Pokljuka, Slovenia — Sean Doherty and Leif Nordgren had just one penalty between them during Friday’s 10-kilometer sprint at IBU World Cup in Pokljuka.

The clean-shooting Doherty, of Center Conway, New Hampshire, placed 26th and Nordgren, of Marine, Minnesota, had one penalty and finished 31st, giving both Americans berths in Sunday’s 12.5k pursuit.

“The boys gave us some hot skis today and I felt good and made the most of them,” said Doherty in a nod to Team USA’s wax technicians. “I am proud of my execution on the range and I’m looking forward to Sunday.”

Doherty finished with a time of 25 minutes, 1.4 seconds, placing him 1:15.1 behind winner Johannes Thingnes Boe of Norway.

Nordgren, despite missing a target in prone and skiing a penalty loop, stopped the clock just five seconds behind Doherty.

Boe took the lead at the first split and never looked back, finishing in 23:46.3 with one penalty. Antonin Guigonnat of France shot clean to finish with a career-best second place, 16.1 seconds back. Third place went to Russia’s Alexander Loginov, also 10-for10 on the range, 16.4 seconds behind Boe.

Travis Cooper (Kenai, Alaska) and Max Durtschi (Ketchum, Idaho), competing in just the second individual World Cup races of their careers, finished 103rd and 108th, respectively.

The IBU World Cup in Pokljuka continues Saturday with the women’s 7.5km sprint at 8:15 a.m. ET.

The race will include Americans Susan Dunklee (Barton, Vermont), Clare Egan (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) and Joanne Reid (Palo Alto, California).