SOLDIER HOLLOW, Utah (csssaints.com) -- The Central Collegiate Ski Association (CCSA) racing season got underway at Soldier Hollow, Utah Friday with a women's 10km freestyle, as part of the 2013 U.S. National Championships for cross country. 

St. Scholastica sophomore Sharmila Ahmed (Savage, Minn./Burnsville HS) started the season off with a personal best CCSA conference finish of sixth place.  She stopped the clock in 33:19.6, good enough for 53rd overall the in National Championship field.  Rosie Brennan of Anchorage, Alaska, won in a time of 29:12.3.

Rosie Frankowski got the CCSA win for the Northern Michigan University Wildcats, in a time of 32:28.4, finishing 30th overall.  Lynn Duijndam of Michigan Tech finished second in 32:42.9, finishing 36th overall, and Heather Edic of Alaska Fairbanks rounded out the CCSA podium in 32:53.4 and 41st overall.

Sarah Allen (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS (Northern Michigan)), the only other Saints skier in the field, finished in a time of 34:33.7, good enough for 14th in the CCSA field and 93rd overall.

"Overall, I feel like it was a solid effort by both girls, but I also think we see clearly some of our challenges we continue to face and have faced in the last month," commented Saints head coach Chad Salmela. He noted that the team has had only one race start of a planned six races in December, and felt that has been a factor in both U.S. Nationals races.  "We have good overall fitness, but the skiers cranking at the top of the field have eight to ten races already if not more.  It is pretty clear that we simply have not raced enough, despite trying to offset races with hard workouts and time trials.  It's just not the same thing."

Ahmed also started the CCSA season similarly to the way she ended it; with strong physical performance marred by two falls on downhills. 

"It was a tricky hill and she just got tripped up by another fallen skier in the first lap, and I think the corners just got the better of her on the second lap.  I think she can see what's ahead of her with a little more race fitness and staying on her feet.  It's pretty promising.  But downhill turns are part of the sport, so we will be working on that in the coming weeks."

The small Saints contingent rounds out the competitive week in Utah, Sunday, with a CCSA women's 20km classic mass start for Allen, and a Junior World Championship Team Trials 5km classic mass start for Ahmed.

CCSA Women's 10km Freestyle
1.  Rosie Frankowski    NMU  32:28.4
2.  Lynn Duijndam   MTU   32:42.9
3.  Heather Edic   UAF   32:53.4
4.  Alyson  McPhetres   UAF   32:57.6
5.  Crystal Pitney   UAF   33:03.1
6.  Sharmila Ahmed (Savage, Minn./Burnsville HS)   CSS   33:19.6
7.  Jordyn Ross   NMU   33:34.5
8.  Marit Rjabov   UAF   33:52.2
9.  Theresia Schnurr   UAF   33:55.1
10.  Elizabeth Simak   NMU   34:19.2
14.  Sarah Allen (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS (Northern Michigan))   CSS   34:33.7