Ruth Oppliger Assistant Coach | Northern Michigan University Athletics
Ruth Oppliger Assistant Coach | Northern Michigan University Athletics
The Northern Michigan University (NMU) women's nordic ski team had a successful performance on the second day of the NCAA Central Regional Championships in Houghton, Michigan. Merle Richter and Henriette Nilssen earned gold and silver medals, respectively, in the 20km Interval Start event.
Originally planned as a mass start race, the format was changed to an interval start due to insufficient snow. The Wildcats secured the top two positions, with Richter taking the lead. She recorded lap times of 14:59.1, 30:06.3, and 45:24.7 before finishing at 1:01:21.8. Richter was briefly second after the first 5k but maintained her lead for the rest of the race.
Nilssen's lap times were 15:16.1, 30:33.9, and 46:05.0, crossing the finish line at 1:02:37.5. She improved from sixth place after her first lap to third by her second lap and ultimately secured second place by her third lap, surpassing Anabel Needham of Michigan Tech by approximately 30 seconds.
Kolibri Drobish placed sixth with a time of 1:04:38.7, while Pearl Harvey finished in 11th place and Ella Niznik in 16th place. Victoria Bybwad and Flisa Ravald did not finish (DNF), and Lauren McCollor did not start (DNS).
In gender-specific team standings for females, NMU led with a total score of 106 points, followed by Michigan Tech University (MTU) with 104 points, College of St. Scholastica (CSS) with 67 points, and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) with 25 points.
Overall team standings saw MTU leading with a total score of 212 points across all categories—D1F (Day One Female), D1M (Day One Male), D2F (Day Two Female), and D2M (Day Two Male). NMU followed closely with a total score of 205 points.
The Wildcats are set to compete next at the NCAA Skiing Championships in Steamboat Springs, Colorado on March 7 and March 9.
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