RUMFORD, Maine â€Â“ The NMU menâ€Â™s and womenâ€Â™s crosscountry ski teams competed at the U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships thatwere held last week in Rumford, Maine.  A number of NMU alumni also competed in theevent.

On the first day in the womenâ€Â™s 15K classic six skiers withNMU ties placed in the top 21.  AubreySmith placed 10^th with a time of 48:53.6.  Placing 15^th and 16^thfor the â€Â˜Cats were Lindsey Weier (49:37.1) and Hilary Patzer respectively.  The next three were Rachel Daw in 18^thplace with a time of 49:57.8 just ahead of Melissa Oram (50:10.4) in 20^thplace and Lindsay Williams was 21^st (50:17.8).

On the menâ€Â™s side on the first day, Chris Cook was sixth inthe 30K classic with a time of 1:19.23. 

The second day of competition saw Daw finish in eighth placeoverall in the 5K classic in a clocking of 15:44.7.  She was the third American in the event. Ã‚  Smith was 13^th (15:56.8) asPatzer was 14^th (15:56.9) in the event.  Weier placed 20^th in the event asshe skied the course in a time of 16:06.6.

Matt Weier placed 17^th in the 10K classic with atime of 27:03.2 as former â€Â˜Cat, Cook was 19^th (27:06.1).

Smith placed seventh in the 5K freestyle event with a timeof 13:30.0.  Daw was 15^th(13:45.4) as she was followed by Oram and Williams as they tied for 21^st(13:55.5). 

M. Weier was 16^th in the menâ€Â™s 10K freestyle witha clocking of 24:22.9 as Cory Wubbels was 30^th in the event(24:48.6).

On Friday, January 8, Williams placed fifth overall in thewomenâ€Â™s sprint.  She was the fourthAmerican and the 19-U Junior Champion. Daw was 12^th in the event followed by Smith in the 13^thspot.

On the menâ€Â™s side in the sprint event Cook was seventh.

The final event of the championships was the menâ€Â™s 50K massstart and the womenâ€Â™s 30K mass start.  M.Weier finished sixth (2:15:20.6) and Wubbels was 10^th(2:17:43.2).  NMU ski coach, StenFjeldheim covered the course in 1:33:40.8. Smith placed second in the womenâ€Â™s event with a time of 1:30:25.6.  Patzer was a little over a second behind Smithwith a time of 1:31:45.4.  NMU assistantcoach, Jenny Ryan was 12^th overall in the event and the ninthAmerican with a time of 1:48:38.4.

The NMU womenâ€Â™s team finished second among collegiate teamsat the event with 232 points as Alaska Fairbanks was first with 233points.  Middlebury and Utahtied for the menâ€Â™s honors with 239 points. NMU was fifth with 197 points.

Daw was selected for the U.S. Team that will compete at the U-23World Cross Country Ski Championships which will be held at Soldier Hollow, Utahin February.  Morgan Smyth qualified forthe U.S. Junior World Team, which will be held at Stryn, Norway later this month.