By Gavin Kentch
2025 Cross-Country Skiing Junior Nationals kick off in Soldier Hollow on Monday with the interval-start classic race. U16 athletes will race 5km; U18 and U20 will race 7.5km. Three more races follow within the week, culminating with a relay next Saturday.
Every year I scour a lot of disparate regional governing body websites to come up with full rosters of who will be racing at JNs (or, more precisely, who was named to the teams; obviously athletes get sick and plans change after teams are announced). You can find last year’s effort here and 2023 here if you are really into the year-to-year intricacies of high-level American junior skiing.
Full disclosure, you can glean a version of this year’s roster roundup from this PDF. But I did more work than I want to admit before stumbling across this document, so I’m keeping this article up. Plus my version has photos. And jokes about federalism. And, in many cases, lists of coaches.
Congratulations to all athletes named to this year’s teams, and have fun in Soho. Oh also, I retyped a hundred-plus names here; I hope I got everything correct, but sometimes mistakes are made. If your name is wrong do let me know: info (at) nordicinsights.news. I care about accuracy, a lot, and will correct this ASAP.
As an organizational note: Teams are listed here by order of finish in last year’s Alaska Cup standings. It’s like the Nations Cup on the World Cup, but less federalist. Also there Great Britain is ranked 12th, and here New England always wins.
Tula Higman races at Scan Cup in Gjøvik last month (photo: Etienne Bordes)
New England
Athletes: 50 of them. Here they are by age group:
U16 girls: Antonia Schramm, Acadia Enman, Mia Gorman, Astrid Longstreth, Olivia Hanna, Lucille Dent, and Leila Griffith
U16 boys: Jorgen Pirrung, Matthew Northcott, McEnaney, Foster Whitworth V, Patrick Holland, and James Langan
U18 girls: Annie Hanna, Ruth Krebs, Emma Paarson, Lea Perreard, Claire Serrano, Ava Schneider, Mary Harrington, Ella Ronci, Frances Tucker, Kiera Stabile, Sara Salingman-McGill, Tillie Lange, Estella Laird, and Isabel Linton
U18 boys: Matthew McIntosh, Joseph Sluka, Jonah Gorman, Jed Bentley, Niko Cuneo, Beckett Cote, Fritz Sanders, and Lucas Barstow
U20 girls: Beth McIntosh, Maddie Hooker, Nyla Scott, Margo Nightingale, Caroline Tarmy, and Sarah Glueck
U20 boys: Finn Christiansen, Miles Miner, James Underwood, Anders Linseisen, Micah Bruner, Abrahm Geissinger, Ellis Slover, Quinn McDermott, Cole Bothner
Coaches: Head coach: Matt Boobar, SMS; trip leader: Ben Theyerl, NENSA.
Other coaches: George Forbes, Mikaela Paluszek, Chris Stock, Isabel Seay, Steve Bruner, and Kate Northcott (age group coaches); Adam Terko, Ollie Burruss, Brandon Herhusky, Annika Martell, and Devin Wong (service staff).
Lena Poduska races at Scan Cup in Gjøvik last month (photo: Etienne Bordes)
Intermountain
Athletes: Odin Berryman, Karsten Bessonette, Tait Boschen, Whit Brown, Eli Bruce, Ayden Brutger, Natalie Carlson, Ian Carmack, Mazzy Conners, Findley Dezzani, Walker Dunn, Kendall Dye, Lucas Fassio, Matthew Finkel, Keely Starr Fisher, Duncan Fryberger, Elsa Futch, Gavin Galyardt, Nick Gardiner, Hazel Gault, Brooke Greenberg, Gabrielle Harris, Havalah Heale, Tula Higman, Tegan Hoffman, Tory Hoffman, Sara Hottle, Sam Hutchinson, Jasper Jacobsen, Kaya Kandolin, Christian Landers, Samuel Madsen, Jackson Mayer, Alta Miller, Abigail Murphy, Taylor Nalder, Necia Nicholas, Lena Poduska, Ruby Polloczek, Ellery Preheim, Clement Romney Dauvergne, Cora Faye Scott, Zach Shockey, Charlie St. George, Hannah Strachan, Nate Streubel, Lucy Taylor, Johan Thieszen, Benjamin Trachtenberg, Thomas Vandekamp, Isabel Warner, Peter Warner, Callahan Waters, Isabella Waters, Rhys Weidenhamer, Woody West, Silvester Williams, Lucas Wilmot, Landon Wyatt, and Phoebe Zaniello.
