Northern Michigan University’s Nordic Skiing teams captured both the men’s and women’s team titles last weekend at the Central Collegiate Ski Association Championships. The Wildcats also won three of the four combined individual titles between Saturday and Sunday.
The women took the team title with a perfect score of 222 points. Northern swept the top three scoring positions both days to defeat the field of six teams by a wide margin of 72 points. The men also claimed the team title, finishing just short of a perfect score with 213 points. The Wildcat men easily took the top spot by a 36-point margin.
In Saturday’s 5-kilometer classic style women’s race, the Wildcats swept the top five places with seven NMU skiers earning top 10 finishes. Senior Vivian Hett took first overall with a time of 15:49.20. She defeated the field by more than 30 seconds in her victory.
Senior Kristen Bourne and junior Nicole Schneider completed the scoring sweep, placing second and third, respectively. Bourne crossed the finish line in 16:29.40, while Schneider finished with a time of 16:30.60.
In Saturday’s 10-kilometer classic style men’s race, the NMU men’s skiers also swept the top three positions. Junior Ian Torchia earned first place by more than 45 seconds with at time of 27:28.90.
Junior Leo Hipp was runner-up with his time of 28:14.70. Not far behind, sophomore Mathias Aas-Rolid took the final scoring position for the Wildcats with a third-place finish. Aas-Rolid crossed the finish line with a time of 28:21.40.
Schneider took first in Sunday’s 15-kilometer freestyle race as the Wildcats swept the top six spots overall. Her time of 44:59.80 was two seconds better than Hett who was runner-up in the event.
Four Wildcats finished in the top ten of Sunday’s 20-kilometer men’s freestyle race, led by freshman Kjetil Baanerud. Baanerud finished second in the field of nearly 40 skiers, logging a time of 50:27.30.
Next up for NMU will be the Ishpeming Supertour and NCAA Regional at the Al Quaal Recreation Area in Ishpeming, Michigan, Saturday, Feb. 17 and 18 Classic races will take place on Saturday with freestyle races following on Sunday.
