Michigan Tech Nordic ski team members Anabel Needham, Olivia Laven, Skylar Patton and Colin Freed were named to CSC At-Large Academic All-District Team Tuesday. (Photo courtesy of Michigan Tech University)

GREENWOOD, Ind. — The Michigan Tech Nordic ski team saw four student-athletes named to the CSC Academic All-District Team, announced Tuesday.

The Nordic Huskies saw three repeat All-District Team members as Anabel Needham earned her third-straight All-District Team while Olivia Laven and Skylar Patten received their second-straight. This marks the first time Colin Freed has made the CSC At-Large Academic All-District Team.

Needham, a native of Houghton, made her third CSC Academic All-District Team, qualifying for her fourth NCAA Skiing Championships, helping the Huskies make the big dance by winning the Individual Regional Champion in the skate race-Needham also earned First Team All-CCSA honors. In the classroom, she completed a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering with a 4.0 GPA.

Laven, hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, was the low-stick for the Huskies in the 7.5k freestyle at the NCAA Skiing Championships, placing 24th. She also earned the prestigious Elite 90 Award, presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the final site for each of the NCAA’s Championships. She also placed fourth in the Skate Interval start at Regionals and was Second Team All-CCSA. Academically, Laven held a 4.0 GPA completing her bachelor’s degree in Engineering Management.

Patten, now a two-time CSC Academic All-District recipient, is a native of Park City, Utah. Patten was the low-stick for the Huskies at the NCAA Skiing Championships, placing 14th (7.5k Freestyle) and 16th (20k Classic Mass Start), respectively. Patten also had a clean sweep at the Midwest Regional, where he won both the Skate and classic races-helping the Black and Gold to a third-straight combined team title. In the classroom, Patten held a 3.83 GPA in Materials Science and Engineering. 

Freed, a local of Plymouth, Minnesota, earned his first CSC Academic All-District team after qualifying for his second NCAA Skiing Championships. Freed earned All-Region honors, helping Michigan Tech to its third-straight combined Regional Championship. He was also a First Team All-CCSA honoree. Academically, Freed holds a 3.63 GPA while majoring in Mechanical Engineering. 

The 2024 Academic All-District Men’s and Women’s At-Large teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in competition and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America program separately recognizes at-large honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

NCAA and NAIA Women’s At-Large Academic All-America First-, second- and third-team honorees will be announced on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The Men’s At-Large Teams will be announced on Wednesday, July 17.

The Division II and III CSC Academic All-America programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2023-24 Divisions II and III Academic All-America programs. The NAIA CSC Academic All-America program is partially financially supported through the NAIA governance structure.