Minnesota Scene: Orono skider edges Olympian in City of Lake Loppet race

Matt Liebsch from Orono beat four-time U.S. Olympian Torin Koos in a photo finish Saturday afternoon in the Hoigaard's Classic ski race as part of the City of Lakes Loppet Ski Festival.

Liebsch, 31, finished the 16.5-kilometer race in 37 minutes 1 second. Koos, 34, of Wenatchee, Wash., was one second behind.

The Hoigaard's Classic was supposed to be a full marathon from Theodore Wirth Park through the Minikahda Country Club to Lake Calhoun, but a lack of snow forced race organizers to contain the race on a man-made snow loop in Theodore Wirth Park.

In the women's race, Natalia Naryshkina, 30, from Verona, Wis., won the Hoigaard's Classic in 45:02. She also won the Finn Sisu Sprints the night before. Kathleen Dewahl, 28, of St. Paul, and Josie Nelson, 36, of Medicine Lake finished second and third, respectively, in the same time (49:21).

Koos won the men's Finn Sisu Sprints on Friday.

The classic races at the City of Lakes Loppet also included the 10K Puoli Loppet. Rich Ryan, 47, of Minneapolis, won the men's race (28:18). Amelia Schurke, 20, of Northfield, won the women's (32:28).

Erin Hawkins won the 60-meter dash and Devin Sanford the weight throw for the Gophers on Saturday in the Jack Johnson Classic at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse.

On Friday, junior Jess Herauf broke the Gophers' pentathlon record with 4,289 points. She had first-place finishes in the high jump (5-8½), shot put (44-10¾), long jump (19-2½) and 800 meters (2:16.17).

The Gophers overpowered Ohio State 196.325 to 194.550 in Big Ten women's gymnastics at the Sports Pavilion, winning all four events and the all-around title.

Junior Lindsay Mable won her fifth consecutive all-around title with a score of 39.500. She also took first in the vault (9.900) and floor exercise (9.950).

Jenny Covers won the uneven bars (9.850) and Hanna Nordquist the balance beam (9.900).

• The third-ranked St. Thomas women's basketball team beat visiting Augsburg 60-37 Saturday, becoming the first team to clinch a berth in the MIAC playoffs. … Elsewhere, Jordan Sammons scored 26 points as host Hamline beat Gustavus Adolphus 82-79.

• The Gophers women's tennis team edged Oregon 4-3 in Eugene, Ore. Aria Lambert won 6-2, 6-2 at fifth singles for the clinching point.

• The Gophers men's and women's swimming and diving teams both swept Purdue and Northwestern in a two-day, double dual meet. Sophomore Daryl Turner and junior Kierra Smith each had four first-place finishes to lead Minnesota's teams. The men ended their dual meet season with a 6-3 record, the women finished 8-1.