Five student-athletes sign with Michigan Tech

Central Collegiate Ski Association

Wed, Jul  18, 2012 - By Michigan Technological University

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Michigan Tech head coach Joe Haggenmiller has announced that five student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to join the cross country, Nordic skiing and track and field teams.

Raphael Bechtiger is a past member of the Austrian National Ski Team and competed at the 2012 World Junior Cross Country Skiing Championships. The Angerberg, Austria, native is currently ranked 467th on the world sprint ranking list and 577 on the world distance ranking list. He is transferring from Innsbruck University and will be a red-shirt freshman for the Huskies.

Alex Gietek helped Hartland (Mich.) High School to a runner-up finish at the 2011 Michigan Div. 1 State Cross Country Championship with a 57th place finish. He covered the 5,000-meter course in a time of 16:19.60. He competed in the state cross country meet for the Eagles a total of three times. On the track he ran personal bests of 10:04.52 in the 3,200-meter run and 4:36.80 in the 1,600-meter run.

Kyle Hanson was a three sport stand-out in Nordic skiing, cross country and track and field at Lathrop High School in Fairbanks, Alaska. In 2012 he was a member of the United States Ski Team that competed at the U-18 Scandinavian Cross Country Skiing Championships and did not compete his senior season at the Alaska state championships. Hanson earned all-state accolades at the state meet in 2011 with an eighth place finish. He posted three top-25 finishes at the 2012 Junior Olympic Championships and a 25th and 26th place finish at the 2011 Junior Olympic Championships. He helped Lathrop to back-to-back fifth place finishes at the Alaska 4A State Cross Country Championships. Hanson posted two-top 20 finishes at the state meet including a fifth place finish in 2010. He posted six career third place finishes at the Alaska State 4A Track and Field Championships. He ran of time of 4:24.10 in the 1600, 1:57.92 in the 800 and was a member of the 4x800 team that finished in a time of 8:11.79 his senior year. 

Ben Kramka was a state qualifier in both cross country and track and field at Mounds View (Minn.) High School. He  helped the Mustangs to a 14th place finish at the state cross country championship in 2011. He was a two-time state qualifier in the 800 and holds a personal best of 1:57.92.

Amber Peabody, from Benzonia, Mich., was a three-time qualifier for the Michigan State Cross Country Championships. She posted two top-50 finishes at the state meet and helped Benzie Central to the Div. 3 state title her senior season. Peabody helped the Huskies to a runner-up finish in 2010 and a third place finish in 2009. On the track, she a ran a personal best of 12:15.67 in the 3,200-meter run.

“We are very pleased with the signing of these high quality student-athletes,” said Haggenmiller. “These student-athletes along with many talented walk-ons joining us this fall and our current young core will set us up well for this year and the future.”