HANOVER, N.H. - Saint Michael's College Nordic skiing senior Declan Hutchinson (Duluth, Minn./Marshall School) and sophomore Oliver Miatke (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East) made their NCAA Championship debuts on Thursday during the 7.5K classic race at Oak Hill Outdoor Center. The four-day event features the top NCAA Division I, II and III Alpine and Nordic skiing student-athletes.
 
CARNIVAL FACTS

• Through two days of competition, one by each Alpine and Nordic racers, Saint Michael's as a college stands 16th among 23 schools with 26 points, within range of 12th-place Bowdoin College (35), 13th-place Boston College (34), 14th-place Westminster (Utah) University (29) and 15th-place University of Nevada (27.5).
• Hutchinson and Miatke are just the third and fourth Saint Michael's men's Nordic skiers to qualify for an NCAA Championship, as multiple Purple Knight Nordic competitors - men or women - are taking part at the same NCAA Championship for the first time.
• Saint Michael's student-athletes are competing at their fifth NCAA Championship under Molly Peters, who has sent three Nordic skiers to a pair of national meets while qualifying two individuals and the women's team for three NCAA cross country championships. Now in her 19th school year guiding women's cross country, 13th with Nordic skiing and fourth leading men's cross country, Peters is the only coach in College history to qualify the school for NCAAs in multiple different sports.

MEN'S LEADERS

• Senior Declan Hutchinson (Duluth, Minn./Marshall School), 29th in 7.5K classic, 23:44.8
  • 12th finisher from East
  • Started in No. 13 bib
  • Tied Jens Johansson '00 for 2nd-best finish ever by a Saint Michael's men's Nordic skier at an NCAA Championship, after Johansson was 29th in 1999 10K freestyle. Johansson's 21st-place showing in the 20K classic that year remains the program standard
  • 1st career NCAA Championship appearance
• Sophomore Oliver Miatke (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East), 35th, 24:26.4
  • 15th finisher from East
  • Started in No. 6 bib
  • 1st career NCAA Championship appearance

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S EVENT

• Hutchinson and Miatke compete in the NCAA Championship mass-start 20K freestyle on Saturday at 10 a.m.
• Alpine skiing senior Helene Kristoffersen (Rælingen, Norway/Dønski VGS) and sophomore Aidan Robin (Stowe, Vt./Burke Mountain Academy) conclude their segment of the NCAA Championship on Friday with the giant slalom at 9:30 a.m.