg (Winthrop, Wash.), who was 35th in 21:15.2.
In the women's team scoring, Whitman placed fifth with 47 points, ahead of Montana State and the universities of Colorado and Nevada, as well as Western State College and Boise State. Alaska was first with 73 points, edging New Mexico by one point. The universities of Denver and Utah were third and fourth, respectively.
"For us, beating some of the larger schools is very exciting," Sheefer said. Whitman is the only NCAA Div. III school in the ski conference.
The Whitman men finished ninth in their team scoring.
The cross country portion of the University of Utah Invitational concludes Thursday with the freestyle races.
Laura Valaas placed 25th for the Whitman women and Conor Flynn was 26th for the men's squad in Thursday's cross country freestyle races at the University of Utah Invitational at Soldier Hollow, Utah.
Valaas, a junior from Wenatchee, Wash., who placed fifth in Wednesday's classic event, was a "little disappointed in her race today," Whitman cross country ski coach Melody Sheefer said. "But she still had a solid effort."
Valaas finished the women's 5-kilometer course in 18:07.1. Teammate Emma Lohr, a sophomore from Anchorage, Alaska, enjoyed her best-ever college finish, placing 27th in 18:52.3. Seniors Tara Gregg (Winthrop, Wash.) and Sarah Hardee (Bothell, Wash.) placed 30th and 33rd, respectively, in 19:07.4 and 19:25.1.
Flynn had a "very good day" in the men's 10-kilometer freestyle, Sheefer said. "That's one of the highest finishes we've had in men's cross country in the past three years."
Flynn, who missed his junior ski season while studying abroad, finished Thursday's race in 30:13.5. Next in line for Whitman was freshman Loren Schmidt (Fairbanks, Alaska), who was 41st in 33:42.3.
Charles Erdman, a sophomore from Williston, Vt., who was 43rd in 36:18.8, finished one spot in front of freshman Travis Dixon (La Grande, Ore.) and his 36:21.9 time. Junior Alex Farnand (Bend, Ore.) fell on one of the hills and was 45th in 38:11.8.
The University of Utah's Daniel Sonntag, a sophomore from Medebach-Kustelberg, Germany, won the men's race in 27:11.5. The University of Colorado's Erling Christiansen, a junior from Oslo, Norway, was second in 27:12.
The University of Alaska's Mandy Kaempf, a junior from Steinbach-Hallenberg, Germany, dominated the women's racing for a second straight day. She won Thursday's freestyle in 15:13.1. The University of New Mexico's Trine Lundamo, a junior from Harstad, Norway, was also the runner-up for a second consecutive day, finishing in 16:08.3
The two-day University of Utah Invitational, which also included two alpine ski events, was the first NCAA competition of the season for Whitman and the nine other schools in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association. The University of Denver took first in the overall team scoring with 568 points. The University of Colorado was second with 488 points, two points ahead of third-place Utah. The universities of Alaska and New Mexico rounded out the top five. Whitman, the only NCAA Div. III school in the ski conference, finished in ninth place with 191 points.
"For our first weekend, I'm very pleased with our performances," Whitman director of skiing and alpine coach Tom Olson said. "That goes for alpine and cross country."
With Whitman still on semester break, Olson and his skiers will remain in Utah for more training on snow. They travel to Jackson, Wyo., on Jan. 13-14 for the next NCAA competition.
Whitman College junior Laura Valaas turned in her second consecutive stellar showing in the classic event, placing sixth in a field of 40 competitors as the University of Alaska Invitational's nordic competition got underway Friday at the Trail Creek Nordic Center near Jackson, Wyo.
Valaas, who placed fifth in the classic event at last week's University of Utah Invitational, completed Friday's 5-kilometer course in 19:52.6, just two seconds behind fourth-place Barbro Hatlevik, an University of Utah senior from Vagstranda, Norway. Valaas, a graduate of Wenatchee (Wash.) High School, finished less than four seconds out of fourth place.