Apologies for the wall of text here; world champs coverage has been kicking my butt this week and I didn’t have the bandwidth to manually separate this out by age group.
Coaches:
Alaska
Athletes: I think 50 total, including one who has been 28th in a World Cup sprint. Here are all of them, per Cross Country Alaska.
Coaches: Head coach: Galen Johnston; team manager: Joey Caterinichio; coaches: Jan Buron, Erik Flora, Eliza Rorabaugh, Eric Strabel, Tegan Thorley, Jesse Wilkins, Jenny Kimball, Karina Packer, and Paige Ripley
[Disclosure: I know basically everyone on this list; in particular, Galen Johnston has been my coach with APU Masters since 2014, and Eliza Rorabaugh has been my coach with APU Masters since I think 2021. Vis-à-vis the athletes, I have also lost a race to basically every single junior man on this list, and probably a majority of the women as well. Alaska kids are fast; I am not.]
Rocky Mountain
Athletes:
U16 boys: Freedom Bennett, Tyler Ciluzzi, Conor Devin, Marat Gilfanov, Peter Kan, Sawyer Landers, Ben Larson, Jackson McLaren, Henry Patten, Max Peterson, Jack Purcell, Bode Rhodes, Charlie Wiedel
U18 boys: William Bentley, Owen Cruz-Abrams, Alex Current, Landon Laverdiere, Campbell McLaren, Carter Niemkiewicz, Parker Osborn, Henry Reynolds, Kian Sullivan, Tristan Thrasher
U20 men: Samuel Gurarie, Andrew Lombardi, Charles Ben Oldham, Reiner Schmidt, James Sowers
U16 girls: Luca Archie, Georgia Bishop, Isla Elton, Kate Goldfarb, Maia McGinnis-Smith, Sophia McGinnis-Smith, Tazlina Pozner, Elsie Robinson, Maren Sachs, Finnley Stanek, Kajsa Wik, Lyza Zoller
U18 girls: Sophia Bender, Davis Brosterhous, Ella Bullock, Claire Chimileski, Gracen Kennedy, Antigone Loomis, Ev Minotto, Lyudmil Moseley, Niamh Nelson, Anna Rhodes, Nina Villafranco
U20 women: Brynna Lenhard, Grace Olexa, Clara Statkus
Coaches:
Logan Drevlow races at Scan Cup in Gjøvik last month (photo: Etienne Bordes)
Midwest
Athletes: Sorry for the slightly awkward formatting here, but here is the Midwest boys team (link):
| U16 Boys | ||
| Name | Team | |
| 1 | Jack Rudolph | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 2 | Aksel Skustad | Ely Nordic Wolves |
| 3 | Oliver Hohenstein | Ely Nordic Wolves |
| 4 | Henrik Engstrom | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 5 | Connor Loop | Minneapolis Ski Club |
| 6 | Blake Ingelin | Minneapolis Ski Club |
| 7 | Colby Cepek | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 8 | Caleb Lyon | Minneapolis Ski Club |
| U18 Boys | ||
| Name | Team | |
| PreQual | Anders Geise | Norge Ski Club |
| PreQual | Logan Drevlow | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 1 | Eli Andre | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 2 | Soren Winikoff | Minneapolis Ski Club |
| 3 | Anders Decker | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 4 | Hudson McMillan | ULLA Racing Team |
| 5 | George Nelson | Endurance United |
| 6 | Dylan Little | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 7 | Charlie Gundale | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 8 | Everett Olson | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 9 | Jack Cashman | Endurance United |
| 10 | Ethan Albrecht | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| U20 Boys | ||
| Name | Team | |
| PreQual | Eric Anderson | Minneapolis Ski Club |
