NMU Nordic skiiers finish second at NCAA Championship

Courtesy of NMU Athletics

MIDWAY, Utah. – The Northern Michigan University Nordic skiing team finished second in men’s and women’s Nordic combined scoring at the NCAA Championships at Soldier Hollow Resort Saturday.

NMU finished seventh overall in the NCAA Skiing Championship with 239 total points. The Wildcats were the highest ranked team with only Nordic skiers competing and beat three schools that competed in all events.

Senior Rosie Frankowski battled for the lead in the women’s 15K freestyle race and ultimately finished in second overall just 1.8-seconds behind the winning skier.

“I am very happy with our skiers results,” said NMU head coach Sten Fjeldheim. “To think that a walk-on freshman would end up challenging the winner of the NCAA Championships in the final 50 yards is just unreal. I am so proud of Rosie and our entire team. The conditions were not ideal but one of our team’s slogans is ‘first you form an attitude, then it forms you!’ We came here with great attitudes, trained hard all summer and fall and we are coming home with six top ten all-American finishes as well as being the second best cross country team in the NCAA. The team is well deserving of the results they achieved here.”

Frankowski posted a time of 40:16.9 just behind the winner Eva Severrus of New Mexico. Her finish earned Frankowski All-American First Team honors.  Sophomore Hannah Boyer was 16th for the Wildcats posting a time of 42:18.7 while junior Mary Kate Cirelli was 22nd at 42:56.0.

Freshman Fredrik Schwencke led NMU on the men’s side earning All-American Second Team honors finishing sixth in the men’s 20K freestyle race with a time of 44:01.4. Junior Kyle Bratrud was the next Wildcat across the line finishing 13th in 44:11.5. Freshman Adam Martin finished 22nd with a time of 44:39.9.