"Laura continues to show a lot of strength in the classic event," Whitman ski coach Tom Olson said. "She's doing very well to start the NCAA season."
The University of Alaska's Mandy Kaempf, a junior from Steinbach-Hallenberg, Germany, won the women's race in 19:00.1
Others placing for the Whitman women included seniors Sarah Hardee (Bothell, Wash.), who was 30th in 21:27.3, and Tara Gregg (Winthrop, Wash.), who was 33rd in 22:04.8. Sophomore Emma Lohr (Anchorage, Alaska) placed 34th in 22:27.4.
In the men's 10-kilometer classic on Friday, Whitman freshman Loren Schmidt (Fairbanks, Alaska) placed 46th in 41:09.0. Junior teammate Alex Farnand (Bend, Ore.) was right behind in 47th place, finishing in 41:16.9. Also competing for Whitman were sophomore Charles Erdman (Williston, Vt.), who was 49th in 41:29.0, and freshman Travis Dixon (La Grande, Ore.), who was 52nd in 42:59.5.
The University of Colorado's Tor Erik Schjellerud, a senior from Gjovik, Norway, won the men's race in 32:14.2.
The nordic portion of the University of Alaska Invitational concludes Saturday with the men's and women's freestyle races.
Whitman's Laura Valaas, a junior from Wenatchee, Wash., continued her strong early season bid to qualify for the NCAA Skiing Championships by placing 12th in the women's 5-kilometer freestyle event at the University of Alaska Invitational, held Saturday at the Trail Creek Nordic Center near Jackson Hole, Wyo.
Valaas, who placed sixth in Friday's classic event, finished Saturday's freestyle course in 40:18.6. She started the NCAA season earlier this month with a fifth-place finish in the classic at the University of Utah Inivational.
Valaas and her teammates finished with 37 points, placing seventh among nine schools in the team scoring. The Missionaries beat both the University of Nevada-Reno and Western State College.
In the men's 10-kilometer freestyle Saturday, Whitman senior Conor Flynn (Aspen, Colo.) placed 27th in 46:49.0. As a team, the Whitman men were ninth with 19 points.
Others placing for the Whitman women were sophomore Emma Lohr (Anchorage, Alaska), 23rd, 42:20.7; senior Tara Gregg (Winthrop, Wash.), 31st, 46:27.9; and senior Sarah Hardee (Bothell, Wash.), 33rd, 46:54.0.
Rounding out the top three for the Whitman men were freshman Loren Schmidt (Fairbanks, Alaska), who was 40th in 52:59.7, and junior Alex Farnand (Bend, Ore.), who placed 42nd in 53:57.3. Also finishing for Whitman were sophomore Charles Erdman (Williston, Vt.), who was 44th in 55:22.9, and freshman Travis Dixon (La Grande, Ore.), who was 45th in 57:12.8.
The University of Colorado's Erling Christiansen, a junior from Oslo, Norway, won the men's race in 41:41.2. The University of Alaska's Kjetil Dammen, a freshman from Oslo, was the runner-up in 41:45.8.
Alaska's Mandy Kaempf, a junior from Steinbach-Hallenberg, Germany, continued to dominate among the women, winning her fourth race in as many events. Her time was 36:07.9, about 18 seconds in front of the University of New Mexico's Trine Lundamo, a junior from Harstad, Norway.
Whitman's nordic teams next compete Jan. 28-29 at Winter Park, Colo., in the University of Denver Invitational.
Competing in the weaker of her two disciplines, Whitman's Laura Valaas placed 23rd in the women's five-kilometer freestyle as the nordic portion of the University of Denver Invitational got started Friday at Snow Mountain Ranch near Winter Park, Colo.
Valaas, a junior from Wenatchee, Wash., finished in 15:34.1, about two minutes behind the winner, University of Alaska skier Mandy Kaempf (Steinbach-Hallenberg, Germany). In her two previous freestyle races this season, Valaas finished 12th and 25th.
