Monahan Smith’s Unveil 2022-23 Nordic Ski Team Schedule

HOUGHTON, Mich. — Michigan Tech Nordic Ski Team coaches Tom & Kristen Monahan Smith have announced the 2022-23 nordic ski team schedule.

The entire Nordic racing world has adopted equal distance races for the 2022-23 season as a means of promoting equality in sport. From the NCAA to the World Cup, and all races the Michigan Tech Nordic Ski Team will compete in this season will be equal distance races for women and men.

The highlight of the schedule is the Nordic Huskies playing host to the 2023 Toyota U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships (US CCC) presented by Hampton Inn & Suites of Houghton at the Tech Trials from January 2-7, 2023.

The season starts for Michigan Tech at the Grand Avenue Nordic Center CXC Cup in Duluth, Minn. Dec. 10-11. The Skate Sprint races will be on Dec. 10 with the Classic Individual Distance races happening on Dec. 11.

The Huskies will host the MTU Pre-Nationals CCSA Invite/CXC Cup on Houghtons very own Tech Trails Dec. 17-18. December 17 will feature Skate Individual Distance races, that will also count as NCAA qualifying races for the CCSA. December 18 will feature Classic Sprint races. All races for the MTU Pre-Nationals CCSA Invite & CXC Cup will take place on the 2023 US CCC courses.

Following the winter break, Michigan Tech will return to the Tech Trails to play host for the

2023 Toyota U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships presented by Hampton Inn & Suites of Houghton, from January 2-7. For all information about the 2023 Toyota U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships please visit usnationals.mtu.edu.

Anabel Needham earned the U23 win and finished 11th overall in the classic sprint at the event last season.

After the National Championships, the Nordic Huskies will compete at the Seeley Hills SuperTour CCSA Invite in Seeley and Cable, Wis. on Jan. 14-15. The Nordic Huskies will compete in the Classic Mass Start on Jan. 14 that will also count as an NCAA qualifier for the CCSA.  The Nordic Huskies will compete in the SuperTour Classic Sprint on Jan. 15.

The Huskies will return to Duluth, Minn. on Feb. 4-5 for the College of Saint Scholastica CCSA Invite, held at the Grand Avenue Nordic Center.

Michigan Tech will then travel to Minneapolis, Minn. on Feb. 18-19 to compete in the CCSA Conference Championships. The Classic Mass Start  will take place on Feb. 18, and will count as an NCAA qualifier.  The Skate Sprint will take place on Feb. 19, as a SuperTour event and part of the CCSA Conference Championships.

Last season, the women’s team won the Butch Rymer Cup as Women’s Team Champions and the Nordic Huskies were the Combined Team Champions from 2021-22 CCSA Conference Championships.

The Nordic Huskies enter the postseason on Feb. 25-26 at the Al Quaal Recreation Area in Ishpeming, Mich. for the NCAA Central Regional Skiing Championships. The Skate Individual Distance will take place on  Feb. 25, with the Classic Mass Start Distance on Feb 26.

The 15k mass start NCAA Central Regional champion, Henriette Semb, returns for her senior campaign with the Nordic Huskies. Michigan Tech also won the Combined Overall Team Regional Championship title last season.

The season will conclude at the NCAA Championships, being held at Lake Placid, N.Y. Competition takes place on Thursday, Mar. 8 with Skate Individual Distance races, and Saturday, Mar. 11 with Classic Mass Start races.

The Nordic Huskies return six student-athletes from the teams that combined for a program-best sixth-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Skiing Championships. Among the returners for Michigan Tech are All-Americans Anabel Needham and Skylar Patten.