Women's Skiing 1/8/2026 1:32:00 PM Braden Golisek - Assistant Director of Sports Information

Henriette Nilssen Second among CCSA Skiers in 20km Mass Start

Nilssen second, Greta Leitheiser sixth among Central Collegiate Ski Association competition

LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK -- For the third straight race, junior Henriette Nilssen has paced the Wildcats, this time finishing second among Central Collegiate Ski Association (CCSA) student-athletes.

There were eight 'Cats in a field of 116 competing in today's 20km mass start, and a full list of results can be found here.

Nilssen, a junior returner from Nittedal, Norway, finished 33rd overall and second among conference skiers with her time of 1:02:13.5, a mark that was 5:59.9 behind the leader Novie McCabe, a three-time NCAA Champion and 2022 Winter Olympian, who currently competes for the U.S. Olympic Cross Country Team. Nilssen came out of the gates hot, as she was 22nd and 26th at the 2.5k and 3.75k mark before sliding to the upper 20s to mid-to-low 30s for the remainder of the race.

Julia Junkkala of Michigan Tech finished just ahead of Nilssen for first among CCSA skiers, finishing 31st overall with a time of 1:02:10.7.

Greta Leitheiser finished sixth among CCSA conference skiers and 52nd overall with her time of 1:04:01.4. Leitheiser was as high as 43rd at the 13.75k mark before sliding back to 52nd.

The 10th and 11th CCSA skiers to cross the line were Lauren McCollor and Emma Klevenberg, posting times of 1:08:02.2 and 1:08:04.0 to finish 75th and 76th, respectively. Jordan Parent finished 90th with her time of 1:10:10.0.

Ella Niznik, Lena Kjelstrup, and Meija Peterson all DNF.

The final day of competition from the US Cross Country Ski National Championships is tomorrow, with the classic sprint starting at 11 a.m. ET.

January 6, 2026
LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK -- The NMU women's nordic ski team concluded competition in the freestyle sprint at the US National Championships.

The second event of the US National Championships was the freestyle sprint, an event with multiple stages. The top 30 of a field of 283 skiers, which included everything from professionals to collegiate athletes, advanced to the quarterfinals from the qualifying round.

Henriette Nilssen paced the Wildcats, finishing 54th overall and second among CCSA conference skiers with her time of 3:26.67. Nilssen was just three seconds out of qualifying for the quarterfinals. Just behind Nilssen in 60th, and the third-fastest CCSA skier, was Lauren McCollor, who finished her sprint with a time of 3:27.69, just a second behind her teammate.

Emma Klevenberg and Greta Leitheiser finished 111th and 113th, posting times of 3:33.96 and 3:34.11, respectively. Jordan Parent was next among Wildcats, finishing 150th with her time of 3:39.02.

Riley Grossklaus finished 219th at 3:49.29, Ella Niznik in 232nd at 3:52.26, and Lena Kjelstrup rounded out the 'Cats in the field at 261st with her time of 4:05.76. Monet Argeropoulos DNS.

January 4, 2026
LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK -- The NMU women's ski team completed day one of the US National Cross-Country Ski Championships, and it was Henriette Nilssen who paced the Wildcats.

This 10k interval start race acted as the first CCSA NCAA qualifying race of the season.

Nilssen, a junior returner from Nittedal Norway, finished 35th overall and first among CCSA conference skiiers with her time of 31:45.7, a mark that was 3:03.2 off the leader; Hailey Swirbul of the APU Nordic Center, who posted a time of 28:42.5. Nilssen posted the 60th fastest time at the 1.25k mark, then moved up to 44th at 3.75k before hitting 42nd at the 5k mark. She slipped to 47th at 6.25k, but then shot to 39th at 8.75k before crossing the line at 35th for the full 10k.

In a field that featured 281 racers to start and dwindled to 278 that finished, graduate student Lauren McCollor was the next 'Cat at 78th overall and 4th among CCSA skiers with her time of 33:17.6. McCollor was in 59th after the first marker, then dropped to 73rd by 3.75k and would hang around in the 70's before crossing at 78th.

Senior transfer student, Greta Leitheiser, was the third Wildcat in the standings, finishing 92nd overall and sixth among conference racers. The leading point-earner for College of Saint Scholastica and seventh-best skier in the CCSA a season ago posted a time of 33:41.6.

Freshman Emma Klevenberg (35:17.7) finished 166th overall, and sophomore Lena Kjelstrup (36:06.1) and junior Jordan Parent (36:11.4) finished 195th and 198th.

Freshman from Marquette, Michigann, Monet Argeropoulos, posted the 229th fastest time among world-class competition at 37:42.7, and fellow freshman Riley Grossklaus ended her race at 232nd (37:53.4).

Both freshman Meija Peterson and senior Ella Niznik DNS.

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Players Mentioned

Lena Kjelstrup: Sophomore

Lauren McCollor: Graduate Student

Henriette Nilssen: 5' 3"; Junior

Ella Niznik: Senior

Jordan Parent: Junior

Riley Grossklaus: Freshman

Emma Klevenberg: Freshman

Greta Leitheiser: Senior

Meija Peterson: Freshman

Monet Argeropoulos: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Lena Kjelstrup
: Sophomore

Lauren McCollor
: Graduate Student

Henriette Nilssen
: 5' 3"; Junior

Ella Niznik
: Senior

Jordan Parent
: Junior

Riley Grossklaus
: Freshman

Emma Klevenberg
: Freshman

Greta Leitheiser
: Senior

Meija Peterson
: Freshman

Monet Argeropoulos
: Freshman

Northern Michigan University

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Henriette Nilssen Second among CCSA Skiers in 20km Mass Start

Nilssen second, Greta Leitheiser sixth among Central Collegiate Ski Association competition

Players Mentioned

Lena Kjelstrup

Lauren McCollor