By Gavin Kentch
U.S. Ski & Snowboard recently officially announced the athletes named to the team for World Junior Championships and World U23 Championships. Presumptive nominations were first reported by Nordic Insights in early January. Relative to my original reporting, the official team naming removes Jack Young, who had qualified based on his World Cup results but appears to have declined his start, and adds Brian Bushey in his place. Everything else is the same as was first reported here and here.
Team nominations are based on athlete performance in the races held in Anchorage the first week of January. Selection for World Junior Championships looks to an athlete’s two best performances in the three national championship races (one sprint and two distance races total). Selection for World U23 Championships looks to an athlete’s two best performance across the three national championship races plus one SuperTour (two sprints and two distance races total).
Here are the American athletes named to this year’s team:
World Junior Championships
Women
Sammy Smith, Sun Valley/USST
Maeve Ingelfinger, Dartmouth College
Lena Poduska, Jackson Hole Ski Club
Neve Gerard, University of Utah
Sydney Drevlow, Loppet Nordic Racing
Nina Schamberger, University of Utah
Men
Jack Leveque, Alaska Winter Stars
Murphy Kimball, University of Alaska Anchorage/USST
Justin Lucas, APU Nordic Ski Center
Lucas Wilmot, University of Utah
Cole Flowers, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Benjamin “Grey” Barbier, Montana State University
World U23 Championships
Women
Kendall Kramer, University of Alaska Fairbanks/USST
Kate Oldham, Montana State University
Sydney Palmer-Leger, SMS T2/USST
Nina Seemann, Dartmouth College
Emma Strack, St. Lawrence University
Men
Walker Hall, University of Utah
Will Koch, University of Colorado/USST
Michael Earnhart, APU Nordic Ski Center/USST
Trey Jones, University of Colorado/USST
Jack Christner, Middlebury College
Brian Bushey, University of Utah
These trips will be staffed as follows:
Coaches
Team leader and head coach: Greta Anderson, U.S. Ski Team
Team manager: Bryan Fish, U.S. Ski Team
Coach: Matt Boobar, Stratton Mountain School
Coach: Julia Hayes
Medical and PT support
Medical Staff: Dr. Jasmine Wiley
Physical Therapist: Elizabeth Smith, PT, DPT
Service staff
Head of Service: August Teague, Aspen Valley Ski Club
Service: Peter Holmes, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation
Service: Quinn Lehmkuhl, Tahoe Endurance
Service: Colin Rodgers, Green Mountain Valley School
Service: Perry Thomas
Service: Ben Higgins, Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center
Service: Eliza Rorabaugh, Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center
Service: Tuva Granøien, University of Alaska Anchorage
In Alaska-centric comments to local media (don’t @ me or Greta, Alaska Sports Report asked for this originally and “Alaska” is literally right there in their name), Greta Anderson highlighted some strengths of the team as follows:
“Jack Leveque is a young guy and he is skiing fast! He outright won one of the largest races at U.S. Nationals against a strong junior field. We are excited to see what he can do and learn not only for this year but for the years to come! Coached by Gus Schumacher’s junior coach Jan Buron, Jack will be joined in international starts by his teammates from Alaska Winter Stars, Murphy Kimball, Cole Flowers, [and, on the U18 Scando Cup trip,] Noa Kam-Magruder and Vebjørn Flagstad.
“APUNSC will be sending several skiers and coaches to the separate race series, including Oskar Flora, Michael Earnhart, and Kendall Kramer. Coaching staffs will include APUNSC’s Eliza Rorabaugh (WJSC/U23) & Erik Flora (U18 Scando Trip).
“Alaska’s own Stifel U.S. SKI TEAM athletes Murphy Kimball, Kendall Kramer, and Michael Earnhart are looking great for the championships. This will be Murphy’s rookie World Junior Championship coming hot on the heels of some World Cup sprint starts and we are thrilled for him.
“Kendall & Michael were looking impressively strong at trails they notoriously ‘love’ to race, our own Kincaid Park, and after that display of their form and readiness, I am personally looking forward to being able to put Michael Earnhart and Kendall Kramer back onto the Under-23 field start lines. Both of those racers return to this particular championship with medals under their belt in recent years, so as seasoned veterans of this team, I expect them to be race favorites and have a great shot at some world titles. I am also grateful to have their leadership on the team for our Alaskan rookies like Murphy Kimball and Cole Flowers.”
“Kate Oldham will be another athlete to watch. Kate, a native of Carbondale, Colorado, has spent a good chunk of her summers up here in Alaska training these last two years and came out swinging at Nationals to take her first national title. She will be hot off of her first World Cup starts coming into the championships.”
World Junior/U23 Championships are in Bergamo/Schilpario, Italy, from February 3–9. Athletes and coaches are currently in or en route to Seefeld for a training camp.
Racing in Lombardy starts with classic sprints, first Juniors on February 3 and then U23 athletes on February 4. Results for the week are here and official event program is here.
You’re reading this on Nordic Insights, one man’s labor of love dedicated to publicizing American nordic skiing. Last season’s GoFundMe is literally the only reason why I turned a profit in years one and two of Nordic Insights, and in turn the only reason why there is a year three of Nordic Insights for you to be reading now: I was okay with working for very little money to get this love letter toAmerican cross-country skiing off the ground, but I didn’t want to lose money for the privilege of doing so. If you would like to support what remains a brutally shoestring operation, last season’s GoFundMe may be found here. Thank you for your consideration, and, especially, for reading.
