On an almost unbelievable, history-making performance by its women's Nordic team in the 15k classic at Bohart Ranch, Vermont extended its overall lead at NCAA Championships and now sits 92 points ahead of Utah heading into the final day of competition. The women's race marked the first time in the history of NCAA Skiing Championships that two schools (in this case Vermont and Dartmouth) locked up the top six spots in a nordic race. Vermont is currently in the lead with 614 points, followed by Utah with 522 and Dartmouth who rebounded into third with 510 points.

Rapidly rising temperatures and extremely warm conditions made for tricky wax calls in the women's race. The competition was dominated by the EISA athletes who have battled one another for top positions all season long. Utah's Maria Graefnings was in the mix as well until the final 5k lap when she was strongly overtaken and dropped by the powering Vermont and Dartmouth squads. Amy Glen of Vermont took the photo finish win over Dartmouth's Sophie Caldwell. The margin of victory was less than two inches.

Glen's Catamount teammates Lucy Garrec and Caitlin Patterson finished third and fifth, respectively. They garnered a whopping 133 points as a team. Caldwell's teammates Annie Hart and Erika Flowers locked up positions four and six.  Utah's Maria Graefnings, the champion in Wednesday's freestyle race, ultimately finished in seventh.

The men's 20K classic race saw a gritty battle for victory between Utah and Montana State, as Miles Havlick and David Norris battled it out on a break for the win. Despite crashing and breaking a pole halfway through the race, Utah's Havlick was able to chase back on and claim the victory. "At the end of the second lap at that sketchy corner, I was trying to pass Norris on the inside. I caught a tip and just fell right on my face. The pole was fine until I got into the stadium, but then I made a big pole plant and it just snapped. Kevin [Sweeney] was on it and got me a pole right away, but I definitely spent a lot of energy trying to catch back up." Montana State's Norris finished second and Vermont's Franz Bernstein was third, contributing significant points to the Catamounts' success on the day.

On his women's historic performance and strong results from his men as well, Vermont head Nordic coach Patrick Weaver remarked, "Every weekend these same six women battled one another at Carnivals. I think they made each other faster. They're all talented athletes and we told them all year, every weekend, any one of you can win. And obviously getting a podium with Franz, that was a great way for him to end his college career with us. Alex hadn't been top-40 in a mass start classic race all year; so to be 17th at NCAAs, he really came through."

NCAA Championships conclude tomorrow (March 10) with the alpine slalom races at Bridger Bowl in Bozeman, Mont.

Team scores at the conclusion of Day 3 of NCAA Championships:
Vermont - 614
Utah - 522
Dartmouth - 510
Colorado - 495
Montana State - 405.5
Denver - 378.5
Alaska Anchorage - 360
New Mexico - 327.5
Middlebury - 249
Northern Michigan - 227
New Hampshire - 193.5
Williams - 120
Bates - 98.5
Alaska Fairbanks - 81
St. Lawrence - 80
St. Scholastica - 75
Harvard - 68
Colby - 49.5
Michigan Tech - 22
St. Michael's - 14
Colby-Sawyer - 11

Photo of historic women's 15k classic podium by C.J. Feehan