MARQUETTE — A redshirt freshman from Northern Michigan University who earned her first two podium finishes won the Central Collegiate Ski Association’s Performance of the Week award during a meet at Mount Itasca in Coleraine, Minnesota, last weekend.

Merle Richter finished third in two women’s races, her first podium finishes as a collegiate racer. She was bronze medalist in the 10 kilometer individual start race on Saturday in 31 minutes, 7.55 seconds, then achieved the same place in the classic 7.5 kilometer mass start race on Sunday in 23: 22.9 .

“It was great to see Merle finally rewarded for all the hard work she put into her training,” Andy Keller, NMU’s first-year head Nordic ski coach, said. “Last weekend we had results that we knew she was capable of achieving, but bad luck ruined her run last year.

“I think her best is yet to come, and I’m excited to see what a few more racing opportunities can do for her.”

Despite conditions that included near freezing temperatures, Richter was just the tip of the iceberg in the Wildcats’ success.

Also in the women’s North, senior Katerina Hyncicova was fifth in the Saturday 10k in 31:58.86 and redshirt rookie Pearl Harvey sixth in 32:00.79.

In Sunday’s 7.5km, senior Hilde Eide was fifth in 23:50.7 and Hyncicova sixth in 23:52.6.

In the men’s races, NMU senior Kjetil Baanerud won Saturday’s men’s 15km race in 37:59.52 and was second on Sunday in the men’s 10km in 27:28.9, just two-tenths off second from the first.

Northern redshirt freshman Kristoffer Karsrud was second on Saturday in 39:02.76 and third on Sunday in 27:29.4.

His teammate Daniel Streinz was fifth on Saturday in 39:29.07 and also fifth on Sunday in 28:07.3, while Tobias Moosmann was 10th on Saturday in 40:10.21 and seventh on Sunday in 28:31.2.

Also, Wildcats senior Xavier Mansfield was sixth on Saturday in 39:37.25.

The NMU Nordic teams are back in action this weekend at the CCSA Michigan Tech Invitational in Houghton, skiing the men’s 15k and women’s 10k races on Saturday and the classic sprints on Sunday.

Information compiled by Journal Sports editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is [email protected]