Courtesy: MTU
Michigan Tech head coach Joe Haggenmiller recently announced the yearly award winners for cross country, Nordic skiing and track and field. Overall, 24 different athletes were honored.
Women’s Cross Country
Most Valuable - Deedra Irwin
Deedra Irwin was the team’s top runner in each race this season, including three overall wins. She also earned GLIAC Freshman of the Year honors. Irwin set the school record for the Michigan Tech home course with a time of 19:13.
Rookie of the Year - Marissa Yovetich
Marissa Yovetich made an immediate impact in her first season in a Michigan Tech uniform. She was one of five runners to compete in all seven races and finished among the team’s top-five in each race. Yovetich also had three top-10 overall finishes on the year.
Most Improved - Sydney Bruestle
Sydney Bruestle made strong improvements throughout the season. She started the season as the team’s seven/eight runner but moved up to the three/four runner by the end of the year. She set personal best times at nearly every distance she raced, including a 16-second improvement at five kilometers and 18-seconds at six kilometers.
Scholastic Achievement - Alison Springer-Wilson Alison Springer-Wilson competed in all seven races for the Huskies, finishing in the team’s top-five four times. She also had three top-10 overall finishes on the season. She graduated this spring with a 3.94 cumulative GPA in chemical engineering.
Men’s Cross Country
Most Valuable - Brian Stetter
Brian Stetter was the team’s top finisher in all seven races this season, including three individual wins on the season. He earned All-GLIAC honors and finished 25th at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional.
Rookie of the Year - Evan Krzyske
Evan Krzyske’s season had a simple theme, run faster as the season goes along. He started the season as the team’s 10th runner but moved up among the squad eventually finishing as the team’s second runner at the GLIAC Championships.
Most Improved - Scott Kentner
Scott Kentner made great strides during his final season for the Huskies. He started the season as the team’s ninth runner before moving up to the fifth spot by the middle of the season.
Scholastic Achievement - Nick Bedburry, Nick Wimmer Nick Bedburry enjoyed most of the season as the team’s second/third/fourth runner. He graduated with a 4.0 cumulative GPA in electrical engineering.
Nick Wimmer started the season as the team’s six/seven runner before moving up to the team’s fourth runner at the GLIAC Championships. He currently has a 4.0 in chemical engineering.
Women’s Nordic Skiing
Most Valuable - Malin Eriksson
Malin Eriksson earned second team All-CCSA honors and won the classic race at the CCSA Championships. She also represented Michigan Tech at the NCAA Championships, finishing 21st in the 15-kilometer classic race and 37th in the five-kilometer freestyle race.
Rookie of the Year - Alice Flanders
Alice Flanders made an immediate impact during her first season in a Michigan Tech uniform earning first-team All-NCAA Region honors and second-team All-CCSA honors. She finished 12th in the junior women’s five-kilometer freestyle at US Nationals and finished sixth overall (third collegiate) in the five-kilometer freestyle at the Mayor’s Challenge Super Tour Grand Prix.
Most Improved - Sarah Daniels
Sarah Daniels’ second season at Michigan Tech was a large improvement from her first. She posted a top-50 finish in the classic race at US Nationals. Daniels also turned in a pair of great performances on her home course at the Michigan Tech Super Tour Presented by Portage Health. She finished eighth overall in the classic race and 21st in the freestyle.
Scholastic Achievement - Jackie Pribyl
Jackie Pribyl competed in numerous races this season. She graduated with a 3.82 cumulative GPA in biology this spring and will be enrolling in veterinary medicine school this fall.
Men’s Nordic Skiing
Most Valuable - Mikko Harju
Mikko Harju was the top finisher for the Huskies in nearly every race he skied this season. He earned first team All-CCSA honors. Harju also represented Michigan Tech at the NCAA Championships, finishing 22nd in the 20-kilometer classic race and 35th in the 10-kilometer freestyle race.
