The SJU Nordic ski team ends its 2011 season at the annual American Birkebeiner this Saturday, Feb. 26. Races are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at Telemark Lodge near Cable, Wis.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's finished seventh out of nine teams in the 10k skate race and eighth in the 10k classic at the 2011 NCAA Central Regional held last Saturday in Houghton, Mich. Senior Jared Sundstrom (Proctor, Minn.) led SJU in the skate race with a 15th-place finish (27:51). Freshman Kellen Witschen (Aurora, Minn./Mesabi East) followed in 39th (29:34), while sophomore Ethan Evenson (Mounds View, Minn./Irondale) crossed the finish line in 46th (30:15).

Witschen led the Johnnies in the 10k classic with a 39th-place finish (31:47). Senior Adam Johnson (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) followed close behind in 40th (31:55), while freshman Nate Engel (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) claimed 44th (32:08).

LAST YEAR'S BIRKIE: Juniors Bob Gerten and Grant Cook led SJU in ninth (2:36:37) and 10th place (2:36:48), respectively, in the 54k classic race at last year's Birkebeiner.

Sophomore Charlie Ward (Falcon Heights, Minn./Roseville Area) finished ninth out of 977 participants in the 23k Kortelopet Classic.

54k Classic (837 participants)
Bob Gerten – Ninth (2:36:37)
Trevor Drake – 10th (2:36:48)
Grant Cook – 11th (2:37:21)
Matt Palmquist – 48th (2:53:24)
Oumar Cherif – 118th (3:11:43)
Ethan Evenson – 133rd (3:15:21)
Ryan Lesch – 137th (3:15:44)

50k Skate (3,108 participants)
Jared Sundstrom – 129th (2:17:58)
Kevin Neal – 793rd (2:48:21)

23k Kortelopet Classic (977 participants)
Charlie Ward – Ninth (1:09:31)