U23, Junior World Cross Country Championship Teams Announced

With the conclusion of the 2020 L.L.Bean U.S. Cross Country Championships, U.S. Ski & Snowboard has named three teams to represent the United States at the 2020 U23 and Junior FIS Cross Country World Championships, and the U18 Scandinavian Championships.

The 2020 FIS Nordic Junior and U23 Cross-Country World Ski Championships take place February 28 - March 8 in Oberwiesenthal, Germany, while the U18 Scandinavian Championships will be held Jan 24-26 in Falun, Sweden. 

Julia Kern and Hailey Swirbul lead the way for the Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team at the upcoming U23 and Junior World Championships. Julia picked up her first career World Cup podium, finished third in the freestyle sprint in Planica, Slovenia, this season. She has also posted seven top-20 World Cup results so far this season. Hailey picked up her first career World Cup points in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this season before taking her first U.S. titles in Classic sprint, freestyle sprint, and 20k classic at the recent L.L.Bean U.S. Cross Country Championships.

“USA cross country has strong momentum right now,” noted U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Program Manager Bryan Fish. “Our clubs, colleges, and university programs are doing a great job preparing our athletes. Our juniors and under-23 athletes performed very well at the recent L.L.Bean U.S. Cross Country Championships in Houghton.  It was encouraging to see the number of young athletes performing so well in the overall field. For example, Hailey Swirbul won three of the four races and Gus Schumacher was first, second, and fourth in the three events he competed in.”

For the Junior World Championships team, 12 athletes will be representing the United States.

“The depth of our junior women and men is particularly impressive,” Bryan added. “We should have strong relay teams. We return our entire gold medal junior men’s relay team (from the 1999 World Championships) and we add further depth with athletes like JC, who just scored World Cup points in his first-ever World Cup appearance last weekend in Dresden, Germany.”

U23 World Championship Team
Women:

• Julia Kern (SMS T2/Waltham, Mass.)
• Hailey Swirbul (APU Nordic Ski Center/El Jebel, Colo.)
• Amanda Kautzer (Michigan Tech University/Houghton, Mich.)
• Alex Lawson (Middlebury College/West Burke, Vt.)
• Sarah Goble (Michigan Tech University/Marquette, Mich.) 

Men:

• Zak Ketterson (Northern Michigan University/Bloomington, Minn.)
• Finn O’Connell (University of Vermont/Steamboat Springs, Colo.)
• Hunter Wonders (APU Nordic Ski Center/Anchorage, Alaska)
• Zane Fields (Lyme Elite Team/White River Junction, Vt.)
• Logan Diekmann (University of Utah/Bozeman, Mont.)

Junior World Championship Team
Women:

• Sydney Palmer-Leger (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation/Park City, Utah)
• Sophia Laukli (Middlebury College/Yarmouth, Maine)
• Kendall Kramer (Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks/Fairbanks, Alaska)
• Novie McCabe (Methow Valley Nordic/Winthrop, Wash.)
• Callie Young (Dartmouth College/Jay, Vt.)
• Mara McCollor (Dartmouth College/Plymouth, Minn.)

Men:

• Gus Schumacher (Alaska Winter Stars/Anchorage, Alaska)
• Johnny Hagenbuch (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation/Ketchum, Idaho)
• Luke Jager (University of Utah/Anchorage, Alaska)
• JC Schoonmaker (University of Alaska Anchorage/Tahoe City, Calif.)
• Zanden McMullen (Montana State University/Anchorage, Alaska)
• Benjamin Ogden (Stratton Mountain School/Landgrove, Vt.)

U18 Nordic Nation’s Championships Team
Women:

• Sydney Palmer-Leger (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation/Park City, Utah)
• Kendall Kramer (Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks/Fairbanks, Alaska)
• Ava Thurston (Mansfield Nordic/Waterbury, Vt.)
• Nina Seemann (Stratton Mountain School/Bondville, Vt.)
• Haley Brewster (Ski and Snowboard Club Vail/Avon, Colo.)
• Garvee Tobin (APU Nordic Ski Center/Anchorage, Alaska)

Men: 

• Peter Hinds (APU Nordic Ski Center/Anchorage, Alaska)
• Brian Bushey (Green Mountain Valley School/Montpelier, Vt.)
• Alexander Maurer (Alaska Winter Stars/Anchorage, Alaska)
• Will Koch (Stratton Mountain School/Peru, Vt.)
• Wally Magill (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club/Steamboat Springs, Colo.)
• Michael Earnhart (Alaska Nordic Racing/Eagle River, Alaska)