The Denver Invitational continues Saturday with the classic race, where Valaas excels. She placed fifth and sixth in her two previous classic events this season.
Valaas has her sights set on becoming the first Whitman cross country skier to qualify for the NCAA national championships. A total of 22 cross country women from the western U.S. will qualify for nationals, based on their top two finishes in the freestyle and classic. As a member of the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association, Whitman has two more NCAA weekend events on its schedule after Saturday.
Seven other Whitman skiers competed in the men's and women's freestyle races Friday.
In the men's 10-kilometer freestyle, freshman Loren Schmidt (Fairbanks, Alaska) placed 44th in 30:53.2, edging senior teammate Conor Flynn (Aspen, Colo.), who was 45th in 30:59.1. Two more Missionary freshmen, Travis Dixon (La Grande, Ore.) and Robert Marcotte (Fairbanks, Alaska), finished 46th and 47th, respectively, in 31:03.2 and 31:55.5.
The University of Colorado's Erling Christiansen (Oslo, Norway) won the men's race in 24:51.2.
Others competing for the Whitman women were sophomore Emma Lohr (Crested Butte, Colo.), 31st, 15:56.2; senior Tara Gregg (Winthrop, Wash.), 33rd, 16:14.8; and senior Sarah Hardee (Bothell, Wash.), 36th, 16:38.7.
It was a tough day on the snow for the Whitman cross country ski teams as junior Laura Valaas finished 27th in the women's 5-kilometer classic to give the Missionaries their best showing in Saturday's University of Denver Invitational at Snow Mountain Ranch near Winter Park, Colo.
Valaas, a junior from Wenatchee, Wash., had wax problems with her skis and finished in 36:23.9. In NCAA classic races earlier this season, Valaas placed fifth and sixth.
Whitman's only other competitor in the women's race was Sarah Hardee, a senior from Bothell, Wash., who placed 32nd in 37:46.8. The University of New Mexico's Martina Stursova, a senior from the Czech Republic, won the race in 31:48.0.
Four Whitman skiers competed in the men's 10-kilometer classic, topped by senior Conor Flynn (Aspen, Colo.), who was 37th in 50:28.1. Also finishing for the Missionaries were three freshmen: Robert Marcotte (Fairbanks, Alaska), 40th, 52:52.7; Loren Schmidt (Fairbanks, Alaska), 41st, 53:52.5; and Travis Dixon (La Grande, Ore.), 43rd, 54:31.5.
The University of Denver's Rene Reishauer, a senior from Oberhof, Germany, won the men's race in 43:15.9.
Laura Valaas placed 15th in the 5-kilometer classic to lead the Whitman women's cross country ski team to a seventh place showing as the University of New Mexico Invitational got underway Friday at the Enchanted Forest Nordic Center near Red River, N.M.
Meanwhile, Conor Flynn placed 29th in the men's 10-kilometer classic, leading the Whitman men to an eighth-place finish.
Valaas, a junior from Wenatchee, Wash., finished her race in 19:40.2, less than 10 seconds out of tenth place. "This should help Laura solidify her spot at the NCAA national championships," Whitman director of skiing Tom Olson said. "I think she's probably a shoo-in at this point."
Next in line for the Whitman women in Friday's race were senior Tara Gregg (Winthrop, Wash.), who was 24th in 20:50.4, and sophomore Emma Lohr, who was close behind in 25th in 21:00.9. Senior Sarah Hardee was 27th in 21:12.6.
The Whitman women scored 40 team points, placing seventh, just eight points behind the University of Nevada. The Missionaries finished well ahead of both Western State College (19 points) and Boise State (18). The University of New Mexico was first in the women's scoring with 80 points, followed in order by the universities of Colorado, Utah and Denver. Montana State finished in the fifth spot, ahead of Nevada and Whitman.
Flynn, a senior from Aspen, Colo., finished the men's race in 34:55.0. Robert Marcotte and Loren Schmidt, a pair of freshmen from Fairbanks, Alaska, were next for Whitman, placing 33rd and 34th, respectively, in 37:48.7 and 38:42.8. Junior Alex Farnand (Bend, Ore.,) was 35th in 38:58.9.
