Collegiate Racing Recap: NCAA, USCSA Championships
March 17, 2020Both the NCAA and USCSA Championships were interrupted last week by the coronavirus outbreak, but Luke Brown brings us a full recap on the racing that was held with some strong Midwest results.
NCAA Freestyle Race Results
March 12, 2020The opening race for the NCAA Skiing Championships for Nordic skiing events was Thursday, featuring freestyle 5K and 10K races. The Midwest had a strong representation in the women's 5K as Sarah Goble, MTU, finished 7th and Margie Freed, UVM, was 9th. In the mens 10K, Kjetil Baanerud, NMU, had the top Midwest result in 20th place. Eveliina Piippo, DU, and Ben Ogden, UVM, took the women's and men's titles respectively. It was announced after the race that Saturday's classic race was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Junior Nationals Cancelled Due to Coronavirus Concerns
March 12, 2020Junior Nationals competition is the latest casuality of the coronavirus outbreak as organizers announced on Thursday morning the cancellation of the remaining events.
NCAA Freestyle Race Coverage
March 12, 2020NCAA Championships kicks off Thursday with the freestyle races being held at Crosscut Mountain Sports in Bozeman, MT. Watch the livestream and checkout live results!
Junior Nationals: Freestyle Sprints Coverage
March 11, 2020Wednesday at Junior Nationals featured freestyle sprints races. Another sparse day on the podium for the upper Midwest -- Gus Schatzlein was the lone Midwest representative scoring a third place finish in the boys U20 final. Molly Moening, FU16, also made the sprint finals, taking fifth. Results linked in, along with photos from Jackie Schneider.
USCSA Collegiate National Championships Start Tuesday
March 9, 2020The U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) will host its 5-day long annual Collegiate National Championships from March 10-14th, 2020 in Lake Placid, NY. Nearly 500 competitors will compete for National collegiate titles in alpine, Nordic, snowboard and freeski events.
Junior Nationals: Classic Coverage
March 9, 2020Junior Nationals opened on Monday in Soda Springs, CA, with classic format racing. Johanna Craig (Great Lakes) skied to the only podium for the upper Midwest teams, taking third place in the girls U20 division. Top ten performances on the day: Anabel Needram 5th (FU20), Cooper Lennox 7th (MU20), Morgan Richter 8th (FU20), and Molly Moening 6th (FU16). Other top Midwest results - MU18:Roger Anderson 12th, Colin Freed 16th; MU20: Gus Schatzlein 11th, Henry Snider 13th, James Schneider 14th; FU18: Libby Tuttle 23rd; FU20: Emma Albrecht 12th, Alice House 13th; FU16: Margo Nightingale 13th, Jordan Parent 14th; MU16: Adrik Kraftson 20th. Results linked in, photos from Jackie Schneider.
Central Regional High Performance Coach Sought
March 7, 2020The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF), Central Cross Country Skiing (CXC), and the Loppet Foundation are working in cooperation with the intent of creating a regional high performance team based out of The Trailhead, at Theodore Wirth Park, in Minneapolis. They are currently seeking candidates for the head coaching position. Deadline for application is March 22nd!
Junior Nationals Livestream Coverage
March 7, 2020Livestreams of the Junior Nationals competition this coming week in Truckee, CA, can be watched via the XCOUNTRYLIVE package. And as an added bonus, subscribers have a chance at a pair of Salomon skis! Racing action starts Monday, March 9th at 11 am.
World Juniors: Junior Men Gold, Junior Women Silver at World Championships
March 6, 2020It was a historic day for Team USA at the 2020 FIS Junior Cross Country World Championships, as the junior men defended their team relay gold and the junior women’s relay team took the silver medal in Oberwiesenthal, Germany.
Endurance United Junior Program Training Now Open
March 5, 2020Registration for Endurance United's spring, summer and D-team junior Nordic ski training programs is now open.
Victor C. Dunder Award Nominations Sought
March 5, 2020Nominations for Victor C. Dunder awards are due by March 31st. The Victor C. Dunder award is designed to get quality equipment to first year skiers in financial need.
