Groethe, Hansen win individual races
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Michigan Tech Nordic ski teams began their 2025-26 season at the UP Opener on Saturday, racing a 10K skate. The Huskies earned team wins in the men’s, women’s, and combined standings, while Markus Groethe and Greta Hansen won their individual races at the Forestville Trailhead.
“What a way to start the season! We’re so psyched to see everyone have great competitive energy by really being able to ski hard and fast today,” Tech coach Tom Monahan Smith said. “That’s even more important than the outstanding individual and team results we achieved today because the best way to learn and grow as a competitor is by truly testing yourself in races. That’s how you grow as a competitor!”
The women swept the podium with Greta Hansen earning the first CCSA win of her career. Julia Junkkala placed second, and Bridget Burns was third. Alex Pundsack (6th) and Erica Kazin (9th) were also in the top 10.
Markus Groethe took the individual win by 29 seconds in his first race in the Black and Gold. Wes Campbell was also on the podium in third, while Sam Stertz had his career-best CCSA performance in fourth. Noa Kam-Magruder (6th) and Henry Campbell (10th) were also in the top 10.
Tech gets back to racing this weekend at the Duluth Super CXC Cup. The competition will be a skate sprint on Saturday and a skate 7.5K on Sunday. The event will feature all CCSA teams and will be staged at the Grand Avenue Nordic Center—the same location as the NCAA Central Regional Championship later in the season.
