Alaska-Anchorage's Benjamin Sonntag is out front as the lead pack of skiers rounds a corner during the NCAA skiing championships' 20-kilometer freestyle cross-country race, Mar. 11, 2006, in Steamboat Springs, Colo. Sonntag eventually finished second. The winner, Colorado's Kit Richmond, is out of sight behind Sonntag. Also pictured are UAA's Brian Gregg (12) and CU's Henrik Hoye (19).
Photo by Associated Press.

 

UAA adds 3 more All-Americans

NATIONALS: Seawolves finish sixth at NCAA meet after trio finishes in top 10 in 20-K freestyle.

By BRIAN SINGLER
Anchorage Daily News

Published: March 12, 2006

In a largely individual sport, teamwork earned UAA nordic skier Benjamin Sonntag a spot on the podium Saturday.

Sonntag's second-place finish in the men's 20-kilometer freestyle race added to the Seawolves' saga of strong individual finishes at the NCAA Ski Championships.

About 5 kilometers into Saturday's race, a lead pack of 10 skiers had formed going into the hill climb on the second leg.

Sonntag broke into the lead and teammate Kjetil Dammen slowed the pack, giving Sonntag the chance to establish a 15-20 second lead.

"It was a pretty bold move to pull away," head nordic coach Trond Flagstad said by telephone from Steamboat Springs, Colo. "You feel tougher when you have two teammates around."

Sonntag, Dammen and Brian Gregg, who was also in the pack, have learned to sacrifice for each other all season.

"We talk about strategy" and helping each other, Flagstad said. "I was screaming, "Ben, go for it, go!

"If he breaks away, he could go by himself. Kjetil was definitely the second guy, and the rest of the guys couldn't pass him. We thought Ben would take it home."

Eventually, the University of Colorado's Kit Richmond passed Sonntag to win by 1.7 seconds in 55 minutes 14.7 seconds.

Gregg followed in sixth in 55:40, and Dammen was ninth in 56:44.

The three top-10 finishes for UAA -- the first time that's happened at the NCAA championships in school history -- was redemption after Thursday's disappointing classical races in which no Seawolf finished higher than 11th.

"I was extremely disappointed in Thursday," Sonntag said. "It didn't work out. Today was like a big relief."

It gave UAA six All-Americans in 2006 and 61 in program history, moving the Seawolves from ninth place to sixth in the final team standings.

For the 22nd consecutive year, UAA posted a top-10 team finish with 451 points. The University of Colorado won the national title with 654 points.

UAA's best finish in history was fifth.

"We're kind of disappointed," Flagstad said. "We had higher hopes. Fourth place was our goal. At least we're one place better than last year."

In the women's 15-K race, two top UAA skiers crossed the finish line in tandem: Kasandra Rice 14th in 49:02.5 and Nicole DeYong 15th in 49:02.9.

Rice was a little disappointed after finishing fifth in Thursday's classic race to earn all-American stature.

"I was really excited -- that was one of the best races I ever had," Rice said. "To go out and prove myself, be 10 to 11 seconds away from somebody who just went to the Olympics.

"I felt like I established myself."

But perhaps the most surprising result by a UAA skier came from sophomore Timothee Theaux, who surprised the alpine field with a second-place finish in the slalom late Friday night.

He posted the fastest time of the day on his second run to record a two-run total of 1:14.37, just .52 from the top spot.

A Seawolves alpine skier hadn't finished that high since 1997, and no UAA alpine skier had been an All-American since 1998.

Kristina Repicinova was UAA's other all-American after her seventh-place finish in the giant slalom Wednesday.

"People are excited, and we had a pretty successful season," Rice said. "Now, you can enjoy everything and soak it in."

Daily News reporter Brian Singler can be reached at bsingler@adn.com.

NCAA Skiing Championships At Howelson Hill Nordic Center, Steamboat Springs, Colo.

Saturday's Nordic Results

Team Results -- 1) Colorado 654; 2) New Mexico 556; 3) Dartmouth 537.5; 4) Denver 522; 5) Vermont 516; 6) UAA 451; 7) Middlebury 412; 8) Utah 400; 9) New Hampshire 309; 10) UAF 271; 11) Nevada 259; 12) Bates 189; 13) Montana State 185; 14) Northern Michigan 154; 15) Williams 137.5; 16) Colby 130.5; 17) Western State 126.5; 18) Whitman 62.5; 19) Michigan Tech 62; 20) Boise State 50; 21) St. Lawrence 25; 22) Wisconsin-Green Bay 22; 23) St. Olaf 17; 24) Gustavus Adolphus 9.

Men's 20 kilometers

1) Kit Richmond, CU, 55:14.7; 2) Benjamin Sonntag, UAA, 55:16; 3) Erling Christiansen, CU, 55:20. Other UAA and Alaska finishers -- 6) Brian Gregg, UAA, 55:40; 8) Bart Dengel, UAF, 56:18; 9) Kjetil Dammen, UAA, 56:44; 17) Erik Wickstrom, UAF, 57:38; 25) Mark Iverson, MSU, 59:19; 34) Christian Coe, MSU, 1:01.34.

Women's 15 kilometers

1) Jana Rehemaa, CU, 46:27; 2) Johanna Turunen, UAF, 46:37; 3) Evelyn Dong, MID, 46:38. Other UAA and Alaska finishers -- 14) Kasandra Rice, UAA, 49:02.5; 15) Nicole DeYong, UAA, 49:02.9; 24) Pavla Havlova, UAF, 50:12; 31) Sally Johnson, UNR, 52:15.

i