Mackinaw City’s Lars, Larissa Huffman to continue athletic careers at St. Norbert College

MACKINAW CITY – If a high school sports season is going on, Lars and Larissa Huffman are playing, competing and succeeding.

As the Mackinaw City athletic era comes to a close for the senior twin duo, it's not even close to the end.

Because when you're as talented and hard working as the Huffmans are, you’re probably going to receive a lot of interest from the next level.

After receiving interest from several colleges, Lars and Larissa – two of the most decorated athletes in Mackinaw City history – finally made a decision.

They’re going to compete in college – and they’re going together.

On Wednesday afternoon, in their home gymnasium, Lars and Larissa made things official by signing for St. Norbert College, a NCAA Division 3 school in De Pere, Wis.

“It’s pretty cool. I get a chance to already have someone I know on the team as I go there,” said Lars, who intends to study Marine and Wildlife Biology and double with a teaching degree. "We didn’t really have that plan (to go to school together). (Larissa) had a top five of schools and I had a top three, but St. Norbert was the only one that we both had in common, so it just kind of happened by chance.”

Lars will continue his career as a member of the St. Norbert men’s cross country and track and field teams, while Larissa joins the women’s basketball and track and field teams.

While playing two sports is a challenge, Larissa – who’s dual-sported throughout her career – is embracing it.

“It’s going to be a little stressful, especially since the seasons kind of overlap, but I’ve always been a busy girl, I’ve always been doing multiple things, so I’m kind of used to it,” said Larissa, who will study to become a high school math and science teacher. “I’ve been doing all this since I was little. I did seven sports at one time throughout the year, so I’m kind of used to it. I don’t really like having nothing to do.”

Both Huffmans have thrived during their Mackinaw City careers, with each capturing numerous individual accolades and helping their teams to multiple titles.

For Lars, he was a four-time cross country state qualifier who earned all-state honors as a junior. Despite suffering a knee injury that didn’t allow him to compete in baseball or track and field last spring, Huffman returned to cross country action last fall and remarkably qualified for states for a fourth time.

On the basketball court, Larissa helped fuel the Comets to a history-making 2022-23 campaign that saw them capture the program’s first-ever regional championship. As a co-op member of the Inland Lakes girls track and field team, Larissa has been just as stellar, earning all-state honors in the 100 and 300 hurdles last season.

Jake Huffman, who’s coached both his son and daughter, said he was happy to see the two make a decision.

“It’s pretty exciting that they’re going to be in the same location so (my wife Heather and I are) not running all over the place to watch them do what they want to do,” said Jake. “They really liked the campus over there. They liked the location, they wanted to be somewhere up north. Larissa wasn’t really ready to give up basketball yet, because she had multiple schools looking at her for track, and she had some smaller (Division 1 and Division 2 colleges looking at her), but she said, ‘Dad, I still want to play basketball.’ I think she’ll fit in nicely there. A lot of what we did (in basketball) was similar to what they do, so she’s going to fit in well over there. The coach is awesome.

“They’re going to have a great program for what both of them are going into, and I think they really like the track coaches and cross country coaches. I think it’s a nice fit for them.”

Not only did the two athletes love the St. Norbert campus when they visited, but it’s only about five miles away from Lambeau Field, home of their favorite football team, the Green Bay Packers.

“I really like the area. It’s really nice, on the river, and you can see (Lambeau Field) right on campus which is pretty cool since I’m a Packer fan, and it’s also a nice, smaller school which is what I kind of liked about it, and the coaches were great when I was there,” Larissa Huffman said.

While both are heading to St. Norbert, Lars and Larissa are grateful for their time in Mackinaw City athletics.

“It’s been great because I’ve gotten the chance to win a bunch of different conferences and districts in all sports,” Lars Huffman said. “It’s been great to compete at high levels with every team I’ve been a part of. Great teammates throughout my years.”

Larissa agreed.

“I’m extremely proud of how great my class has done over the years and throughout history, how much history we’ve made since volleyball and basketball, and I think we’re doing pretty good at track in Indian River (Inland Lakes), too,” Larissa Huffman said. “It’s crazy that we won four districts and a regional (in basketball) and the first district for volleyball. I really want to be an inspiration to younger Mackinaw members."

Their dad is going to miss both, but he’s confident they’ll succeed on a bigger stage.

“I think the biggest thing that they’re going to bring to those schools is that work ethic,” Jake Huffman said. “St. Norbert’s getting a couple kids that are going to work very hard and be dedicated to what those coaches want. How well they perform at the end of the day is going to come down to how much they work at it, and I think that’s the biggest thing is that they’re getting two kids that are going to come in, be dedicated and work hard.

“I’m excited for them. I think it’s a great school.”

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Mackinaw City’s Lars, Larissa Huffman to continue athletic careers at St. Norbert College