RIPTON, Vt. — It didn’t get much better than Saturday, with sunny skies and spring-like conditions for the last day of the NCAA Skiing Championships at Rikert Nordic Center.
Colorado University (CU) senior Joanne Reid dropped the women’s field in the 10-kilometer freestyle mass start and teammate Eliska Hajkova hung on for silver, lifting the Buffs ahead of the University of Vermont (UVM) in the team standings.
In the men’s 20 k freestyle race, the University of Utah took center stage with senior Miles Havlick defending his 2012 NCAA Championships mass-start title. Rune Ødegård placed second to help CU finish on top for its 18th national title, and another Norwegian, Einar Ulsund, finished third for Utah to bump the team to second overall.
For more photos from the 2013 NCAA Skiing Championships, visit Flying Point Road Photography. All proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation (NNF).
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert
Start of women’s 15 k freestyle mass start at the 2013 NCAA Skiing Championships at Rikert Nordic Center in Ripton, Vt.
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 15 k freestyle mass start
CU takes the lead early with Joanne Reid up front and Eliska Hajkova (4) right behind.
Hajkova (r) and event
Maria Nordstrom (CU) and Mary O’Connell (Dartmouth)
The road between spectator viewpoints at Rikert Nordic Center
Hajkova leading Reid, Dusser and O’Connell
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 15 k freestyle mass start Hajkova, Reid
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 15 k freestyle mass start O’Connell
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 15 k freestyle mass start Nordstrom
Utah’s Rose Kemp leading Anya Caldwell Bean (UNH) and Silje Benum (DU). Benum placed fifth, Bean was sixth and Kemp finished ninth.
Jessica Yeaton (MSU)
Annie Hart (Dartmouth)
Rosie Frankowski (NMU), who placed seventh
Reid leads Dusser (UAA)
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 15 k freestyle mass start Dusser, Hajkova
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 15 k freestyle mass start O’Connell
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 15 k freestyle mass start Hart, Bean, Benum
Hajkova (r) and Dusser chase Reid (not shown)
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 15 k freestyle mass start O’Connell
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 15 k freestyle mass start
Reid enters stadium alone
Reid wins by nearly 27 seconds
Hajkova (l) and Dusser duke it out for second
Hajkova (l) edges Dusser for silver
CU teammates Reid (c) and Hajkova celebrate at the finish while third-place finisher Dusser (UAA) looks on
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 15 k freestyle mass start Reid, Hajkova
Dusser is congratulated
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 15 k freestyle mass start
Joanne Reid 2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 15 k freestyle mass start winner
Between races
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert freestyle mass start
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2013 NCAA Championships Rikert freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert freestyle mass start
Marine Dusser with her UAA team at 2013 NCAA Championships Rikert freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert freestyle mass start
University of Utah Nordic coach Miles Havlick was a two time NCAA Champion during his career for the Utes, including winning the 20 k skate race at NCAAs in Middlebury, VT in 2013.
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
Dartmouth’s Sam Tarling leads on A-climb on first lap
Sam Tarling 2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
Eventual-third place finisher Einar Ulsund (Utah) leads Patrick Madden (MSU) on the first lap
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
Havlick leads Viktor Brannmark (UAA) and Rune Ødegard (CU)
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
Rune Ødegård (CU) leads Ulsund on third of four laps
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Tarling (l) and Ben Lustgarten (Middlebury) chase
Lustgarten 2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
Havlick and Silas Talbot (Dartmouth)
Tarling and David Norris (MSU) move to front
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
Erik Soderman (NMU) takes control early on last lap. He went on to place fourth.
Ulsund checks behind him
Ulsund leads halfway through
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
Spectators line the fence before the finish awaiting the race leaders
Ødegård (4) passes Tarling (5) on final rise to take lead
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start Rune Odegaard
Havlick leads the chase
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
Utah teammates Havlick and Ulsund embrace after taking first and third, respectively.
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
2013 NCAA Championships Rikert 20 k freestyle mass start
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2013 NCAA Championship 15 k freestyle mass start women’s podium
2013 NCAA Championship 20 k freestyle mass start men’s podium
