Nordic State Finals at Hickory Hills, March 1, 2026
Crystal Nordic (CCSC) skiers represented at the Nordic State Finals at Hickory Hills this weekend. Fifteen skiers showed their prowess among 6 total Michigan Nordic Teams. Three teams came from the Upper Peninsula and three were local Lower Peninsula Teams, including Crystal Nordic. Four Crystal Nordic earned all-state honors and three were all-state in more than one discipline. In eight years, the CCSC Nordic race team has doubled in size! The Middle School Skiers had a 3 km freestyle race Friday and a 3 km classic race on Saturday. Six Middle Skiers raced on Friday: Amelia Armstrong, Elizabeth Armstrong, Jack Brugeman, James Brugeman, Anna Higley, and Charlie May. James Brugeman is an All-State 3rd place skier in classic and freestyle. Anna Higley is All-State 4th place in the freestyle discipline. Jack Brugeman raced in the top 10 for both freestyle and classic and Anna was 8th place in classic. Amelia, Charlie, and Elizabeth completed their first State Nordic Final Races!
High School Athletes were seasoned and first-time racers. They all were BOLD and showed this by being a part of the Crystal Nordic Team!
Skiers Walter Armstrong, Natalie Burpee, Althea Gaylord, Hannes Graebel, Ava Higley, Avery Kelly, Lauren Saneda, Sam Saneda, and Joel Sobkoviak skied the High School sprint, classic, and freestyle races over the weekend. Four team members joined the Lower Peninsula Relay Team race on Sunday morning. The first time racers this season includes Natalie, Hannes, Lauren, and Sam. We applaud their brave attitude and being a risk taker. They were team members! All skiers improved tremendously this year in technique and skiing efficiency. This is evident with Ava HIgley earning a 4th place finish in the 5 km classic race and 6th place overall for two All-State honors. She was All-State First Place in the Sprint, Classic, and Freestyle events last year as an 8th grader. Avery Kelly, a 2nd year High School racer, is All-State 6th place in the Freestyle event and 5th place All-State overall. Avery earned All-State Honors last year as a first-year high schooler. All the skiers are winners and bold for skiing at the State Finals! This weekend is grueling with a lot of racing. The athletes deserve to be proud of this season of grand accomplishments!
