SOLDIER HOLLOW, UTAH – JC Schoonmaker won the men's freestyle sprint race to claim his first career national title at the LL Bean US National Cross Country Skiing National Championships in Utah.
Schoonmaker finished second in qualifying and easily advanced to the final after winning both his quarterfinal and semifinal heats. He spent most of the final in the middle of the six-man field before slingshotting around the leader on the final downhill and sprinting to the win in time of 3:21.05.
The race also doubled as the first race of the Utah Invite. Schoonmaker's finish was the highest finish by a Seawolf at the US National Championships since Eric Strabel finished second in 2006 in a race that was held on the same course.
"Winning a national championship is great," said associate head coach Trond Flagstad. "He was the favorite, but so many things can happen. He entered the race confident but not cocky. He executed the plan."
UAA had three women finish in the top-10 in the Utah Invite results. Astrid Stav led the Seawolves with a seventh-place finish followed by Pascale Paradis in eighth. Tuva Bygrave was 10th with Tuva Granoeien in 18th.
Sydney Palmer-Ledger of Utah won the women's race.
Other finishes for the men included Magnus Noroey in 10th, Sigurd Roenning 14th, Espen Persen 20th and Peter Hinds 21st.
Utah leads the team standings with 187 points. Alaska Anchorage and Colorado are tied for second with 148 points, and Alaska Fairbanks is fourth with 133 points.
UAA will compete in the freestyle races at the LL Bean Cross Country US National Championships Tuesday.
