A group of women racers, including several from Northern Michigan University, line up to begin a race at an NMU-hosted meet in a past year at Al Quaal Recreation Area in Ishpeming. (Photo courtesy of NMU)

BRILLION, Wis. — The men’s and women’s nordic ski teams at Northern Michigan University each claimed three of the top four places in their respective meets at the opening Central Collegiate Ski Association conference meet held in an area near Green Bay and Appleton, Wisconsin, on Sunday.

Saturday’s racing was canceled because of forecasted frigid conditions and moved to Sunday, with Sunday’s original schedule then scrapped.

It was still dipping close to below-zero temperatures even when the CCSA skiers did venture out at the Ariens Nordic Center in Brillion on Sunday.

Wildcats skiers still did well in the 15-kilometer interval start race.

NMU women

Junior Henriette Nilssen won in 32 minutes, 37.0 seconds, the fastest time by nearly a minute and a half as she had lap times of 8:02.4, 8:07.5, 8:10.7 and 8:16.4, each the quickest for those respective laps.

Runner-up was teammate and senior transfer Greta Leitheiser, who turned in a time of 33:51.3 on laps of 8:12.2, 8:32.1, 8:24.6 and 8:42.3.

Keeping NMU from sweeping the top-three podium spots was St. Scholastica’s Della Bettendorf in third in 34:09.5, though Wildcats graduate student Lauren McCollor was just a second later in 34:10.5 to finish fourth. Her opening lap was second-fastest to Nilssen in 8:08.2 before she added laps of 8:32.5, 8:46.7 and 8:42.9.

Also cracking the top 20 for NMU was junior Jordan Parent in 12th in 36:04.6.

Northern sophomore Lena Kjelstrup was 26th in 38:29.9 and freshman and Marquette Senior High School graduate Monet Argeropoulos was right after her in 27th in 38:50.9.

The Wildcats’ Riley Grossklaus was 32nd and Meija Peterson 36th.

Argeropoulos also competed in Saturday’s junior women’s 7.5K race, where she was eighth in 19:39.6 after laps of 9:43.1 and 9:56.5.

NMU men

While the Northern men missed winning this race, they jumped right into the next three spots.

Michigan Tech’s Wes Campbell won in 28:36.0, not quite six seconds ahead of Northern senior Luke Fricker, who was runner-up in 28:41.9. Fricker had lap times of 7:01.1, 7:09.9, 7:12.9 and 7:17.9, the last three the fastest or second fastest in the field.

Reigning CCSA Male Skier of the Year Adrik Kraftson, an NMU junior, was third in 28:58.9 on laps of 6:55.3, 7:18.2, 7:21.7 and 7:23.5.

And senior Jonathan Clarke made it three-in-a-row finishes for the Wildcats, coming in fourth in 29:15.4 on laps of 7:05.9, 7:17.6, 7:25.7 and 7:26.0.

Sophomore teammate Caden Albrecht was 11th overall and 10th among collegians in 30:15.8 on laps of 7:10.4, 7:46.3, 7:40.0 and 7:38.9.

Also for NMU, senior Hendrick Peterson was 16th overall and 14th in the CCSA in 30:45.5, while freshman Jack Dahlby came in 37th overall and 28th among CCSA skiers in 33:20.7.

Dahlby also competed in the junior men’s 7.5K on Saturday, finishing seventh among 58 skiers in 16:21.5 on laps of 7:51.3 and 8:30.1, his first lap the second-fastest in the field.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the meet. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.