By Journal Sports Staff

GIANTS RIDGE, Minn. — A pair of Marquette Senior High School graduates led the men’s alpine ski team from Northern Michigan University at the USCSA Giants Ridge meet held in the town of the same name in Minnesota over last weekend.

MSHS grad Brad Seaborg claimed gold in the men’s giant slalom on Saturday, while fellow Marquette product Aaron Grzelak mined the same mineral in the men’s slalom on Sunday.

If anything, the NMU women were even more dominant, as Tommie Springer won GS as eight of the first 10 finishers were Wildcats, then in the slalom, reigning national champion in the event Reagan Olli led a Northern sweep of the three spots on the podium.

Here are details:

Seaborg, Springer in GS

On Saturday, Seaborg put together runs of 27.17 and 30.61 seconds for a 57.78-second total time in the giant slalom to beat Ethan Ross of St. Olaf by 0.21 of a second. His first run was the fastest of the day.

NMU’s Andrew Truman won the men’s bronze as he had runs of 27.64 and 30.86 for 58.50 seconds, his opening run third-fastest that day.

Grzelak was fourth with 27.68 and 30.90, each 0.04 of a second behind Truman as he totaled 58.58, while teammate Reed Heathman came in sixth with 27.86 and 31.12 for 58.98.

Also cracking the men’s top 10 were NMU’s Will Blackmer (28.06, 31.56, 59.62 total) in eighth and Mitchell Forsberg (28.25, 31.60, 59.85 total) in 10th. And their teammates Colin Dehart was 14th, Nathan Dehart 19th and Connor Abraham 20th.

In women’s GS, Springer led Northern’s dominance by winning with runs of 32.26 and 29.83 second for a 1:02.09 total, her second run the fastest that evening.

Ella Wichert was next for NMU in third as she posted 32.58 and 30.71 for 1:03.29.

The Wildcats also claimed every spot from fourth to ninth in this order — Olli, 32.85, 30.69, 1:03.54 total; Kaylee Byrne, 32.45, 31.26, 1:03.71 total; Maya Bubolz, 33.15, 31.31, 1:04.46 total; Cassidy Whitener, 33.71, 31.21, 1:04.92 total; Madalyn Stern, 33.97, 31.29, 1:05.26 total; and Emily Creek, 33.97, 31.29, 1:05.26 total.

Just missing the top 10 was Jacey Johnson in 11th, Erin Hoelzel 13th and Julie Greene 14th, while teammate Georgette Sake was 20th.

Grzelak, Olli big in slalom

On Sunday, Grzelak took over the top spot in the men’s slalom, posting runs of 37.62 and 41.46 seconds for a 1:19.08 total. His first run was fastest of the day and his second fastest by a Wildcat in that run.

Heathman moved up from fifth after one run to finish third with runs of 38.94 and 42.02 for 1:20.96.

Seaborg was fourth with 38.55 and 42.47 for 1:21.02, while Blackmer came in sixth with 39.51 and 43.47 for 1:22.98, Abraham 40.43 and 42.80 for 1:23.23 for eighth, and Nathan Dehart 41.32 and 43.21 for 1:24.53 for ninth.

Additionally, Forsberg finished 13th, Colin Dehart 16th and Truman wasn’t able to finish his second run after his first run of 38.35 was second-fastest of the day.

For the women in the slalom, Olli showed some of her national championship form, winning this event by more than a second with runs of 44.43 and 41.84 for a 1:26.27 total as her second run was fastest of the evening.

Wichert was runner-up with runs of 45.57 and 41.97 for 1:27.54, while Springer came in third with 46.25 and 43.16 for 1:29.41.

Byrne was fourth with 47.84 and 42.38 for 1:30.22, Creek sixth with 47.28 and 43.89 for 1:31.17, Stern seventh with 47.98 and 43.32 for 1:31.30, and Whitener 10th with 48.76 and 44.20 for 1:32.96.

Hoelzel came in 14th, Sake 17th, Greene 19th, Johnson 25th and Bubolz 30th.

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