HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech Nordic skiing has added three student-athletes for the 2024-25 season. Julia Junkkala is a native of Sastamala, Finland and is a transfer from the University of Jyväskylä. Erica Kazin is a freshman from Maple Plain, Minnesota and attended Delano High School. She is also a member of Tech's women's cross country team. Caden Albrecht from Stillwater, Minnesota rounds out the group. Caden spent the last three years in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska.
 
"This is an incredibly diverse recruiting class, represented by student-athletes who all come from non-traditional backgrounds," Head Coach Tom Monahan Smith said. "From our hard-working farmer to our Army infantryman, to our Finnish transfer standout, our three new recruits all had different paths that led them to Michigan Tech. That's what makes this recruiting class truly unique and exciting! Being a successful student-athlete in NCAA skiing requires you to be well-rounded and resilient, and these are core qualities all three of our recruits have proven they possess! Our new recruits all chose Michigan Tech because they want to be a part of a program that puts a premium on team experience, and that has us truly excited about the team we have for this season!"
 

The 2024-25 team is represented by 10 men and 10 women, including nine returners on the men's side and eight women.
 
Julia Junkkala connected with the coaching staff through mutual friends. Throughout her skiing career, she has achieved numerous top 10, and even podium results at Finnish National Championships, and competed for Finland internationally in the U18 Nordic Championships in Estonia! While growing up she also participated in soccer, hockey and ballet. She graduated high school in 2022 and skied for Kankaantaan Kisa. Junkkala will major in general business.
 

Erica Kazin began skiing competitively as a sophomore and quickly grew to a national class skier, qualifying for the U.S. Junior National Championships her junior and senior years. Kazin skied for the Minneapolis Ski Club and will major in chemistry. She was a two-time Metro West Conference Champion and placed sixth in the 2024 Minnesota State High School Ski League State Meet. Kazin holds Delano High School's 5K record in cross country and 3,200M and 4x800M relay records in track. She led Delano to three conference and sectional championships in cross country and was an all-state performer in 2021.
 

Caden Albrecht served as an Infantryman for the past three years stationed at Fort Wainwright. He completed his active duty service in the fall of 2023, and he made a comeback in skiing during the 2023-24 season. Caden is the brother of former Huskies Josh and Emma Albrecht. He skied for Loppet Nordic Racing and will major in construction management. He placed second at the 2024 City of Lakes Loppet and had a pair of top 10s at last year's Mt. Itasca CCSA Invitational. At the 2019 U.S. Junior National Skiing Championships he placed second in the 5K classic and 10th in the classic sprint!
 
Cédric Keller also returns to the program as a graduate assistant and will pursue a master's degree in Data Science. The native of Gonten, Switzerland competed for the Huskies throughout his undergraduate career from Spring 2020 through his undergraduate graduation in Spring 2023. Cédric moved to Minneapolis upon graduation from Michigan Tech in Spring 2023, and worked as a Data Research Specialist for Aggressive Hydraulics, Inc. Cédric credits sports and the military for having shaped his leadership style, teaching him to inspire and empower his teammates. He believes in practicing authenticity and empathy, fostering mutual accountability, and crafting positive shared experiences.