As a team, the Missionary men scored 24 points to place eighth, ahead of the University of Alaska-Anchorage and its 16 points. The University of Denver was first in the men's scoring with 85 points, ahead of second-place Colorado and third-place New Mexico.
In the men's and women's combined classic scoring, Whitman placed seventh with 64 points, behind sixth-place Nevada but ahead of Western State, Boise State and Alaska-Anchorage.
The Czech Republic's Martina Stursova and Norway's Trine Lundamo, both of whom ski for New Mexico, finished one-two in the women's race Friday. Stursova was first in 17:46.8, while Lundamo finished in 18:05.9. Sweden's Muriele Hueberli, who skis for Colorado, took third place.
Norway's Haavard Selseng, skiing for Denver, won the men's race 30:00.5. One of his Denver teammates, Rene Reisshauer of Germany, was the runner-up in 30:03.1. Norway's Erling Christiansen placed third for Colorado.
The nordic portion of the New Mexico invitational concludes Saturday with freestyle races. The alpine portion of the invitational is taking place near Taos, N.M.
Competing at an elevation of about 10,000 feet, three members of the Whitman women's cross country team placed in the top 25 in a 5-kilometer freestyle race Saturday at the University of New Mexico Invitational near Red River, N.M.
Laura Valaas, a junior from Wenatchee, Wash., led the way, placing 20th in 19:52.0. Meanwhile, in the men's 10-kilometer freestyle, senior Conor Flynn (Aspen, Colo.) finished 28th in 33:57.3.
"They were challenging races for us because we're not used to the high elevation," Whitman nordic coach Melody Scheefer said. "We're looking forward to coming back down in elevation to compete in two weeks at Bozeman, Mont."
"All four of our women were looking good through the first three kilometers of the race," Scheefer said. "But there were several big hills toward the end, and again, breathing at that elevation is an issue."
Whitman senior Tara Gregg (Winthrop, Wash.), slowed by injury in recent weeks, placed 23d in 20:10.0. Sophomore Emma Lohr (Anchorage, Alaska) was 24th in 20:15.0, while senior Sarah Hardee (Bothell, Wash.) was 28th in 21:31.3.
"At one point in the race, Emma was in 10th place and skiing very well," Scheefer said. "It was one of her best freestyle races ever, even though she didn't have much left at the end."
Next in line for the Whitman was Loren Schmidt, a freshman from Fairbanks, Alaska, who placed 33rd in 37:04.5. Junior Alex Farnand (Bend, Ore.,) was 34th in 38:313.9, followed by freshman Robert Marcotte (Fairbanks, Alaska), who was 35th in 39:30.7.
Germany's Daniel Sonntag, who skis for the University of Utah, won the men's race in 28:34.1. Norway's Erling Christiansen, skiing for the University of Colorado, was the runner-up in 28:51.2.
As they did in women's classic race on Friday, The Czech Republic's Martina Stursova and Norway's Trine Lundamo, both of whom ski for the University of New Mexico, finished one-two in Saturday's freestyle. Stursova was the winner in 17:09.7, while Lundamo finished in 17:23.4.
The Whitman women finished seventh in the team scoring for nordic events. The Missionary men were eighth.
New Mexico, the host school, was first in the nordic team scoring with 302 points. The University of Denver was second with 292 points, followed by Colorado and its 281 third-place total.
Based on her performances earlier in the season, Laura Valaas is a virtual certainty to become the the first Whitman cross country skier to qualify for the NCAA national championships.
But Valaas, a junior from Wenatchee, Wash., wasn't coasting down the home stretch Friday at the Western Regional Championships at Bohart Ranch near Bozeman, Mont. She registered her best performance of the season, placing third in the women's 5-kilometer classic.
"Laura's race today was fabulous," Whitman director of skiing Tom Olson said. "Finishing third against that level of competition is just incredible."
