FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NCAA Nordic Ski program to begin for the 2006-2007 season at Northland College in Ashland, WI

Northland College is excited to announce the addition of Nordic Skiing to its athletic programs. Northland is an NCAA III school and is part of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. Northland's Nordic Team will compete in the CCSA. Dave Beeksma, Head Cross Country Coach, will assume the Head Coaching duties for the team. Beeksma is a 1988 graduate of North Dakota State University where he competed in Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Outdoor Track at the NCAA II level. He was an All-Conference Nordic Skier for Minneapolis Edison High School in the early 1980's and has competed in Nordic ski marathons such as the Mora Vasaloppet 42K classic and the Seeley 42K Classic. Beeksma holds a Master of Arts Degree from St. Mary's University in Counseling Psychology and a Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology from The Fielding Graduate University. He is currently completing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The Fielding Graduate University.

Northland College is a small Liberal Arts College located on the Shores of Lake Superior in Northern Wisconsin. With easy access to some of the best Nordic Trails in the country and abundant snowfall, Nordic Skiing is a natural fit for the school. Northland is within 45 minutes of the Birkebeiner trail and 60 minutes away from Nordic trails in "Big Snow Country" of the UP of Michigan.

To learn more about Northland College and the opportunity to be a part of the Nordic Ski program, please visit our web site at www.northland.edu or contact Coach Beeksma at [email protected]