Before spring break, Northwood cross country skier Max Fey ’28 and ski jumper Islay Shiel ’28 wrapped up their seasons competing in their respective Junior National Championships.
Max traveled to Cable, Wisconsin, for the 2026 Nordic Junior National Championships. He made the team after showing strong results at the qualifiers throughout the season.
In Nordic, athletes compete in multiple races divided by both distance and technique.
Max started the week with 4th place in the U16 5km freestyle race. Then he had the sprints, which, unlike most Nordic races, had multiple heats and rounds leading up to the final. You must place on top of your heat or have a fast time to move on.
Max Fey ’28 is on the top 10 podium at Junior Nationals. Photo provided.
“In the sprints, I got seventh place, but it was my greatest top ten yet. I made heats and had no trouble in quarterfinals, but when semis rolled around, I got tangled up with a couple of the other racers and fell far behind. I tried to regain contact, but I had no kick, and at that point, the race was over. I got fifth in my heat, bumping me out of final contention. I made B finals, and instead of being all bummed about not making A finals, I raced it as hard as humanly possible and won by quite a large margin. Although it was not the result I was looking for, it was my proudest race at JNs,” Max said.
These two results landed Max All-American honors in both races.
At the same time, Islay Sheil ’28 was across the country in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, for Ski Jumping Junior Nationals. She flew there straight from Norway, where she was competing in the Junior World Championships.
Islay finished 2nd in the U20 girls’ class at Junior Nationals, which is “my best national finish yet. It was also a super fun trip and competition,” said Islay.
Islay Sheil ’28 is flying at Junior Nationals. Photo by Gary Christie.
