GCC Nordic Team Brings National Attention to the Gogebic Range

IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP, MI - Friday, October 30, 2009 - Gogebic Community College's new nordic team is currently being featured on the front page of the nation's most popular online cross country ski magazine -- www.fasterskier.com. This national exposure is great public relations for the Gogebic Range.

According to the article, "There are a variety of good reasons for implementing nordic programs at junior colleges, but not a variety of options. Gogebic College, the first junior college with a fully funded nordic team, plans to try to fulfill those needs. As Brown suggests, 'I think this should be a new movement in the sport. In my athletic department, almost every team recruits athletes from junior college programs… why shouldn’t skiing have that?'"

Gogebic Community College recently indicated that they had an interest in adding new sports to their list of programs. Will Andresen pushed for a cross country ski team and he was excited to become the coach. Coaching is Andresen's way of giving back to the sport that has enriched his life, and it allows him to share his 37 years of skiing experience.

Gogebic will be an “associate” member of the Central Collegiate Ski Association (CCSA), allowed to compete in the region’s collegiate races but without the chance to qualify for NCAA’s. According to the article, "Andresen sees this as an added bonus for those athletes who still feel they need time to develop before trying to qualify for the NCAA’s, explaining, 'They can compete in the college circuit if they want to see how they match up. And without the burden of trying to qualify for the NCAA’s, they can race in regional citizen races if they would prefer (such as the nearby American Birkebeiner or Marquette’s Noquemanon). Or they can do some of both.'"

To read the entire article [CLICK HERE].