The University of New Mexico's Martina Stursova, a senior from the Czech Republic, won the race in 16:21.4. The University of Alaska's Mandy Kaempf, a junior from Germany, was second in 16:51.1. Valaas was clocked in 17:12.0, finishing just ahead of skiers from Norway and Sweden.
Earlier this season, Valaas placed fifth and sixth in classic races hosted by the universities of Utah and Alaska. This is Whitman's third season of NCAA ski competition, and Valaas is the only Missionary cross country skier to place in the top 10 in a regular season race.
The nordic portion of the regional championships, as well as the NCAA regular season, conclude Saturday with the freestyle events. Those races represent a final opportunity for skiers to strengthen their qualifying bids for the national championships, which take place March 9-12 at Stowe, Vt. "Laura has basically had her spot at nationals locked up for a few weeks," Olson said. "She certainly didn't hurt her chances today."
Emma Lohr, a Whitman sophomore from Anchorage, Alaska, also remains in the running for one of the final cross country berths to nationals. She placed 30th in Friday's classic race with a time of 18:43.5. Seniors Sarah Hardee (Bothell, Wash.) and Tara Gregg (Winthrop, Wash.) placed 32nd and 33rd, respectively, in 18:50.4 and 18:54.5.
In the men's 10-kilometer classic on Friday, Whitman senior Conor Flynn (Aspen, Colo.) placed 26th in 32:40.8. Next in line for Whitman were two freshmen from Fairbanks, Alaska -- Robert Marcotte, who was 38th in 35:17.2, and Loren Schmitdt, who was 40th in 35:52.0. Travis Dixon, a freshman from La Grande, Ore., placed 42nd in 37:01.3, while Alex Farnand, a junior from Bend, Ore., was 43rd in 37:31.3.
Rene Reisshauer, a German who skies for the University of Denver, won the men's race in 29:04.5. Henrik Hoye, a Norwegian competing for the University of Colorado, was the runner-up, less than one second off the winning pace.
Whitman's Laura Valaas nailed down her spot at the NCAA National Skiing Championships on Saturday with a fifth-place showing in the women's 15-kilometer freestyle at the Western Regional Championships at Bohart Ranch near Bozeman, Monta.
But when Valaas packs her bags for nationals, slated for March 9-12 in Stowe, Vt., she won't be going alone. Teammate Emma Lohr, who placed 29th in Saturday's race, also earned one of the region's 21 berths for women's cross country skiing.
Valaas, a junior from Wenatchee, Wash., and Lohr, a sophomore from Anchorage, Alaska, are the first Missionary cross country skiers to qualify for nationals since Whitman began competing in NCAA skiing three years ago.
In placing fifth Saturday, Valaas registered her best freestyle finish of the season. Her previous best was a 12th-place showing last month in Wyoming. Her time was 45:56.3, 12 seconds in front of the sixth-place finisher.
"Laura put together a very intelligent race," Whitman cross country coach Melody Sheefer said. "She was somewhere around 15th early in the race, but she worked herself into fifth by the time it was over. It was another strong finish for Laura."
Lohr's time was 50:55.3. "That was a wonderful race for Emma," Sheefer said. "She was strong and relaxed the whole way."
In the men's 20-kilometer freestyle Saturday, senior Conor Flynn (Aspen, Colo.) took top honors for Whitman, placing 25th in 58:44.7. "I think that was Conor's best freestyle race of the season," Sheefer said. "He started toward the back of the pack and worked his way forward. Conor had a good race, and it was a great way for him to end his college ski career."
Four of Flynn's teammates placed in a pack from 38th through 41st. Two freshmen from Fairbanks, Alaska, Loren Schmidt and Robert Marcotte, finished 38th and 39th, respectively, in 1:06.49.8 and 1:07.47.2. Travis Dixon, a freshman from La Grande, Ore., was next with a time of 1:09.58.6, while Alex Farnand, a junior from Bend, Ore., finished in 1:13.59.1.
