USA Names Junior World Cross Country Team

PARK CITY, UT (Jan. 13, 2017) - Twelve cross country ski racers have been named to the team that will represent the USA at the International Ski Federation's 2017 USANA Nordic Junior World Ski Championships Jan. 30-Feb. 5 at the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center. It's the first time the global junior event has been held in the USA since 1986 in Lake Placid.

The team of six men and six women was named by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association following the completion of trials during the L.L.Bean U.S. Cross Country Championships at Soldier Hollow. Selection was based on results of USSA SuperTour competitions along with three trials events during the U.S. Championships.

"It was a great opportunity to have our trials here at Soldier Hollow and to have the Junior World Championships coming back to the USA," said Coach Bryan Fish. "We witnessed a full spectrum of weather conditions at the trials and we're very appreciative of Soldier Hollow hosting the event on the new trails that have been created for Junior Worlds."

The women's team brings some strong international experience with Stratton Mountain School skiers Katharine Ogden (Landgrove, VT) and Julia Kern (Waltham, MA) having experience at Junior Worlds. Two years ago Ogden skied to one of the best U.S. finishes in event history with a sixth in the skiathlon at Almaty, Kazakhstan. Kern was 16th last year in the freestyle sprint at Rasnov, Romania. It will be Hannah Halvorsen's (Truckee, CA) first Junior Worlds, but the Sugar Bowl Ski Team athlete was a strong sixth in the classic sprint last year at the Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway.

It's the first time on the Junior Worlds Team for all six men. Hunter Wonders (Anchorage) of Alaska Pacific University Nordic was on last year's Youth Olympic Games team where he finished eighth in the 10k freestyle.

In the trials events at the L.L.Bean U.S. Cross Country Championships, Ogden was second overall in the 20k classic and fourth in the 10k freestyle. Kern also recorded a seventh overall in the classic sprint.

The team will return to Soldier Hollow on January 23 for a pre-Worlds training camp.

Competition opens on Monday, Jan. 30 with classic sprint. On Wednesday, Feb. 1 men race a 10k freestyle with women running 5k. A skiathlon, featuring both classic and freestyle technique, is set for Friday, Feb. 3 with relays closing out the Championships on Sunday, Feb. 5.

2017 USA JUNIOR NORDIC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CROSS COUNTRY TEAM
(Name, hometown, USSA club, birthdate, age at start of championships)

Men
Logan Diekmann, Bozeman, MT (Univ. of Utah Ski Team) 3/28/1997 (19)
Wyatt Gebhardt, Steamboat Springs, CO (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) 8/291999 (17)
Bill Harmeyer, S Burlington, VT (Univ. of Vermont Ski Team) 6/19/1997 (19)
Kamran Husain, Hartland, VT (Stratton Mountain School) 10/18/1997 (19)
Lance McKenney, Fort Fairfield, ME 7/5/97 (19)
Hunter Wonders, Anchorage (Alaska Pacific University Nordic) 8/7/1998 (18) ***

Women
Hannah Halvorsen, Truckee, CA (Sugar Bowl Ski Team) 2/19/98 (18) ***
Lauren Jortberg, Boulder, CO (Dartmouth Ski Team) 9/28/1997 (19)
Julia Kern, Waltham, MA (Stratton Mountain School) 9/12/1997 (19) * **
Taeler McCrerey, Frisco, CO (Univ. of Denver Ski Team) 5/26/1997 (18)
Katharine Ogden, Landgrove, VT (Stratton Mountain School) 11/17/1997 (19) * **
Hailey Swirbul, Carbondale, CO (Univ. of Alaska - Anchorage) 7/10/1998 (18) **

* Member of 2016 Junior Worlds team
** Member of 2015 Junior Worlds team
*** Member of 2016 Youth Olympic Games team

2017 USANA FIS NORDIC JUNIOR WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS
Cross Country Schedule (all events at Soldier Hollow)

Monday, January 30
10:00 a.m. Classic sprint qualifications
12:00 p.m. Classic sprint heats
7:00 p.m. Opening Ceremony (Zermatt Resort, Midway)

Wednesday, February 1
10:00 a.m. Women's 5k freestyle
12:00 p.m. Men's 10k freestyle
7:00 p.m. Medal ceremony (Ice Castles, Homestead Resort, Midway)

Friday, February 3
10:00 a.m. Women's 5k CL/5k FS skiathlon
12:00 p.m. Men's 10k CL/10k CL skiathlon
7:00 p.m. Medal ceremony (Ice Castles, Homestead Resort, Midway)

Sunday, February 5
10:00 a.m. Women's 4x3.3k relay
12:00 p.m. Men's 4x5k relay
6:30 p.m. Closing Ceremony and Medals Ceremony (Zermatt Resort, Midway)

TOP PAST JUNIOR WORLDS FINISHES FOR USA
4 - Lindsey Williams, 2003 freestyle sprint (Solleftea)
5 - Leif-Orin Zimmermann, 2003 freestyle sprint (Solleftea)
5 - Torin Koos, 2000 freestyle sprint (Strbske Pleso)
6 - Katharine Ogden, 2015 skiathlon (Almaty)
6 - Ryan Foster, 2003 freestyle sprint (Solleftea)
6 - Kristina Trygstad-Saari, 2002 5k (Schonach)
6 - Andy Newell, 2001 freestyle sprint (Karpacz-Szklarska)
6 - Kikkan Randall, 2001 freestyle sprint (Karpacz-Szklarska)
6 - Kris Freeman, 2000 freestyle sprint (Strbske Pleso)