Trygstad-Saari to Head Bridger Ski Foundation Elite Team

(Press release)

Former BSF athlete returns to coach the club’s highest-level Nordic skiers

BOZEMAN, MT – Bridger Ski Foundation has named a new Head Coach for its Nordic Elite Team. The Bozeman-based nonprofit ski club announced today that Kristina Trygstad-Saari, one of their former Elite athletes and accomplished international ski racer, has filled this leadership role.

Bridger Ski Foundation’s Nordic Elite Team strives to offer the highest quality individual and team training experience for talented, committed skiers, giving them the opportunity to reach their full athletic potential and achieve success at the highest levels of National and International competition.

Kristina Trygstad-Saari grew up racing for Bridger Ski Foundation (BSF). A nine-time junior national champion, Kristina was on multiple World Junior and U23 teams, and qualified for the 2003 World Championship team. She competed in 2001 World Cup races, placed 6th at the 2002 World Junior Championships, and won a NorAm at age 18. Kristina continued racing for the BSF Elite Team and the Saab-Salomon Factory Team, with top-5 U.S. and Canadian Nationals finishes, and Super Tour podiums.

She attended Dartmouth College, where she raced for two seasons and graduated with a B.A. in Philosophy in 2007. Since then, Trygstad-Saari has coached youth and adult BSF skiers, and also spent one year coaching at Dartmouth. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in English.

“I am so excited to have this opportunity to work with the Elite Team,” said Trygstad-Saari. “We have a tremendous group of athletes, coming from many different backgrounds, and I look forward to working with each of them. My experiences skiing and coaching for BSF have brought me to this point, and I think I have a lot to offer this team as we head into the 2014/2015 season.”

While BSF Nordic Program Director and Head Coach Dragan Danevski will still be very involved with the Team, Trygstad-Saari will take over the day-to-day coaching and race travel.

Last season’s Elite Team included four-time Olympian Torin Koos, who competed at Sochi, and two-time national sprint champion Jennie Bender. Koos and Bender both took national skate sprint titles at the U.S. Championships at Soldier Hollow in January 2014.

This coming season, Trygstad-Saari will coach returning Elite Team member Bender, as well as new members Sam Tarling (Dartmouth), Eric Wolcott (St. Lawrence), Riley Eusden (Bowdoin), and former BSF junior athlete Sawyer Kesselheim (Montana State). BSF is still accepting Elite Team applications for the 2014/2015 season.

Learn more about the BSF Nordic Elite Team at www.bridgerskifoundation.org/nordicelite

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Bridger Ski Foundation is a nonprofit community organization based in Bozeman, Montana, that promotes athletic and personal excellence through educational and competitive programs in three Olympic ski disciplines.