Collegiate Racing Recap: EISA, RMISA
March 4, 2020The collegiate conference racing circuit wrapped up its season last weekend with championship events for both EISA and RMISA. Luke Brown has all the racing action, plus great photos from Linda Kerker and Sarah Reinhardt!
MCSA Conference Championship Recap
March 3, 2020The inaugural season of the Midwestern Conference of United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association racing wrapped up with conference championship racing in Rhinelander, Wisconsin last weekend. Drew Birschbach has a recap of the action, as well as a number of photos from the two days of racing.
CXC Names Championship Teams
March 2, 2020Central Cross Country Skiing (CXC) has named the Midwest and Great Lakes division teams for Junior Nationals, as well as the U16 and U18 NENSA Championship squads. The teams were selected through a series of qualifying events over the past three months. Junior Nationals is set for March 7-14th in Truckee, CA.
World Juniors: Schumacher Grabs Gold in Exciting 10K Classic
March 2, 2020US junior star Gus Schumacher further cemented his legacy, taking a victory at the World Juniors in Oberwiesenthal, Germany, on Monday. While the 10K classic race was an individual start event, the leaders all went out in the final four positions, with Schumacher starting last, thus providing one exciting finish! The US men had a strong day as Ben Ogden was 9th, Luke Jager 10th, and Johnny Hagenbuch 25th. On the women's side, Sophia Laukli scored 13th with Minnesotan Mara McCollor 60th.
World Juniors: Kern Takes Sprint Bronze at U23 World Championships
March 1, 2020Julia Kern won the bronze medal in the freestyle sprint at the FIS U23 Cross Country World Championships in Oberwiesenthal, Germany, Saturday. Sweden went 1-2 with Emma Ribom winning the gold, and Johanna Hagstroem taking the silver.
MCSA Northern Division Update
February 27, 2020The Northern division of the Midwestern Conference of the United States Ski & Snowboard Association (MCSA) reports in on their results at the American Birkebeiner.
Collegiate Racing Recap: CCSA
February 26, 2020The CCSA held their Regional Championships last weekend as the line ups for NCAA Championships were determined. Luke Brown has the full breakdown on the racing action.
Collegiate Racing Recap: EISA, CCSA, RMISA
February 19, 2020Another busy weekend on the collegiate racing calendar as NCAA Championships are rapidly approaching. Luke Brown has the racing breakdown for EISA, CCSA and RMISA divisions. Plus Midwest skier photos from EISA by Linda Kerker.
Mayor's Challenge Classic Coverage
February 17, 2020Racing Monday at Wirth, the Mayor's Challenge wrapped up the JNQ season with classic technique events. Adam Martin posted a scorching fast 10K time of just over 22 minutes to take the men's victory. Kaitlynn Miller collected the victory in the women's 5K. Top U20 skiers were Gus Schumacher and Canadian Anne-Marie Petitclerc. U18 titles went to Cooper Lennox and Libby Tuttle, and fastest U16 times on the day belonged to Adrik Kraftson and Molly Moening. Results linked in, photos from Jackie Schneider posted.
Mayor's Challenge Freestyle Sprints Coverage
February 16, 2020The Loppet Foundation began their final push to the World Cup with the Mayor's Challenge freestyle sprints Sunday at Theodore Wirth. The course setup provided the organization another chance to dry-run their World Cup layout. In the senior heats, mens U20 sensation Gus Schumacher posted the top qualifying time and took each heat in route to winning the title. On the women's side, Becca Rorabaugh bested Erika Flowers in the finals. Many juniors raced in the senior heats, thus providing some opportunity for others in the junior heats. Junior titles were earned by Charlie Grabow and Lauren Loppnow, U16 titles for Adrik Kraftson and Molly Moening. Results linked in, photos by Jackie Schneider posted.
Collegiate Racing Recap: EISA, RMISA
February 11, 2020The Eastern (EISA) and Rocky Mountain (RMISA) divisions were in play last weekend, with Midwest skiers once again posting some excellent results. Luke Brown has the full breakdown on the latest collegiate racing action and top Midwest performances.