| 1 | Eddie Snider | Minneapolis Ski Club |
| 2 | Anders Westanmo | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 3 | David Ronnevik | Team Birkie |
| 4 | Josh Frett | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 5 | Owen Kalmes | Minneapolis Ski Club |
| 6 | Drew Huotari | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 7 | Ben Masica | Minneapolis Ski Club |
And here are the girls:
| U16 Girls | ||
| Name | Team | |
| PreQual | Linnea Ousdigian | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 1 | Evie Malec | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 2 | Eleanor Mody | Minneapolis Ski Club |
| 3 | Claire Britton | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 4 | Anneliese Lindfors | Endurance United |
| 5 | Sophie Kannapiran | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 6 | Paloma Good | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 7 | Meredith Gundale | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| U18 Girls | ||
| Name | Team | |
| 1 | Helen Townley | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 2 | Elsa Lindfors | Endurance United |
| 3 | Annelise Baird | Duluth XC/North XC |
| 4 | Lila Golomb | Minneapolis Ski Club |
| 5 | Inga Wing | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 6 | Anna Gilmer | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 7 | Alex Pundsack | Minneapolis Ski Club |
| 8 | Avery Rich | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 9 | Ciara Thatcher | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 10 | Claire Swanson | Minneapolis Ski Club |
| U20 Girls | ||
| Name | Team | |
| PreQual | Erica Kazin | Michigan Technological University |
| PreQual | Maddie Gray | College of St Scholastica |
| PreQual | Hanna Koch | Minneapolis Ski Club |
| 1 | Chloe Angerman | Loppet Nordic Racing |
| 2 | Greta Hendrickson | Bates Nordic Ski Team |
| 3 | Stella Powell | Minneapolis Ski Club |
| 4 | Naida Hutchinson | Duluth XC/North XC |
| 5 | Anna-Britta Helmer | Duluth XC/North XC |
| 6 | Anna Peikert | Minneapolis Ski Club |
| 7 | Kaia Osmundson | NordicWerks SkiKlubb |
Coaches: Here is the coaching staff (link):
Niki Johnson races at Scan Cup in Gjøvik last month (photo: Etienne Bordes)
Far West
Athletes: Here is this year’s Far West team (link):
Coaches: Quinn Lehmkuhl is the head coach and trip leader.
The rest of the Far West staff is:
Caroline Dezendorf – U16W coach
Etienne Bordes – U16M coach
Julien Bordes – U18/20W coach
Sean Burke – U18/20M coach
Gus Johnson – Head of Service
Lily Murnane – service/test
Casey Jowers, Eric Strecker, Garrett Higerd, Anton Zhiganov – service staff
Pacific Northwest
Athletes:
U16 girls:
Anhelina Hryhorenko
Johanna Dake
Aven Harris
Maren Sands
Alida Burt
Anja Merkens
Sisu Clark
Wylie Smith
Annika E Burns
Annika C Peterson
U16 boys:
Irving Quinn Stoller
Jayvin Lemieux
Jedidiah Stay
Aaron Pooler
Colter A Anderson
Reed Scott
Connor Olsen
Eli Shockey
River Ferguson
U18/20 women:
Adeline Loewen
Caroline Menna
Avery Houghton
Freyja Leitheiser
Sophia Capozzi
Violet Rodhouse
Lucinda A Maxson
Nola Stryker
Becca Wade
Adelayde Schumaier
Gwyndolyn Scoville
U18/20 men:
Aidan Sands
Ben Kaufman
Quinten Jackson Koch
Silas D’Atre
Peter J Norby
Catcher Kemmerer
Olaf Saugen
Micah wilder
Kian Compton
Levi Hanscom
Toby Spencer
Will Mowry
Coaches: Heidi Loewen is the trip leader.
