Team NordicSkiRacer wins inaugural Brumbaugh Cup

Fri, Apr  4, 2008 - By Ernie Brumbaugh

In a new competition within the Michigan Cup designed to reward the team with the strongest high level competitors, Team NordicSkiRacer.com edged Hanson Hills/Cross Country Ski Shop in the 2008 Brumbaugh Cup. Final results are:

	Team NordicSkiRacer.com		132
	Hanson Hills/Cross Country Ski Shop		119
	Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team		75
	Straits Striders		66
	Traverse Nordic Ski Club		59
	Cross Country Ski Headquarters		45

Team Nordic Ski Racer used five Age Group wins, three top twenty men and two top ten women, coupled with the two best Junior Men, Mac Brennan and Brendan Baic, to overcome a very strong HH/CCSS squad by 13 points. HH/CCSS fielded the strongest women’s field in years with 5 of the top ten women and adding 2 age group wins, 5 age group seconds and four of the top twenty men, finishing second in only their second year of existence.

Said Mike Muha, captain for Team NordicSkiRacer, "We were elated that we could win the inaugural Brumbaugh Cup. Hanson Hills/Cross Country Ski Shop fielded a formidable team this season - we were on pins and needles to the very end wondering who would win."

Grand Rapids Nordic led by David MacLean, Overall Men’s Champ, came in third on the strength of the strongest men’s group, six of the top twenty men and placing one women in the top ten, plus two age group wins. It was tight from there on out. Tracy Hardin led the Straits Striders to fourth with an Overall Women’s title, her second, with Denny Paull finishing third overall in the men’s standings.

Traverse Nordic came in seven points back on the strength of Milan Baic, second overall and Cliff Onthank, fourth overall. Cross Country Ski Headquarters, having already won the Michigan Cup, had to settle for sixth. Nevertheless they won two age group titles and captured one second.

Congratulations to all teams in this the first ever Brumbaugh Cup. Thanks to the Michigan Cup Committee for the honor of naming it after the writer.

The scoring system for the Cup rewards, 1) Overall Men’s& Women’s Titles, 2) Top Three in Each Age Group, 3) Overall Strength – Top Twenty Men, Top Ten Women and Juniors.