Collegiate Racing Recap: EISA, CCSA
February 5, 2020Colby Carnival out east and Rhinelander weekend for central, Luke Brown has a full recap on the collegiate racing action across the US from last weekend.
Collegiate Racing Recap: EISA, CCSA, RMISA
January 28, 2020Another busy weekend in the collegiate racing scene, with some great Midwest results being posted by new and old faces across all three divisions. Luke Brown brings us the full report.
Cable JNQ/CCSA Classic Races Coverage
January 26, 2020The Gitchi Gami Games wrapped up the Cable JNQ/CCSA meet on Sunday with individual start classic races. The men's 10K podium was an all-Norwegian party as NMU's Kjetil Banerud and Mathias Rolid finished 1-2 with CSS's Emil Book Bratbak losing to Banerud in a photo finish to collect third. MTU's Sarah Goble continued her strong season taking the women's 10K, teammate Oda Hovland, Norway, second and NMU's Malin Boergesjoe, Sweden, third. Top U16 juniors were Noah Straka and Sylvia Meza. Results linked in along with photos from Jackie Schneider of the 10K races.
Cable JNQ/CCSA Freestyle Sprints Coverage
January 25, 2020The Great Lakes Junior National Qualifying division along with a few of the CCSA collegiate teams competed in freestyle sprint races, the Gitchi Gami Games, at the Birkie Trailhead Saturday. Maria Schoening, UWGB, had a dominating day taking each of her heats and winning the women's final by four seconds over Mae Barnes, CSS, with Annika Viren, CSS, third. Jackson Adler, UWGB, edged out teammate Sam Myers in the men's final with Jack Christianson, CSS, third. U16 titles went to Owen Williams and Ashley Grossklaus. Results linked in, along with photos from Jackie Schneider.
Collegiate Racing Recap: CCSA, EISA, RMISA
January 21, 2020The first big weekend of collegiate racing across the US! Luke Brown brings us all the action from the three big conferences, including Mara McCollor's continued stellar freshman season start.
Coleraine JNQ/CCSA Classic Results
January 19, 2020Second day of racing at Mt. Itasca in Coleraine, MN, featured classic mass start events. The men's 20K came down to a battle of two Norwegians, as Mathias Rolid, NMU, and Emil Book Bratbak, CSS, were separated by just over two seconds as Rolid took the victory. MTU's Reid Goble collected third for the second straight day. NMU swept the women's 15K podium with Hilde Eide, Norway, first, Molly Miller, Canada, second, and Malin Boerjesjoe, Sweden in third. In the 10K junior races, Henry Snider and Lauren McCollor pulled off amazing victories. U16 titles were repeats of Saturday: Adrik Kraftson and Margo Nightingale the champions again.
Coleraine JNQ/CCSA Freestyle Results
January 18, 2020The Midwest division of the Junior National competition competed along with the Central Collegiate Ski Association (CCSA) in freestyle races on the trails at Mt. Itasca in Coleraine, MN, Saturday. In the women's 5K, Sarah Goble, MTU, took the victory 13 seconds ahead of Swiss native Nadine Matter, NMU, with NMU's Katerina Hyncicova, Czech Republic, in third. The men's 10K saw Norwegians Kjetil Banerud and Mathias Rolid, both of NMU, take first and second with Reid Goble, MTU, third. Top juniors on the day: Anabel Neednam, FU20; Libby Tuttle and Lauren McCollor tied as the best FU18; Henry Snider, MU20; Jasper Johnston, MU18. In the U16 division, Adrik Kraftson and Margo Nightingale had the top times.
U23 World Championship Team Announced
January 15, 2020With US Nationals conclusion the previous week, US Ski and Snowboard has finally announced the U23 World Championship team that will be competing in Oberwiesenthal, Germany, at the end of February. The Midwest will be strongly represented by Zak Ketterson (NMU), Sarah Goble (MTU) and Amanda Kautzer (MTU). The Junior Championship and U18 teams were previously announced, with Mara McCollor earning a spot on the Junior squad.
CCSA Spotlight: Michigan Tech Women’s Team
January 14, 2020The CCSA highlights the rise of the Michigan Tech women's Nordic skiing program in recent years. The team won the College Cup at U.S. Nationals earlier this month.
