Northern Michigan University nordic skier Henriette Nilssen, right, competes during a meet for the Wildcats. (Photo courtesy NMU)

CABLE, Wis. — Adrik Kraftson and Henriette Nilssen led the Northern Michigan University nordic ski teams in the final event of the Gitchi Gami Games held in Wisconsin over four days that ended Tuesday.

These Wildcat teams have the holidays off, but jump right back into action on Jan. 2 for the four-day (nonconsecutive days) U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships being held in Anchorage, Alaska. Events there will include individual skate, classic sprint, classic mass start and skate sprint events.

Here are details from Gitchi Gami:

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Kraftson leads NMU men

Kraftson, a redshirt sophomore, finished off the multiday event on Tuesday by finishing second among Central Collegiate Ski Association skiers, sixth among all collegians and under-23-year-old athletes, and 15th overall in the mass start 20-kilometer SuperTour men’s race.

He finished in 51 minutes, 7.9 seconds after opening quite a ways down in the standings in 29th after his first full lap in 7:17.3. He moved up 14 spots after that.

Teammates Luke Fricker and Jonathan Clarke were just behind him. Fricker was 18th overall and third in the CCSA in 52:01.6, while Clarke was 19th overall and fourth in the CCSA in 52:34.1.

Michigan Tech’s Colin Freed just edged out Kraftson for the top spot in the CCSA, finishing 14th overall in 50:43.3.

The NMU men were rounded out by Hendrick Peterson finishing 44th overall in 57:48.5.

Back on opening day on Dec. 12 in the freestyle sprint, Fricker clocked 2:47.89 to qualify 18th and eighth among skiers 23 and under to advance to the quarterfinals. Then he placed third in his quarterfinal heat in 2:44.89 to just miss the eight-skier cut to the semifinals.

Peterson was 41st in the qualifying in 2:58.95 to miss the quarterfinals cut.

On day 2, last Saturday, in the classic sprint, Fricker made the quarterfinals by placing 29th in qualifying in 3:03.63, which was also 11th fastest in the U-23 category.

He then finished fifth in his heat in 3:01.75, failing to advance.

In qualifying, Clarke was 49th in 3:10.09, Peterson 61st in 3:12.73 and Kraftson 98th in 3:26.24 in a field of 199 finishers and 213 competitors in all.

Then on day 3, Sunday, in the individual freestyle 10-kilometer race, Fricker was tops for NMU, finishing 26th overall, 13th in the U-23 category and ninth among college skiers in 23:13.4.

Next for the Wildcats was Kraftson, 33rd overall, 17th in U-23 and 12th among collegians in 23:26.4; followed by Clarke in 35th overall, 19th in U-23 and 14th collegiately in 23:32.4; while Peterson was 44th overall, 23rd in U-23 and 17th collegiately in 23:46.3

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Nilssen paces Northern women

Nilssen, an NMU sophomore, won the CCSA title in Tuesday’s final-day mass start 20K SuperTour race in 1:00:17.6. She was also 11th overall, seventh among collegiate skiers and sixth for U-23 skiers.

Teammate Pearl Harvey was next in 18th overall in 1:03:38.9, placing fourth in the CCSA and 12th among collegians.

Back on day 1 on Dec. 12 in the freestyle sprint, none of the NMU racers were able to finish.

But on day 2 on Saturday in the classic sprint, Nilssen was able to race three times, advancing through the qualifying run and quarterfinals heat to the semifinals.

She was 12th overall in qualifying in 3:39.59, also sixth in U-23, then was second in her quarterfinals heat in 3:36.54. In the semis, with 18 skiers remaining, she was fifth in her heat in 3:35.62 and didn’t advance.

NMU’s Jordan Parent was 23rd in qualifying in 3:45.46, also 16th in U-23, to advance, while Harvey was 28th in qualifying and eighth in the senior division in 3:52.09.

In their quarterfinals, Parent was fourth in her heat in 3:50.26 and Harvey sixth in the same heat in 3:55.67 as neither advanced.

In addition, Northern’s Ella Niznik missed a quarterfinals spot by three places in 33rd in 3:55.78.

Finally, on day 3 Sunday in the freestyle skate 10K, Nilssen again led NMU with a ninth-place overall finish of 26:47.4, which was also sixth in U-23 and sixth among collegians.

Harvey was 19th overall, eighth in the senior division and 12th among collegians in 28:10.9, while Niznik was 55th overall, 46th in U-23 and 28th among collegians in 30:26.8.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.