The Central Cross-Country Ski Association has announced the roster for its elite race team – CXC Team Vertical Limit. 18 athletes including seven women and eleven men will don CXC black for the 2010-2011 race season.
The men’s team is led by Olympian Garrott Kuzzy, who was not re-nominated to the US Ski Team. Kuzzy will be racing exclusively for CXC as he looks for a berth on the World Championship team. He is joined by up-and-coming Tad Elliott, a fan-favorite, who raised his game to a new level with two National Championship silvers.
Matt Liebsch, an American Birkebeiner champion, Brian Gregg, and Bryan Cook all return to the squad as well, giving CXC an impressive lineup.
Maria Stuber heads up the women’s team, coming off a season where she placed in the top-5 in six SuperTour races and was 4th in the American Birkebeiner. Jessie Diggins and JoJo Winters are also back for another tour with CXC.
The women’s squad is bolstered with the return of Olympian Caitlin Compton. Compton raced for CXC in the past and is no back full time. Compton is not the only new face, as elite Canadian Brooke Gosling, and University of Vermont standout Jennie Bender are both on board as well.
On the men’s side, the lone NCAA All-American from the Central Collegiate Ski Association, Santiago Ocariz, is among the newcomers. Ocariz raced for Wisconsin-Green Bay last year.
Turnover is high this year, with a number of CXC Team Vertical Limit skiers moving on. SuperTour Champion Rebecca Dussault is gone, along with Kristina Owen, Kelly Chaudoin and Audrey Webber.
2010-2011 CXC Team Vertical Limit
Women’s Team:
Caitlin Compton
Jessie Diggins
Jennie Bender
Brooke Gosling
Maria Stuber
Melissa Schwartz
Johanna Winters
Men’s Team:
Tad Elliott
Garrott Kuzzy
Brian Gregg
Karl Nygren
Santiago Ocariz
Eric Wolcott
Matt Liebsch
Bryan Cook
Andre Watt
Ben Lannin
Doug DeBold (Post Grad Program)
