Six Huskies and two alternates represented Michigan Tech on Thursday, Mar. 12 and Saturday Mar. 14 for the NCAA Skiing Championships in Midway, UT. Michigan Tech was the only team in the NCAA Central Region to qualify a full team of three men and three women to the NCAA National Championships according to the Michigan Tech Athletics department.
For the men’s races, Markus Groethe, a freshman Engineering Management student from Vinstra, Norway, placed 16th in the 7.5 km race and 27th in the 20 km race with times of 19:47.5 and 49:38.3 respectively. Placing 27th in the 7.5 km race and 12th in the 20km race with times of 20:19.9 and 46:52.1 respectively was Wes Campbell, a senior Computer Engineering student from Park City, UT. Noa Kam-Magruder, a freshman from Anchorage, AK, placed 35th in the 7.5 km race and 39th in the 20 km race with times of 20.43.7 and 55:11.9 respectively. The men’s alternate for these events was Sam Stertz, a senior Economics student from Grand Rapids, MN.
As for the women’s races, Bridget Burns, a junior Environmental Engineering student from Spokane, WA, placed 22nd in the 7.5 km race and 38th in the 20 km race with times of 29:03.5 and 58:42.6 respectively. While a junior from Oakdale, MN, Greta Hansen, placed 25th in the 7.5 km race and 30th in the 20 km race with times of 29:36.7 and 56:09.5 respectively. Placing 28th in the 7.5 km race and 29th in the 20 km race with times of 29:53.0 and 56:09.0 respectively was sophomore Julia Junkkala, from Sastamala, Finland. Hannah Smart, a junior from Sotkamo, Finland, was the women’s alternate for these events.
Competing Nordic Skier AJ Westanmo, a freshman Computer Science major remarks “Junior Nationals is always a super fun week. It’s where all the best junior athletes come together to represent their region of the USA, so the competition is always high.”
For more information about the Nordic ski team, feel free to contact Tom Monahan Smith the Head Coach at thjsmith@mtu.edu, or Kristen Monahan Smith the Assistant Coach at kemonaha@mtu.edu.
