Eight Local Athletes Make RMN Junior Nationals Nordic Ski Team

With points from the season from four Junior National Qualifier (JNQ) events, there are eight Team Summit Colorado Nordic athletes that have quailed for the US Ski and Snowboard Cross-Country Junior Nationals race hosted in Fairbanks, Alaska. This race will bring together the nation’s top cross-country skiers ages 14-20 years old. These athletes must qualify for the Rocky Mountain Nordic Team, skiing the best 4 out of 8 Nordic races throughout the season, in a highly competitive field of cross-country athletes. 

The eight (8) Team Summit Nordic racers that qualified this year are, Male U16: Landon Laverdiere, Carter Niemkiewicz, Parker Osborn, and Brody Henning. Female U16: Kiera Stabile. Male U18/20: James Sowers and Kai Oppito. Female U18/20: Sophia Bertonneau. There are two first alternates ready to attend JNs with a moment’s notice, Roan Varble and Niamh Nelson. 

“I’m looking forward to racing in Fairbanks Alaska, I’m thankful for the opportunity, and really looking forward to skiing my best and having fun” said Landon Laverdiere. 

For local Nordic athletes, the journey to making it to the US Ski and Snowboard Cross-Country Junior Nationals Championship is a year-round process involving rigorous training schedules. 

The Rocky Mountain Nordic Team has a quota of 50 (25 female and 25 males, not including prequalified skiers) for the US Ski and Snowboard Association Junior Nationals Championships (JNs). A maximum of fourteen (14) skiers from across the region can be named, per gender, in any one age class (U16, U18, and U20). RMN will send thirteen U20/U18 skiers in a combined class, and twelve U16 athletes per gender to JNs. 

These athletes will be joining other Rocky Mountain Nordic athletes selected from Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club, Ski and Snowboard Club of Vail, Crested Butte Nordic, Cloud City Mountain Sports, Boulder Nordic Junior Racing Team, and Winter Park Competition Center. 

The Team Summit Colorado Nordic Coaches selected for this year’s Junior Nationals are coach Olof Hedberg and Eva Sever Rus. They will be part of a fourteen-person coaching team. 

Once these eight Team Summit Colorado Nordic athletes make it to Fairbanks, Alaska this week,they will be racing among the country’s top Nordic U.S Ski and Snowboard athletes their age. The racers will compete against the athletes from the Alaska region, Pacific Region, Central and Eastern regions.

The first race will be on Monday March 13, with a 7.5 Kilometer interval start classic techniquerace.  Then, followed by skate technique sprint race on Tuesday March 14, and a mass start skate race on Thursday March 16. The snow conditions and course look perfect at Birch Hill, a five-time JN competition venue. More information, and to follow the races on livestream, can be found at jn2023fairbanks.org