The U.S. Ski Team named its 2010 World Junior, Under 23 and Scandinavian Cup teams yesterday at the 2010 ConocoPhillips U.S. Cross Country Championships in Anchorage.
The top two results from each athlete’s three races this week were used to determine the teams.
The group “is peppered with some very strong skiers, some of whom will have a chance to take a swipe at a podium or top ten finish,” said Matt Whitcomb, the U.S. Ski Team’s development coach. “Simi [Hamilton] is a medal contender in the skate sprint event.”
The World Junior and U23 Championships will be held Jan. 24-31 in Hinterzarten, Germany. The Scandinavian Cup will be held in Kuopio, Finland, Jan. 29 – 31, and represents the top U.S. athletes under the age of 17.
“For a lot of these athletes, this will be inspiring and exciting to race in a U.S. Ski Team suit, representing the U.S. internationally,” said Matt Johnson, one of the coaches for the team.
The Scandinavian Cup is an introductory international championship competition that brings the best young athletes from the Scandinavian nations and the United States for a series of races later this winter.
Under 23 Team
Elizabeth Stephen, 22 years old, pre-qualified, USST/BMA, East Montpelier, Vt.
Ida Sargent, 21, Craftsbury Green Racing Project, Craftsbury, Vt.
Rebecca Rorabaugh, 20, APU Nordic Ski Center, Fairbanks
Sadie Bjornsen, 20, Methow Olympic Development Project, Mazama, Wash.
Kate Fitzgerald, 22, APU Nordic Ski Center, Palmer
Rosie Brennan, 21, Dartmouth Ski Team, Park City, Utah
Noah Hoffman, pre-qualified, 20, USST/AVSC, Aspen, Colo.
Patrick Johnson, pre-qualified, 20, Middlebury Ski Team, Anchorage
Tad Elliott, 21, CXC Team Vertical Limit, Durango, Colo.
Simeon Hamilton, 22, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, Aspen, Colo.
Reese Hanneman, 20, Fairbanks Alaska Ski Team, Fairbanks
Peter Kling, 22, APU Nordic Ski Center, Shelburne, Vt.
World Junior Championships Team
Sophie Caldwell, 19, Dartmouth Ski Team, Peru, Vt.
Caitlin Patterson, 19, University of Vermont, Anchorage
Anne Hart, 17, Minneapolis Ski Club, Stillwater, Minn.
Joanne Reid, 17, University of Colorado, Palo Alto, Calif.
Adele Espy, 19, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, Freeport, Maine
Jessie Diggins, 18, coaches’ discretion, CXC Training, Afton, Minn.
Scott Patterson, pre-qualified, 17, Alaska Winter Stars, Anchorage
David Norris, pre-qualified, 19, Fairbanks Alaska Ski Team, Fairbanks
Tyler Kornfield, 19, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Anchorage
Eric Packer, 19, Dartmouth Ski Team, Anchorage
Erik Bjornsen, 18, Methow Olympic Development Project, Mazama, Wash.
George Cartwright, 18, Northern Michigan University, Lander, Wyo.
Scandinavian Cup Team
Katie Gill, 17, Bridger Ski Foundation, Bozeman, Mont.
Kinsey Loan, 17, Alaska Nordic Racing, Eagle River
Kate Backstrum, 17, Alaska Winter Stars, Anchorage
Annie Liotta, 16, Alaska Winter Stars, Anchorage
Karina Packer, 17, Alaska Winter Stars, Anchorage
Isabel Caldwell, 17, Stratton Mountain School, Peru, Vt.
Logan Hanneman, 16, Fairbanks Alaska Ski Team, Fairbanks
David Sinclair, 17, Green Mountain Valley School, Waitsfield, Vt.
Bridger Tyler, 17, Stratton Mountain School, Jamaica Pikes Falls, Vt.
Will Wicherski, 16, Bogus Basin Nordic Team, Boise, Idaho
Michael Vigers, 16, Boulder Nordic Racing Team, Boulder Colo.
Austin Cobb, 17, Stratton Mountain School, Peru, Vt.
Nathaniel Herz
Nat Herz is an Alaska-based journalist who moonlights for FasterSkier as an occasional reporter and podcast host. He was FasterSkier's full-time reporter in 2010 and 2011.
