U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the 22 athletes nominated to the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team for the 2022-23 season. Nominations include those active athletes who qualified based on the published selection criteria in the prior season.
In addition to established veterans, including three-time Olympic medalist Jessie Diggins and two-time Olympians Rosie Brennan and Scott Patterson, the 2022-23 Team includes five new members. Moving up to the A Team and joining Diggins, Brennan and JC Schoonmaker for the coming season are 2022 Olympians Julia Kern, Novie McCabe, Ben Ogden and Patterson.
B Team nominations include 2022 Olympians Hailey Swirbul, Sophia Laukli, Gus Schumacher, Kevin Bolger and Luke Jager. John Steel Hagenbuch and Hunter Wonders move from the D-Team to the B Team, and Zak Ketterson re-joins the national team program as a member of the B Team for the 2022-23 season. Finn O’Connell has been nominated to the B Team for the first time after finishing fourth in the overall SuperTour standings, which included nine individual top-10 results.
Development Team nominations include returning team athletes Sydney Palmer-Leger – the 2020-21 NCAA Champion – and Zanden McMullen. New Development Team athletes include Sammy Smith, who finished fifth in the freestyle sprint at the 2022 Junior World Championships; and three members of the bronze-medal winning U.S. men’s relay team from the 2022 Junior World Championship – Will Koch, Michael Earnhart, and Walker Hall.
“This team is the largest in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s XC history, and it could become our most successful one, too,” noted Head Coach Matt Whitcomb. “There is clear talent, as well as a history of impressive results, but most importantly, these are individuals from many different clubs in the U.S. that are interested in connecting and believing in one another, and pushing hard. Talent and past results don’t get me as excited as a bunch of athletes that are ready to lock in together.”
Notable retirements following the 2021-22 season include 2022 Olympian Hannah Halvorsen, and Junior World Championships bronze medalist Katharine Odgen.
The 2022-23 FIS Cross Country World Cup season is scheduled to kick off with races in Ruka, Finland Nov. 25-27. The 2023 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships are scheduled for Feb. 21 through March 5 in Planica, Slovenia.
A 2022-23 staff announcement will be forthcoming, while an official U.S. Cross Country Ski Team announcement will be made in the fall.
2022-23 Cross Country Nominations
(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)
A TEAM
Women
- Rosie Brennan (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Ski Nordic Center; 12/21/88)
- Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 8/26/91)
- Julia Kern (Waltham, Mass.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 9/12/97)
- Novie McCabe (Winthrop, Wash.; Methow Valley Nordic Team/University of Utah; 12/15/01)
Men
- Ben Ogden (Landgrove, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team/University of Vermont; 2/13/00)
- Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 1/28/92)
- JC Schoonmaker (Tahoe City, Calif; University of Alaska Anchorage/Sugar Bowl Ski Team and Academy; 8/12/00)
B TEAM
Women
- Sophia Laukli (Yarmouth, Maine; University of Utah; 6/8/00)
- Hailey Swirbul (Aspen, Colo.; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 7/10/98)
Men
- Kevin Bolger (Minocqua, Wisc.; Sun Valley Gold Team; 4/11/93)
- John Steel Hagenbuch (Ketchum, Idaho; Sun Valley Gold Team; 10/1/2001)
- Luke Jager (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center/University of Utah; 1/17/00)
- Zak Ketterson (Bloomington, Minn; Team Birkie/Northern Michigan University; 4/2/97)
- Finn O’Connell (Bozeman, Mont.; Bridger Ski Foundation; 6/26/1998)
- Gus Schumacher (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Winter Stars; 7/25/00)
- Hunter Wonders (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 8/7/98)
DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Women
- Sydney Palmer-Leger (Park City, Utah; Sun Valley Gold Team/University of Utah; 2/4/2002)
- Sammy Smith (Boise, Idaho; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; 9-22-2005)
Men
- Michael Earnhart (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; 8-11-2002)
- Walker Hall (Winthrop, Wash.; Methow Valley Nordic Team/University of Utah; 6-11-2002)
- Will Koch (Peru, Vermont; Stratton Mountain School T2/University of Colorado; 2-21-2002)
- Zanden McMullen (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center/Montana State University; 5/31/2001)
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