Northern Michigan University men’s nordic skier Luke Fricker takes part in a Wildcats’ meet earlier this season. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MINNEAPOLIS — The men’s and women’s nordic ski teams at Northern Michigan University tasted plenty of success last weekend and each were crowned champions of the Central Collegiate Ski Association.

The Wildcats and other conference teams competed at the CCSA Championships at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis last Saturday and Sunday. The meet also doubled up as the Loppet Junior Qualifier and Super Tour event with youthful professional racers included.

Day one included the 10-kilometer mass start with the second day consisting of the 10K freestyle interval start for both men and women.

NMU has this weekend off, but heads off on Friday for the two-day NCAA Central Region Skiing Championships to be held at Spirit Mountain in Duluth, Minnesota. Good finishes there would net Northern a trip to the NCAA Championships scheduled for March 12 and 14 at the Crosscut Nordic Center in Bozeman, Montana.

Here are details from the conference meets:

Men

Last Saturday in the 10K mass start, every Northern man finished in the CCSA’s top 20, including three in the top five.

Senior Luke Fricker led the Wildcats, winning the race among CCSA and all collegiate racers and coming in second overall in 24 minutes, 1.2 seconds, just 0.9 of a second behind overall winner Reid Goble of the BSF Pro Team.

Junior Adrik Kraftson was next for NMU, finishing third in the CCSA, fourth among collegians and 15th overall in 24:42.2. Just in front of him was CCSA runner-up Markus Groethe of Michigan Tech.

And Northern senior Jonathan Clarke was fifth in the CCSA, sixth among collegians and 20th overall in 25:01.3.

Additionally for the Wildcats, sophomore Caden Albrecht finished in 26:28.2 to place ninth in the conference and 42nd overall, while senior Hendrik Peterson clocked 27:33.2 to come in 18th in the CCSA and 56th overall.

In Sunday’s 10K freestyle, NMU swept the top two spots and had two more skiers in the top 10 of the conference.

Kraftson won the CCSA title in 22:05.9, also finishing second among college racers and 10th overall. His time was less than a minute behind the overall winner and within 10 seconds of the college victor.

Fricker was second in the CCSA, third among collegians and 13th overall in 22:13.2. The No. 3 conference racer was MTU’s Wes Campbell.

Also for Northern, Albrecht clocked 23:43.0 to finish eighth in the CCSA and 42nd overall, while Clarke came in at 23:59.0 to place 10th in the conference and 46th overall.

Peterson clocked 24:14.3, good for 12th in the CCSA and 51st overall, while freshman Jack Dahlby timed 26:41.4 to be 29th in the conference and 105th overall.

Women

The Wildcats had the top two finishers and five in the top 10 of the CCSA in Saturday’s 10K mass start.

Junior Henriette Nilssen led both NMU and the conference with her time of 30:11.3 to place second among college skiers and ninth overall, finishing within a minute of the overall fastest skier.

Senior teammate Greta Leitheiser was second in the conference, third for collegians and 14th overall in 30:47.6, as the CCSA podium was rounded out by third-place Della Bettendorf of St. Scholastica.

Rounding out the top 10 for NMU was graduate student Lauren McCollor, freshman Emma Klevenburg and freshman and Marquette Senior High School graduate Monet Argeropoulos.

McCollor was sixth in conference and 22nd overall in 31:46.2, Klevenburg eighth in the CCSA and 25th overall in 32:17.5, while Argeropoulos was 10th in the conference and 33rd overall in 33:09.5.

Two more Wildcats just missed the CCSA top 10 — junior Jordan Parent was 12th in conference and 36th overall in 33:16.3, while sophomore Lena Kjelstrup was 14th in the CCSA and 40th overall in 33:20.4.

Rounding out Northern’s finishers were freshmen Meija Peterson in 19th in the CCSA and 48th overall in 33:50.7 and freshman Riley Grossklaus 23rd in the conference and 56th overall in 34:30.4.

In Sunday’s 10K freestyle, Nilssen again won for CCSA skiers while leading NMU to four spots in the top 10.

Nilssen came in at 25:04.4, less than a minute behind the winner as she was second among collegians and seventh overall.

Geitheiser was fourth in conference and 16th overall in 25:31.1, McCollor seventh in the CCSA and 25th overall in 26:06.1, while Klevenberg came in 10th in the conference and 31st overall in 26:57.8.

Also cracking the top 25 for the Wildcats was Grossklaus, 21st in the CCSA and 52nd overall in 28:22.0, and Argeropoulos, 25th in conference and 68th overall in 29:13.6. Parent, Peterson and Kjelstrup did not finish.

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