Team NordicSkiRacer wins 2023 Brumbaugh Cup

Mon, Mar  6, 2023 - By Ernie Brumbaugh

With freezing temperatures during the night, the Beast looked to be a repeat of the Black Mountain Classic but the grooming for the freestyle race left a smoother deck and safer conditions, albeit still screamer downhills. By the end of the race the sun was out softening the snow and yielding a perfect blue sky day at Black Mountain. Hanson Hills/Cross Country Ski Shop stalwarts, Ryan Harris and Mandy Paull were the winners on the day but still could not deny Team Nordic Ski Racer a much-deserved Brumbaugh Cup win.

In the women’s race, Mandy Paull, Mary Schlimmer-Willoughby and Christine Seager went, 1st, 3rd and 5th for HH/CCSS to pick up 3 points on Team NSR. Team NSR’s Ellen Thompson, Sarah Newmister and Ceri Faas went 2nd, 4th and 6th keeping the overall Brumbaugh Cup race close.

Ryan Harris stoked HH/CCSS hopes by winning the men’s race for the third year in a row. Stephen Smigiel finished second for the second day in a row for GRNST. Then came Team NSR in force finishing 3rd, Sean Newmister, 5th, Ricardo Lung, 6th, Yvon Dufor, 7th, Allen Sorgenfrei, and 11th, Kevin Vasquez. Team NSR won the men’s race with 32 points picking up another 13 points over HH/CCSS. HH/CCSS came in 1st, Ryan Harris, 9th, John Gravlin, 10th, James Doull, 12th, Bob Smith, and 13th, Steve Seager with 45 points.

Team NSR finished first overall on the day with 44 points, HH/CCSS second with 54 points, Vasa Ski Club, 3rd with 96 points, GRNST, 4th with 100 points, Cross Country Ski Headquarters 5th with 108 points and the University of Michigan 6th with 144 points.

In one of the closest Brumbaugh Cup finishes ever, Team NordicSkiRacer beat the defending champion Hanson Hills/Cross Country Ski Shop by 59 points. Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team was third finishing 148 points back with Cross Country Ski Headquarters in fourth, 327 points, but winning a close battle with the Vasa Ski Club who finished fifth just 15 points back. The University of Michigan finished 6th 531 points back. Final standings and each race result are shown in the chart below

Final 2023 Brumbaugh Cup Team Scoring