MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. – Sophomore
Lily Hubanks completed a sweep of the three individual titles, as the St. Olaf College women's Nordic skiing team was second and the men were seventh in the 15K skate to conclude the U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) National Championships on Thursday at Tamarack Cross Country Ski Center.
After winning the 7.5K classic and skate sprint the previous two days, Hubanks was the top finisher in the 15K skate by nearly two minutes on Thursday and was joined in the top five by junior
Julia Everest. Looking to complete a sweep of the team titles, the St. Olaf women finished three points behind the University of Wyoming with 24 points. The St. Olaf men wrapped up their performances with a seventh-place team finish with 73 points behind an All-America performance from senior
Ian Derauf.
Hubanks won her fourth USCSA individual national title with a time of 10:56:13.21 to lead the field of 44 competitors, while Everest clocked in in 10:58:41.71 to collect her third All-America accolade of the week in fifth place. Sophomore
Mira Tomten posted a 21st-place finish (11:03:37.43) and senior
Lucia Wyland checked in in 33rd (11:06:42.85).
Derauf paced the St. Olaf men with his top finish of the week by placing 14th overall in 10:41:40.95 and was joined in the top 30 by first year
Tait Myers, who was less than two minutes back of Derauf in 28th (10:43:32.83). Senior
Tor Hanson recorded the third counting finish for the Oles in 45th place (10:46:15.13).
By winning all three events, Hubanks finished atop the individual combined standings for the week, while Everest was sixth and Wyland and Tomten tied for 14th. Myers led the five Ole men in 20th, followed by Derauf in 21st, Hanson in 39th, first year
Felix Taracena in 46th, and first year
Liam Caputo Sullivan in 47th.
As a team, the St. Olaf women edged Wyoming by two points atop the team combined standings with 59 points, while the men were sixth with 201 points, one ahead of Cornell University. The St. Olaf women won the President's Award – for combined Nordic and alpine performances – for the second year in a row, while the men logged their second-straight top-three finish in second.