US Nationals Classic Sprints Coverage
January 7, 2020US Nationals in Houghton, MI, wrapped up on the Mich Tech trails Tuesday with classic sprints. Canadian Julien Locke won the men's sprint final, with Hunter Wonders second overall and the US Champion, Luke Jager third. Hailey Swirbul added to her Nationals haul, taking the women's title with Caitlin Patterson second and Alayna Sonnesyn third. Junior titles went to Lane Myshrall and Emma Albrecht. Results linked in, photos by Chris Schmidt featured later tonight.
U.S. Teams Named for World Junior Championships and U18 Championships
January 6, 2020Based on the results from US Nationals, US Ski and Snowboard has named the teams for World Junior Championships in Oberwiesenthal, Germany and the U18 Scandinavian Championships in Falun, Sweden. Making the World Junior team from the Midwest is Mara McCollor!
US Nationals Classic Race Coverage
January 5, 2020A snowy Sunday for the mass start classic races at US Nationals in Houghton, Michigan. In the men's 30K, a lead pack of roughly 25 broke apart on the final lap as Erik Bjornsen and Kyle Bratrud pulled away, Bjornsen out double poling Bratrud to take the men's title. Bratrud was second, and two more Midwesterners were in the top 5 as Ian Torchia took third, Adam Martin fifth. The women's 20K saw star Hailey Swirbul pushing the pace and taking the victory with Caitlin Patterson edging out Finland's Riitta-Liisa Roponen for second. Rosie Frankowski was the top Midwest in 5th. In the junior womens 7.5K race, the trio of Sydney Palmer Leger, Sophia Laukli, Kendall Kramer made a decisive move in the opening 2K and went on to finish in that order. Former Minnesota state champ Mara McCollor made a great late charge, finishing 5th at the line. And in the final event on the date, the junior mens 10K featured one of the World Junior Championship gold medalists, Luke Yager, taking the win as JC Schoonmaker was second, Zanden McMullen third. LNR's Roger Anderson was the top Midwest skier in 18th. Results linked in, along with nearly 800 photos from the four events and another 325 images from Jackie Schneider.
US Nationals Freestyle Race Coverage
January 3, 2020Near perfect conditions on Friday with temps in the 20s at the Michigan Tech trails in Houghton for the US Nationals freestyle individual start races. Kyle Bratrud secured yet another national championship title with a rocket fast performance, besting yesterday's sprint star Gus Schumacher by 13 seconds, with another Midwest native, Ian Torchia and Erik Bjornsen tying for third. In the women's race, Olympic medalist Riitta-Liisa Roponen topped the field, with Caitlin Patterson best of the US, and Alayna Sonnesyn standing on another podium in third. Results linked in, along with photosets posted.
US Nationals Freestyle Sprints Coverage
January 2, 2020Opening day of US Nationals saw Midwesterners take to the podium in the freestyle sprint competition. Alayna Sonnesyn (SMS) continues to show herself strong in all competitions, Thursday sprinting to second place in the womens' final as Hailey Swirbul (APU) won with Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury) third. In the men's final, junior sensation Gus Schumacher (AWS) took the victory while Minnesota native Ben Saxton (SMS) notched second, and Bill Harmeyer (UVM) was third. In the junior heats, James Kitch (Harvard) won the final heat for the guys (Anders Sonnesyn third), Waverly Gebhardt (UVM) for the gals. Results linked in along with photosets.
CXC Year-End Fundraising Drive
December 30, 2019CXC's end-of-year drive is wrapping up but still needs your support to reach their goal! Help sustain and expand ski opportunities for all ages and abilities through their youth and junior athlete support, club development, coaches' eduction, Nordic Rocks program, and adaptive program.
Minnesota World Cup: Team Ticket Sales Promotion
December 27, 2019World Cup organizers for the March 2020 event in the Twin Cities are seeking to help increase the spectator field with a new promotion. Any high school, collegiate, or community ski clubs thatsells 100 or more World Cup tickets will be given their own space in the World Cup course interior to use for their own benefit. And the team that sells the most tickets receives a special Grand Prize.