The only other Missionary competing in the women's freestyle was senior Sarah Hardee (Bothell, Wash.), who placed 35th in 53:28.5. Tara Gregg, a senior from Winthrop, Wash., sat out the race due to injury.
The University of Alaska's Mandy Kaempf, a German skier, won the women's race in 43:54.7. The University of New Mexico's Dirk Grimm, also a German, won the men's race in 53:36.4.
Whitman's Laura Valaas placed fifth in the women's 5-kilometer classic -- earning NCAA All-American honors -- as the cross country portion of the NCAA National Skiing Championships got underway Thursday at the Trapp Family Lodge near Stowe, Vt.
Valaas, a junior from Wenatchee, Wash, finished the course in 18:04.4, beating the sixth-place finisher, University of Denver sennior Tara Hamilton (Anchorage, Alaska), by eight-tenths of a second.
Whitman's Emma Lohr, a sophomore from Anchorage, Alaska, placed 37th in 20:13.2.
"As coaches, we're overjoyed and extremely pleased with the way Laura skied her race and finished strong at the end," Whitman cross country ski coach Melody Scheefer said. "She was in 12th place after the first kilometer but moved up to fifth by the time she finished. Earning NCAA All-American honors in nordic skiing is quite an accomplishment."
"Emma Lohr also had a good race today," Scheefer added. "She finished ahead of a few skiers who were seeded into the championships with faster times for this event."
"We're very proud of Laura and Emma and all of their accomplishments this season," Whitman director of skiing Tom Olson said. "Laura was tremendously excited after placing fifth. She was literally jumping up and down with joy."
Mandy Kaempf, a University of Alaska junior from Steinbach-Hallenberg, Germany, won the women's race in 17:19.3. Lindsay Williams, a Northern Michigan University junior from Hastings, Minn., was the runner-up in 17:29.1.
Martina Stursova, a University of New Mexico senior from Policka, Czech Republic, placed third in 17:49.3. Alison Crocker, a Dartmouth College junior from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., was fourth in 17:51.2.
Valaas is the first Whitman cross country skier to earn All-American honors since Whitman began competing at the NCAA level three years ago. Prior to that time, Whitman was a national powerhouse in the U.S. Collegiate Ski Association. At last year's NCAA championships, Whitman's Hannes Zirknitzer finished 10th in the men's slalom, earning alpine All-American honors.
Valaas was the only skier in Thursday's top five representing an NCAA Div. III (non-athletic scholarship) school. In the classic event's team scoring, Whitman was the only NCAA Div. III school to place in the top 10.
Valaas and Lohr scored a total of 44 team points on Thursday, which placed Whitman 10th in the team scoring. "It's an excellent showing for Whitman to finish 10th and have Laura earn First-Team All-American honors," Olson said. "We couldn't ask for anything more from our athletes and coaches (Scheefer and asst. nordic coach Rachel Samuelson)."
Thursday's cross country races were held in what Scheefer called "sunny, beautiful blue-bird" conditions. "The weather was good today, which was a nice break for us. The weather was terrible the past few days. First it was raining, then it turned very cold and windy."
Valaas and Lohr will also compete in Saturday's 15-kilometer freestyle race.
With the University of Vermont serving as the host school, the NCAA Skiing Championships got underway Wednesday with the first day of alpine competition. Whitman did not qualify any athletes for the alpine events, or for men's cross country competition.
Valaas, a mathematics major with a 3.787 cumulative grade point average, is one of four Whitman skiers who have earned Academic All-American honors, according to announcements made at the championships. Tara Gregg, a senior cross country skier from Winthrop, Wash., also nabbed academic honors, as did two of Whitman's alpine skiers -- Zirknitzer and Maria Corcorran, a sophomore from Bellevue, Wash.
