STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. -- Bates Nordic senior captain Olivia Cuneo placed 39th in the 7.5K freestyle race in her NCAA Championships debut Thursday afternoon at Howelsen Hill.

Cuneo (St. George, Vt.) raced to the finish in 25:08.9, competing the first 2.5K in 7:55.5, reaching the 5K mark in 16:31.2, and narrowly missing a top-30 finish overall by less than a minute.

Cuneo is back in action on Saturday when she'll compete in the 20K classical technique race. Bates Nordic will take over the GoBatesBobcats Instagram story on Friday to give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the NCAA Championships.