Those Wildcats open their campaigns at the Duluth CXC Cup hosted by the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota, on Saturday and Sunday. The CXC, which stands for Central Cross County Skiing, opens NMU’s season in the Central Collegiate Ski Association, too.

The first day features a 1.5-kilometer skate sprint (freestyle) and day two the 7.5K classic interval start.

Fans can follow @nmu_nordic on Instagram, the NMU athletics website and official Facebook page for updates throughout the weekend.

NMU Sports Information mentioned several key returners on each Northern team in releases previewing the weekend and the season for the men’s and women’s teams.

Northern Michigan University men's nordic skier Kristoffer Karsrud, right, skis alongside a fellow competitor at the Canadians Ski Championships and U.S. Supertour Finals held at Whistler Olympic Park in British Columbia in a past season. (Photo courtesy NMU)

For the men, they include Kristoffer Karsrud, a graduate student who was named a 2022-23 All-CCSA First Team and All-Region First Team selection last season. He won both the classic sprint and freestyle sprint at the U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships last season and also won the freestyle sprint at the CCSA Championships.

Cooper Lennox will be a senior who was an All-Region First Team pick in the 20K mass start and All-Region Second Team selection in the 10K freestyle last year. He also finished fourth at the 20K mass start at the NCAA Central Region Championships.

Luke Fricker is a sophomore who was All-Region Second Team in the 20K classic mass start a year ago. He placed sixth in the 20K at the NCAA Central Region Championships.

Jonathan Clark is another sophomore who was also All-Region Second Team in the 20K classic start last year and finished just one spot after Fricker in the 20K at the NCAA Central Region Championships.

For the NMU women, Merle Richter will be a senior and earned All-CCSA First Team and All-Region First Team honors in the 20K mass start and 5K freestyle a year ago. She capped her season by winning the 20K classic mass start in the NCAA Central Region Championships and also competed at the NCAA Skiing Championships last season.

Northern Michigan University's Merle Richter shows her exhaustion at the finish line as she wins the women's 15-kilometer freestyle race at the Central Collegiate Ski Association Championships held at Al Quaal Recreation Area in Ishpeming on Feb. 12, 2022. (Journal file photo)

Pearl Harvey will be a junior who earned All-CCSA Second Team and All-Region Second Team picks last year in the 20K classic mass start and 5K freestyle. She finished in the top 10 in both her NCAA Central Region Championships events.

Kolibri Drobish will also be a junior who was an All-CCSA Second Team and All-Region First Team selection in the 20K classic mass start. She made the top five in the 20K classic mass start at the NCAA Central Region Championships.

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

fNorthern Michigan University's Pearl Harvey, right, leads St. Scholastica's Victoria Dybwad, left, and St. Cloud State's Cheresa Bouley during the women's 15-kilometer freestyle race at the Central Collegiate Ski Association Championships held at Al Quaal Recreation Area in Ishpeming on Feb. 12, 2022. (Journal file photo)

Kristoffer Karsrud

Merle Richter