Collegiate Racing: Dec 21-22 Recap
December 25, 2019Luke Brown brings us a holiday inspired take on the collegiate racing action across the US as he recaps the Pre-Nationals races in Houghton, MI, last weekend, as well as some east coast and Rocky mountain events.
XCountryLive: Livestream of US Nationals and More
December 24, 2019XCountryLive will be livestreaming all the events from US Nationals in Houghton, MI, in early January. A single season pass provides access to the coverage, along with Kortelopet, American Birkebeiner, and US Junior Nationals!
Houghton JNQ/CCSA Classic Distance Coverage
December 22, 2019The weekend series on the Michigan Tech trails in Houghton wrapped up Sunday with classic distance races. Ian Torchia stretched out the lead pack en route to taking the men's 10K victory with NMU's Kjetil Banerud second and Zak Ketterson third. Alayna Sonnesyn won the women's 10K, a full 40 seconds ahead of NMU's Malin Boerjesjoe with Sophia Mazzoni third. Cooper Lennox and Libby Tuttle posted the top high school times. U16 5K winners were Molly Moening and Adrik Kraftson. Results linked in, along with photos from Chris Schmidt.
Houghton JNQ/CCSA Freestyle Sprints Coverage
December 21, 2019Warming up the courses for US Nationals in January, skiers took to the Michigan Tech trails on Saturday for freestyle sprint races. Zak Ketterson, sporting his US Ski Team suit, hammered out the fastest qualifying time and then bested the men's final field for the title. Alayna Sonnesyn had an equally strong performance, crushing the qualification field and then taking the women's final. Alex Nemeth and Elsa Viren won the U20/U18 sprints, Adrik Kraftson and Molly Moening took the U16 finals. Results linked in now, along with photos from Christopher Schmidt.
CXC Year-End Fundraising Drive
December 20, 2019CXC's end-of-year drive is underway! Help sustain and expand ski opportunities for all ages and abilities through their youth and junior athlete support, club development, coaches' eduction, Nordic Rocks program, and adaptive program.
Collegiate Racing Recap: CCSA, EISA, RMISA
December 17, 2019Luke Brown reviews the racing action from all three major associations as collegiate skiers get in some of their first races of the season.
Duluth JNQ Classic Sprints Coverage
December 15, 2019Crisp morning temps forced the delay of events on Sunday but once the action got underway, there was some tight competition in the classic sprints at Grand Ave in Duluth. Cooper Lennox, Mora, posted the top qualifying time and kept those fast skis running all the way to the mens U18/U20 title. Mae Barnes of St. Scholastica absolutely crushed the womens U18/U20 sprint field, posting a qualifying time 12 seconds faster than the rest of the field, and then winning the final by almost four seconds. U16 titles went to Owen Williams, Iola, and Jordan Parent, Forest Lake. Results linked in now, photos coming later tonight.
Duluth JNQ Freestyle Coverage
December 14, 2019The Midwest Junior National Qualifying racing got underway on Saturday with mass start freestyle races in Duluth, utilizing the new Grand Ave facility. In the women's race, Libby Tuttle powered away from the field to take the victory by 30 seconds with Hannah Bettendorf second, Lauren McCollor third. In the U18 and above men's race, College of St. Scholastica swept the podium with Emil Book Bratbak first, August Schatzlein second, and Nick Matelich third. Cooper Lennox was the top high school and U18 skier, finishing 5th overall. In the U16 division, Noah Straka and Jordan Parent collected the titles. Results linked in and photos from Jackie Schneider and Hansi Johnson posted!
Collegiate Racing Season Preview
December 11, 2019With some collegiate teams taking on warm up races this weekend, we kick off another season of collegiate racing coverage with preview of all three of the major conferences and where Midwest skiers are racing this season. We welcome Luke Brown as one of our new writers this season, covering primarily the collegiate scene.
MCSA Racing Schedule Announced
December 5, 2019The Midwestern Conference of the United States Ski & Snowboard Association (MCSA) has determined 2019-2020 season schedules for their Northern and Southern Nordic divisions. Clubs and teams from at least ten colleges are expected to compete in the races. And Swix Sport USA has thrown their support in as a major sponsor.
