The Northern Michigan University (NMU) alpine ski team is set to compete at the USCSA Nationals, sending 12 athletes to represent the school. The event will be held at Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, New York, from March 10 to March 14.
Representing NMU on the women’s side are seniors Maddy Stern and Kaylee Byrne, junior Tommie Springer, sophomore Onalee Wallis, and freshmen Ashley Schaffer and Blanca Srock. The men’s team includes senior Reed Heathman, sophomores Kyan Hopke and Anthony Petkov, as well as freshmen Noah Bindas, Cashton Jaeger, and Eli Heathman.
The competition schedule features one event each day. Women will race in giant slalom (GS) on Tuesday and slalom (SL) on Thursday. Men will compete in GS on Wednesday and SL on Friday. The week concludes with dual slalom events for both men and women on Saturday.
Fans can follow the action via live stream on the USCSA Broadcast YouTube page or check live results at Live-Timing.com.
Springer and Stern return for the women’s team after competing at nationals last season. Springer was named second-team All-America following a sixth-place finish in giant slalom.
For the men’s squad, R. Heathman is preparing for his fourth national championship appearance. Hopke and Petkov also return after their performances as freshmen last year; Hopke earned first-team All-American honors in giant slalom and second-team honors in slalom by finishing fifth and sixth overall.
Last year’s nationals saw challenging weather conditions throughout the week for all teams involved. The NMU women finished 22nd on opening day but improved to second place in slalom later in the week, ending up 11th overall. The men’s team placed third in both GS and SL events to secure a third-place finish overall. Across both teams last season, NMU had three First Team All-Americans, five Second Team All-Americans, and two bronze medals.
Northern Michigan Wildcats Women’s Alpine Skiing includes both men’s and women’s competitors who participate in alpine skiing events within collegiate sports according to the official website. The program competes under the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) with an emphasis on competitive development through structured coaching support. Based out of Marquette, Michigan (official site), NMU’s alpine skiing program features athletes from both genders focused on advancing their skills within collegiate competition.
