Northern Michigan University freshman Noah Bindas gets down the Whiteface Mountain course in the giant slalom as he finished in the top 10 to earn Second Team All-American honors at the USCSA Nationals in Lake Placid, N.Y., on Friday. (Photo courtesy NMU)

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Three skiers from the alpine teams at Northern Michigan University received All-American honors at the U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association Nationals held over five days last week at the site of multiple Winter Olympics.

Wildcats sophomore Kyan Hopke earned Second Team All-American status in the men’s giant slalom on Wednesday at Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, New York, then on Friday, men’s freshman Noah Bindas and senior Reed Heathman also were named Second Team All-American in the slalom.

Changing conditions, between cold and rain, then wind and slow, challenged all the skiers in the national collegiate finals.

With the women and men competing on alternating days in giant slalom and slalom, here is a rundown day by day:

Last Tuesday

On opening day a week ago, the women’s giant slalom was held with NMU getting off to a tough start as three skiers were unable to get both their runs in.

Therefore, Northern only finished in 19th on this day with a combined time of 8 minutes, 50.06 seconds.

Wildcats who did finish out were led by Onalee Wallis, taking 23rd with a two-run time of 2:20.82, while teammate Blanca Srock was close behind in 26th in 2:23.10.

Kaylee Byrne and Marquette Senior High School graduate Maddy Stern took spills in their first run, while teammate Tommie Springer was 10th after one run before she couldn’t get in her second run.

Julia Wiacek of Boston College was crowned national champion in this event, Rocky Mountain College winning the team title.

Wednesday

In the men’s GS, with fog and on-and-off rain in the morning and sun appearing for the afternoon’s second run, Hopke earned NMU’s first All-American honor by placing 14th in 2:07.50. He was a First Team All-American last year in this event as a freshman.

As a team, Northern was fifth of 25 competing schools in 6:34.53. Clarkson won in 6:16.21.

Hopke got his first run done in 1:05.22, 15th fastest with the three skiers going immediately before him not able to finish their runs. His second run was a faster 1:02.28.

Bindas, a freshman, was one of the first racers in the opening run and he had a good run going, according to NMU Sports Information in a news release about the day’s racing, but had to be waved off near the bottom when a previous fallen skier’s ski was lodged in the track.

He was awarded a restart but also was unable to finish the run, thus posting no score.

Anthony Petkov got through his runs in 2:10.33 for 21st, while Heathman was 33rd in 2:16.70.

Bindas was joined by Eli Heathman not being able to post a score.

Thursday

In the women’s slalom, a colder but windier day than previous ones, NMU placed 16th among 25 teams in 7:53.15, led by Springer finishing 25th in 1:47.79 in a field of more than a hundred skiers. Her runs were 53.27 and 54.52 seconds.

Stern was the only other Wildcat to score with 1:57.17 for 42nd.

Byrne got in one run of 55.93 before her second run wasn’t finished, while Ashley Schaffer and Srock didn’t get through their first runs.

The University of Connecticut won this title, as the NMU women overall finished in 17th place out of 26 schools, combining GS and slalom.

Friday

On the final day or regular competition, with Saturday a mixed-team event, Bindas and Reed Heathman shone with their All-American success.

Bindas was eighth in 1:33.19 as he did his second run in the seventh-fastest time of 45.46 seconds after opening with 47.73.

Reed Heathman was 14th in 1:34.32, his 47.59 fastest for NMU on the opening run before he added 46.73.

Petkov was 32nd in 1:40.06, while Hopke and teammate Cashton Jaeger didn’t get through their first runs.

Rocky Mountain won this event, with Will Patton of Hobart the individual victor in 1:30.00.

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