Seasons
Announcement
Post High School Skiing Opportunities
Hello!
Coaches, if you would be willing to pass this message on to your upperclassmen skiers, or those who are interested in skiing in college, that would be much appreciated! Additionally, if you think you have a large chunk of skiers interested in skiing after high school, I’d be more than happy to come talk to your team (depending on your location)!
My name is Emma Reineke and I’m the Nordic Student Coordinator for the Midwest Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (MCSA). The MCSA is a student-led conference of a National Skiing league (the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association, the USCSA) made up of a number of colleges spread across the Midwest. The MCSA competes in the Midwest’s favorite citizen races, such as the Vasaloppet and the American Birkebeiner. What makes the MCSA special is that we are composed of skiers of all abilities, from skiers strapping skis on for the first time in college to those who were regulars on the podium in high school.
Many high school skiers are unaware of their collegiate skiing opportunities, and I’m working to fix that! The MCSA works to create lifelong skiers and works with students so school can still come first. Some skiers participate in only one or two races a year, while others will do the full circuit and travel across the country to compete in the USCSA National Championships (this past season we were in Lake Placid, NY, and in 2023 we were in Mammoth Lakes, CA!). In our regular season, we compete for the MCSA Collegiate Cup. Our circuit includes the Noquemanon Half Marathon in Marquette, MI, the Mt. Ashwabay Summit in Bayfield, WI, the Vasaloppet in Mora, MN, and the American Birkebeiner in Hayward, WI. During these races, we line up right alongside citizens, which have made for some amazing memories.
If you’re interested in continuing skiing, whether at a competitive level or just as another way to stay active, I highly recommend joining a club or a team in college! You never know what friends you’ll meet, and this community of skiers is one that I’m proud to call home. You can learn more about the MCSA at our website, skimcsa.com/nordic, or follow us on Instagram @mcsanordic.
If you want to learn about how to join a team, or which schools have teams, feel free to reach out to me at reine368@umn.edu! I’m more than happy to chat with you about what collegiate skiing looks like, as well as connect you with team leaders. The colleges that were a part of the 2023-2024 season were (in alphabetical order):
Carleton College
College of St. Olaf
Luther College
Michigan Technological University
Northern Michigan University
Northland College
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota – Duluth
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
University of Notre Dame
University of St. Thomas
University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin – Madison
I hope to hear from you or maybe see a few of you next season!
Happy skiing,
Emma
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Emma Reineke
Midwest Collegiate Skiing Association
Nordic Student Coordinator and Midwest Nordic Assembly President
