Nevertheless, some members of the team have found success at U.S. Ski Association Federation of International Skiing series events.

Most recently, several skiers competed at the Atmore Cup in Duluth and Lutsen, Minnesota, last weekend when its limited race series capped participation at 100 competitors.

“Atmore Memorial is the premier FIS slalom in the Central Division,” an NMU sports news release quoted from the competition website. “Over its 40-year history, the race has developed a reputation as a first-class event.”

For the NMU men, Garrett Lundteigen won the Atmore Cup, coming in first place in three of his four slalom races. Freshman teammate Aaron Grzelak, a Marquette Senior High School graduate, was overall runner-up with a first, two seconds and an eighth-place finish.

Reagan Olli

“We are having good practices and the results are showing,” Northern head coach Erik Lundteigen said. “What a great 1-2 finish with Garrett and Aaron at the top. That is some high-level skiing against some great competition.”

Other individuals competing from NMU included Andrew Truman, who had 10th, 14th, 15th and 20th-place finishes, Colin Dehart, Jimmy Flom and Mitch Makela.

In the giant slalom, Grzelak led NMU with second- and third-place finishes, while Makela was fifth and 12th. Lundteigen, Truman and Dehart also competed.

For the Wildcat women, freshman Reagan Olli won the first giant slalom race and was second in the follow-up. Freshman Jacey Johnson, another MSHS grad, finished 16th and 23rd, while a third Marquette product, freshman Ainsley Kirk, was 17th and 21st as Brynn Rowell was 24th and 26th.

In the slalom, Olli finished fourth and eighth as Kirk came in ninth and 12th as Johnson and Rowell also competed.

Eric Lundteigen

“The girls team is also putting themselves in a position to be successful,” Coach

The final day’s racing was canceled for the women due to extreme cold.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.