Huskies set to ski at NCAA Championships Thursday and Saturday
JACKSON, N.H. – The Michigan Tech Nordic ski team is in Jackson, New Hampshire this week for the 2021 NCAA Skiing Championships. The Huskies sent a full squad for the second time in school history and will compete in the classic race Thursday and freestyle race Saturday.
Representing Michigan Tech out of the Central Region will be Patrick Acton, Reid Goble, Olivia Laven, Aleksi Leino, Anabel Needham, and Henriette Semb.
Seniors Patrick Acton and Reid Goble return to the NCAAs for the third time in their careers. Aleksi Leino will make his second straight appearance in the championships while Olivia Laven, Anabel Needham, and Henriette Semb will compete for the first time on the grandest stage.
Thursday's classic race is a 10K for the men at 10 a.m. followed by a 5K for the women at noon. Saturday's freestyle is a 15K for the women at 10 a.m. followed by a 20K for the men at noon. All Nordic races will be held at the Jackson Nordic Center. A free video stream is available on NCAA.com.
Participants are selected on a regional basis from three designated regions for Nordic skiing (Central, East, and West Regions). Bids were awarded to regions using a formula determined by the skiing committee.
Because of COVID-19 and unlike other years, teams that send full teams to the NCAA Championships were not able to bring alternates. Each region sends a sum of athletes based on performance at previous NCAA National Championships. This season, the Central Division sent eight men and seven women. The championships are being hosted by the University of New Hampshire.