Northern Michigan University’s Luke Fricker strides forcefully during a past Wildcats’ meet. (Photo courtesy NMU)

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Luke Fricker was the leading men’s nordic skier from Northern Michigan University on two of the final three days of racing at the U.S. National Championships held in Lake Placid, New York, from Jan. 4-9.

Day 2, which was Jan. 6, was the freestyle sprint with a series of knockout stages that eventually produced a winner.

The opening qualifying round whittled a field of 366 down to just 30. Fricker led NMU in 54th overall and the top time among skiers from the Central Collegiate Ski Association in 2 minutes, 49.11 seconds, only three seconds out of a top-30 qualifying spot and eight seconds behind the fastest qualifier, six-year U.S. Ski Team member Zanden McMullen in 2:41.42.

Northern’s Caden Albrecht was 64th overall and second in the CCSA in 2:50.36, while teammate Jack Dahlby was 183rd overall in 2:59.31. NMU’s Jonathan Clarke was 216th in 3:01.48, Hendrik Peterson 221st in 3:02.01 and Adrik Kraftson 227th in 3:02.53.

On Jan. 8 was the 20-kilometer mass start as Fricker and Clarke paced Wildcats skiers. Fricker was 59th overall and fourth in the CCSA in 53:05.7 with Clarke not far back in 63rd and fifth in the CCSA in 53:14.5.

Fricker opened fast in 44th place at the first timing marker, while Clarke did just the opposite, coming out slowly in 72nd at the first marker and rising after that.

Albrecht was 83rd overall in 55:22.3 and Peterson 126th in 59:15.2 as the only other Northern skiers to compete.

Wrapping things up on Jan. 9, the freestyle sprint used a format identical to the classic sprint three days earlier.

Again, 30 skiers qualified out of 255 for the quarterfinals, with Albrecht this time leading the Wildcats in 23rd overall and 12th among collegians in 2:58.65.

He advanced to the quarterfinals, finishing fifth in his six-man group in 3:09.28 to end his run.

Fricker was next for Northern in 69th in 3:05.76, then Dahlby in 82nd in 3:07.18, Clarke 135th in 3:16.21 and Peterson 141st in 3:16.95. Kraftson didn’t finish.

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.