In the men's 10-kilometer classic on Thursday, University of Denver teammates Rene Reisshauer (Oberhauf, Germany) and John Stene (Trondheim, Norway) finished first and second, respectively. The University of Colorado's Henrik Hoye (Oslo, Nortway) took third place, while Denver's Havard Selseng (Sogndal, Norway) was fourth.
The Trapp Family Lodge, where the nordic competition is taking place, was developed in the late 1960s as America's first cross country ski area, has 45 kilometers of groomed trails and 100 kilometers of back-country trails.
A week ago, after finishing third and fifth in the NCAA western region championships, Valaas was named the region's Skier of the Week in women's cross country.
Earning NCAA All-American honors for the second time in three days, Whitman's Laura Valaas placed ninth in the women's 15-kilometer cross country freestyle as the NCAA Ski Championships concluded Saturday at the Trapp Family Lodge near Stowe, Vt.
"Laura is overjoyed with her performances at nationals," Whitman director of skiing Tom Olson said. "She can't stop smiling."
Valaas, a junior from Wenatchee, Wash., finished in 48:07.8, just three-tenths of a second behind the eighth-place finisher, Johannna Turunen, a junior from Joensuu, Finland, who skies for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Valaas was three seconds out of sixth place, which was filled by Sandra Gredig, a sophomore from Davos, Switzerland, who competes for the University of Utah.
"Laura skied extremely well," Whitman nordic coach Melody Scheefer said. "She is definitely one of the strongest skiers on the women's college circuit. Her sprint finish over the final 200 meters today was awesome."
"Laura's performance today was incredible," Olson said. "She's just a smart, hard-core athlete. She let a lot of skiers go out fast and burn themselves out. Then, she kicked it into high gear and finished strong. Every time we looked she had passed five or six more people."
Emma Lohr, a Whitman sophomore from Anchorage, Alaska, also competed in Saturday's race, placing 38th in 54:04.9.
Mandy Kaempf, a University of Alaska-Anchorage junior from Steinbach-Hallenberg, Germany, dominated the race, winning in 46:18.8. One of Kaempf's teammates, junior Nicole DeYong (Anchorage, Alaska), was second in 46:54.8. University of New Mexico senior Martina Stursova (Policka, Czech Republic) was third in 47:10.8.
Kaempf also won Thursday's classic event. Valaas placed fifth in that event for Whitman. Valaas was the top NCAA Div. III finisher in both races.
Valaas and Lohr scored a total of 71 team points for Whitman in their two cross country events. Whitman placed 10th in the team scoring in each of the two women's cross country events. "To finish the NCAA championships ranked tenth at the national level in women's cross country is incredible," Olson said. "We also had the top finish among the NCAA Div. III women's cross country teams at the championships."
Valaas and Lohr are the first Whitman cross country skiers to qualify the national championships since Whitman began competing at the NCAA level three years ago. At last year's NCAA championships, Whitman's Hannes Zirknitzer finished 10th in the men's slalom, earning alpine All-American honors.
"For making its first appearance at the NCAA nordic championships, Whitman has done much better than anyone could have expected," Scheefer said. "Coaches left and right have been astounded at how well Laura has skied."
In the men's 20-kilometer cross country freestyle Saturday, University of Denver senior Rene Reisshauer (Oberhauf, Germany) was the winner in 55:57.38. Reisshauer also won the men's classic event on Thursday.
Two University of Colorado juniors from Oslo, Norway, Erling Chirstiansen and Henrik Hoye, placed second and third in Saturday's freestyle. Their times were 56:08.05 and 56:09.17.
Schools could qualify as many as 12 athletes for the NCAA Skiing championships -- three men and three women for the cross country events and the same number for the alpine events. Whitman did not qualify any skiers for the alpine competition, or for the men's cross country races.
In the overall team scoring for alpine and cross events, Whitman placed the 17th -- 21 points Boise State. The University of Denver won the national title, piling up 622.5 points. The University of Vermont, the host school, was second with 575 points, while the University of Utah was third with 545 points. Rounding out the top five were the University of New Mexico with 518 and Dartmouth College with 486.