Rookie of the Year - Matt Dugan
Matt Dugan was a factor in most races finishing among the top-three on the team. He was also the first alternate for the NCAA Championships. Dugan enjoyed a successful Super Tour campaign finishing 20th overall in the classic race and 22nd in the freestyle here in Houghton.
Most Improved - Matt Wong
Matt Wong’s hard work and determination over the past year paid off this season. He placed much higher in races this season compared to last, including a 23rd overall finish in the classic race and 31st place finish in the freestyle at the Houghton Super Tour.
Scholastic Achievement - Jay Woodbeck
Jay Woodbeck did not compete for the varsity team this season due to injury. He made a remarkable recovery and was able to finish his junior skiing career with respectable finishes at the Junior Olympics. He has a 3.91 cumulative GPA in biomedical engineering.
Women’s Track and Field
Most Valuable - Molly Wiltzius
Molly Wiltzius enjoyed a noteworthy season in both the discus and the hammer throw. She set the school record in the hammer throw with a toss of 153-2 to finish 13th at the GLIAC Championships.
Wiltzius also had two other hammer throws on the season that ranked fifth and 10th in school history. All four of her discus throws this season ranked in the top-10. She won the discus at the North Country Invite and finished ninth at the GLIAC Championships.
Rookie of the Year - Deedra Irwin
Deedra Irwin finished as the team’s top performer in both the 800 and 3,000-meter steeplechase. She finished fifth at the UW-River Falls in the 800 in a time of 2:18.94, the third fastest time in school history. She earned the first win of her college career in the 800 at the North Country Invite. She also found success in the steeplechase. She ran the ninth fastest time in school history in her first steeplechase race. Irwin also placed seventh in the steeplechase at the GLIAC Championships in a time of 11:59.53, the third-fastest in school history.
Most Improved and Scholastic Achievement - Melanie Hoffman Melanie Hoffman set the top two marks in the school history in her first two career attempts in the heptathlon. She posted a career-best 3,859 points in the heptathlon at the GLIAC Championships. She also posted three top-10 finishes at the North Country Invite in the long jump, javelin and 100 hurdles. She also has a 4.0 cumulative GPA in exercise science.
Men’s Track and Field
Most Valuable - Quinn Parnell
Quinn Parnell ran the fastest time on the team in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes. He finished fifth in both the 100 (10.79) and 200 (22.11) at the GLIAC Championships. He also helped the 4x100-meter relay to an eighth place finish at the GLIAC Championships in a time of 42.69, the third fastest in school history. Parnell won the 100 and 200-meter dashes at the North Country Invitational.
Co-Rookies of the Year - Jared Berryman and Ben Kalis Jared Berryman showed great promise in the throwing events after adapting to the larger college-sized implements. He finished the season as the team’s top shot putter with a throw of 45-5.75. His throw placed second at the North Country Invite. He also placed 15th at the GLIAC Championships in the shot put.
Ben Kalis competed in both hurdle events for the Huskies. He ran a season-best time of 15.77 in the 110-meter hurdles to finish second at the North Country Invite. Also helped the 4x100-meter relay to an eighth place finish at the GLIAC Championships in a time of 42.69, the third fastest in school history.
Most Improved - Nathan Saliga
Nathan Saliga transitioned into the decathlon after soley focusing on the 400-meter dash the previous year. He posted the two highest scores in the decathlon in school history. His school record performance of 5,752 points placed fourth at the GLIAC Championships. His time of 48.95 in the 400-meter dash in the decathlon at the GLIAC Championships was the third fastest in school history and was 0.73 seconds shy of the school record.
Scholastic Achievement - Nick Bedbury and Nick Wimmer Nick Bedbury specialized in both the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter runs. He posted the team’s fastest 5,000-meter time of 15:55.04 at the Hamline Invite. He also finished ninth in the 10,000-meter run
(34:02.81) at the UW-River Falls Invite. He graduated with a 4.0 cumulative GPA in electrical engineering.
Nick Wimmer finished the year as the team’s top runner in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He finished 13th in the steeplechase at the GLIAC Championships in a season-best time of 10:14.97. He currently has a 4.0 in chemical engineering.
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