November did not quite live up to its expectations here in Marquette. It’s December, and there is little to no snow to be seen on the ground. However, despite the lack of winter weather, hopes remain high for the NMU Nordic skiing team and coach Sten Fjeldheim. As for the snow situation, Sten said that the teams had just enough snow to train on over Thanksgiving break.
“We’ll make a decision this week on what we’re going to do. The folks up at Michigan Tech have been a little more fortunate with snowfall, and they’ve been generous enough to open their trails up to us in the past,” Fjeldheim said.
Sophomore Karmen Whitham said that the lack of snow doesn’t really affect the team as much as one might think. “This time of year, it’s really important to be flexible and ready for anything. There are so many modes of training in cross-country skiing that can give a solid conditioning effect. As long as you actually know how to ski when the races come, then you’re prepared.”
In the past, the ski team has been very successful, which Coach Fjeldheim feels will only give this year’s team more momentum to succeed. Last season, NMU had an NCAA All-American at the national championships and finished 12th as a team. In 2007, the women’s team made history by taking the podium twice.
“It definitely looks like we’ve got a couple guys and a couple gals who are looking to be All-Americans this year,” Fjeldheim said. “Specifically, I’d say Martin Banerud has a really good chance; he’s one of the favorites to win the national championships.”
There are also a few other skiers on the radar. This year, the team has gained three new members: two freshmen and a transfer student.
“One of the new freshmen from Sweden, Erik Soderman, is looking really good. And his sister, Marie Soderman, she’s also looking to perform well,” he said
Fjeldheim also added that he expects good results from his two senior captains on the women’s team, Christina Philips and Ingrid Fjeldheim. Andy Leibner, a transfer student from the University of Alaska at Anchorage is also likely to be a valuable addition to the Nordic ski team this year.
Some of the team’s goals include winning the conference championships (hosted at NMU), winning the regional championships and qualifying the whole team for the NCAA championships.
“I don’t want to tag my season and say my success depends upon a top 30 at U.S. Nationals or making the NCAA team but those are the parameters that are out there,” Whitham said. “As for the team I know we all have the strength and ability to be the best college team, both men’s and women’s. So we’ll shoot for that.”
Coach Fjeldheim has set the bar high for the team in his expectations, but it’s nothing they can’t accomplish, he said.
“Things are looking good. This is going to be one of the strongest teams we’ve had in years.”
The first scheduled meet for the Wildcats is this Saturday, Dec. 4 at 10 a.m. at Michigan Tech.