Great Lakes
Athletes: Sorry for the slightly awkward formatting here, but here is the Great Lakes team (link):
| U20 Women | ||
| Lillian | Franzen | UW-Green Bay |
| Josephine | Kwasny | College of St. Scholastica |
| Victoria | Myers | College Of Saint Scholastica |
| Monet | Argeropoulos | Superiorland |
| Carla | Schwitters | MadNorSki/Ice Age |
| Claire | Brunette | Bay Nordic |
| Fran | Peterson | Saint Michael’s College |
| Anne | Paulson | Green Mountain Valley School |
| U20 Men | ||
| Olin | Kasperowicz | Vasa Ski Club |
| Franklin | Richard | Bay Nordic |
| Zaine | Braaten | University of Wisconsin – Green Bay |
| Birk | Seagren | Copper Country Ski Tigers |
| Kristian | Hudacek | Chippewa Valley Nordic/Bridger Ski Foundation |
| U18 Girls | ||
| Krin | Blegen | Peak Nordic Ski Team |
| Stella | Meza | Lakeland Nordic Ski Team |
| Riley | Grossklaus | Peak Nordic |
| Margaret | Bennett | Wausau Nordic United |
| Sydney | Loehrl | Peak Nordic |
| Amelia | Kydd | Blackhawk Ski Club |
| U18 Boys | ||
| Neel | Dums | Hayward Nordic |
| Jack | Dahlby | Chippewa Valley Nordic |
| Benjamin | Buchmann | Ashwaubenon Nordic Ski Team |
| Cole | Mirek | Peak Nordic |
| Olin | Slette | Superiorland Ski Club |
| Jonah | Menet | Iola Winter Ski Club |
| Nicholas | Johnkoski | Wausau Nordic United |
| U16 Girls | ||
| Onika | Colassacco | Bay Nordic |
| Aleksandra | Guseva | Madison Nordic Ski Club |
| Elsa | Oestreich | Wausau United Nordic |
| Johanna | Brunette | Bay Nordic |
| Kerkyra | Vander Zanden | Madison Nordic Ski Team |
| Anja | Oestreich | Wausau United Nordic |
| Ashley | Derenne | Bay Nordic |
| Katelynn | Reckinger | Bay Nordic |
| U16 Boys | ||
| Connor | Reckinger | Bay Nordic |
| Niels | Stringer | Madnorski |
| James | Derenne | Bay Nordic |
| Brayden | Kelly | Lakeland Nordic Ski Team |
| Carson | Wood | Iola Winter Sports Club |
| Jacob | Shobe | Ashwaubenon Nordic Ski Team |
| Reid | Hagen | Rails on Trails (Spooner) |
Coaches: Here is the coaching staff (link):
High Plains
Athletes: Kayley Alicke, Otus Beason, Twyla Beason, William Blair, Kalel Brubaker, Bennett Hutchison, Fisk Johansson, Riven Moore, Hunter Pickett, Everett Roberson, Austin Thomas, Olivia Tolson, Julia Veauthier, Jack Voos, Raina Wachob, and Ally Wheeler.
Mid-Atlantic
Athletes: Braden Bellizzi, Lenden Bellizzi, Maeve Bernhard, Nathaniel Burke, Carter Forest, Dillon Frank, Talia Goldstein, Cora Hinsdil, Filippos Kogiantis, Brady Krenzer, Raquelle Landa, Daven Linck, Colin Maynard, Carl Morse, Paul Pippin, Andrew Scanio, Forrest Slingerland, Reid Smith, Marianne Spyra, and Boden Sundell.
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.
