Montana State Records Best-Ever Finish at NCAA Skiing Championships

Saturday, March 12

Steamboat Springs, CO

9 a.m.

Montana State University

2016 NCAA Championships - Nordic Classical

The Bobcat ski team finished 4th at the NCAA Championships- the highest ever in school history.

Montana State Records Best-Ever Finish at NCAA Skiing Championships

3/12/2016 5:43:00 PM | Men's Skiing, Women's Skiing, Skiing

Montana State recorded 16 points in Nordic classic. The effort was good enough to give the Bobcats a fourth place finish- the highest in school history. MSU led the field after two days, and was in second heading into the final day. All firsts for Montana State.

By: Tom Schulz

Saturday afternoon on the final day of the 63^rd Annual NCAA Skiing Championships, Montana State recorded 16 points in Nordic classic. The effort was good enough to give the Bobcats a fourth place finish- the highest in school history. MSU led the field after two days, and was in second heading into the final day. All firsts for Montana State.

Denver captured the NCAA championship with 567.5 points, followed in the top five by Colorado 491.5, Utah 485, MSU 406, and Dartmouth 335.

MSU's highest finish in classic came from senior Cambria McDermott, who finished the 15-kilometer course in 56:42.6. She was followed by Johanna Taliharm, who placed 31^st in 1:00:08.4. Anika Miller, who became the first-ever female skier in school history to win an individual national title (freestyle), battled illness and was unable to finish Saturday's race.

Denver's Linn Eriksen won the women's classic crown in 54:37.6.

The Bobcat men were paced by Sawyer Kesselheim, who placed 27^th covering the 20K course in 54:02.3. He was followed by Forrest Mahlen, 30^th, 54:03.6, and Karsten Hokanson, 37^th, 55:20.5.

Mads Stroem of Colorado captured the men's individual title in 49:41.9.

"It was a tough day on a tough course with tough conditions," said MSU alpine coach Kevin Francis, whose squad cheered on its teammates throughout the course. "Warm temps made things slow. Sawyer Kesselheim broke a ski and had to have a new one run out to him in the middle of the course. Johanna Taliharm broke a pole strap. Anika Miller wasn't feeling well, an unfortunate day, but a great effort. They showed a lot of heart to close out a historic run for the Bobcats."

Montana State's previous best finish in the coed era was seventh, coming in 2012 and 2015.

In all, the Bobcats garnered an unprecedented eleven All-America honors, including David Neuhauser and Morten Bakke, who each captured First-Team and Second-Team All-America accolades.

In addition, the MSU men's alpine squad was the highest scoring contingent at the championships racking up 154 points.

"We had the best week in the coed era in the history of Bobcat skiing," Francis commented. "We let the rest of the NCAA teams know that there is another contender for the national championship."

Montana State will lose the services of Kesselheim, Mahlen and McDermott to graduation.