St. Scholastica Open House Event Dec 13-14
December 2, 2019With the season's first JNQ/CCSA race in Duluth at the Grand Avenue venue next weekend, Dec 13-14, the College of St. Scholastica will be hosting an open house event for prospective students and families on both Friday and Saturday evenings. RSVP requested.
USCSA: Midwest Collegiate Meeting Recap
November 3, 2019The weekend of Oct 27th representatives from Midwest Nordic skiing teams and clubs came together on the campus of UW-Stout to discuss the development of a new racing calendar and ways they can work together and with the ski community to foster better collegiate opportunities. Read the full recap from USCSA.
New Moon: Tuesday Evening Dryland Workouts
October 19, 2019New Moon is offering a free community workout (and potlock dinner) on Tuesday evenings, beginning this Oct 22nd and running into late November. Come out and kickstart your Nordic ski training with a fun group workout.
Minneapolis World Cup Tickets are Now on Sale!
October 18, 2019Dreaming of seeing all those famous elite skiers racing in your backyard? The World Cup is coming to Minneapolis in March and tickets are on sale now. Limited numbers available, so don't delay!
USCSA: Midwest Colleges Organize to Grow Nordic Competition
October 4, 2019Midwest region clubs and teams are coming together Sunday, Oct 27th at UW-Stout in Menomonie, WI, to discuss how to develop and grow competitive skiing at the collegiate level including a new Midwest collegiate racing circuit. All interested parties are encourage to attend the meeting.
Endurance United Junior Cup Meeting Tuesday Evening
September 20, 2019Interested or planning to race in the Junior Cup races this winter? Or wondering what the Junior Cup races are? Attend an info meeting on Tuesday evening, Sept 24th at the EU Offices in St. Paul.
US Biathlon Nominates 2020 Youth Olympic Games Athletes
August 27, 2019Six young biathlon athletes have been nominated by U.S. Biathlon for spots on the team for the Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020. Included in the six is Minnesota native Kaisa Bosek, from Alexandria.
Midwest Coaches Sought for Spring Trips
August 27, 2019Coaching and support positions have been posted for the spring junior trips including Junior Nationals, U16 Championships and U18 Trip. Applications are due by Oct 1st.
Ringer Roll Set for Friday, August 9th
August 2, 2019The annual Ringer Roll rollerski race at Baker Park will be this Friday morning, August 9th. The event features the top juniors and masters from around the area, competing on a 10K asphalt trail course. Registration is open now.
CXC: Dan LaBlanc Named CXC Youth Director
August 2, 2019Central Cross Country Skiing has named Dan LaBlanc as it's new youth director. LaBlanc will oversee an award-winning youth sports program including CXC's Nordic Rocks for Schools and Parks.
CXC: Athletes Invited To Regional Elite Camp
July 6, 2019The top elite junior athletes in Central Region will have a unique training opportunity this July. Invited athletes will take part in a six-day Regional Elite Group Camp under the leadership of both Central Cross Country Skiing and U.S. Ski Team staff.
CXC: Introductory Summer Camps for Aspiring Racers
May 29, 2019Central Cross Country Skiing's summer camp lineup features a wide array of programs from newcomers to elite. Foremost among the programs coming up this summer is the annual series of Igor Legacy Camps designed for newcomers to cross country ski racing offering skills, camaraderie with friends and fun.
CXC Congress Recap
May 7, 2019Clubs and leaders from around the Central Region came together for a weekend of collaboration at the Central Cross Country Skiing's CXC Congress April 25-28 in Eau Claire. The four days of meetings and workshops were highlighted by the presentation of awards to regional coaches and officials.
2019 Collegiate Tally Board
May 5, 2019We've fired up the collegiate tally board for the class of 2019. Let us know your college plans so we care share with the rest of the skiing community!
NNF: Join the Board
May 1, 2019The National Nordic Foundation is seeking candidates for their board of directors! Help support junior development across the US by lending your experience and expertise to this valuable organization. Application deadline is May 12th.