2024-25 Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team Announced
Fri, Sep 13, 2024 - By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Park City, Utah - U.S. Ski & Snowboard formally announced the 27 athletes who have accepted their nominations and have officially been named to the 2024-25 Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team.
Coming off the most successful season in program history, the 2024-25 roster is filled with veteran talent and promising newcomers. The A Team welcomes back Olympic champion and 2023-24 overall Crystal Globe winner Jessie Diggins, two-time Olympian Rosie Brennan, World Championships bronze medalist Julia Kern and 2022 Olympians Ben Ogden and JC Schoonmaker. New to the A Team are Gus Schumacher, Sophia Laukli and Sammy Smith. Schumacher jumped from the B Team to A after a breakout season when he became the youngest American to win a cross country World Cup at the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis and the first male to win a distance World Cup in over 40 years. Smith, who just began her collegiate soccer career at Stanford University, makes the jump as a strong and consistent sprinter on the team. Laukli, who took home her first World Cup victory last season in the infamous Alpe Cermis hill climb on the final stage of the Tour de Ski, was also promoted.
Returning to the B Team are 2022 Olympians Novie McCabe, Luke Jager and Kevin Bolger, alongside athletes Zak Ketterson, John Steel Hagenbuch, Zanden McMullen and Sydney Palmer-Leger. Haley Brewster, Michael Earnhart and Will Koch will now represent the B Team, moving up from the Development Team roster. Brewster jumped based on solid results at the U23 World Championships; Earnhart showed top-level skiing at the U.S. National Championships; and Koch had consistent skiing and results during the 2023-24 season, including being a crucial part of the University of Colorado Boulder winning the NCAA Championship.
The Stifel U.S. Ski Team Development Team features many new faces, showing the promise of the up-and-coming generation. Fin Bailey, Zach Jayne, Trey Jones, Jack Young, Murphy Kimball and Jack Lange are all making their national team debuts alongside returning athletes Kendall Kramer, Ava Thurston and Derek Richardson.
“This team enters the 2024-25 season with great confidence,” said Chris Grover, Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team program director. “The continued success and leadership of our women’s team is now matched with the tenacious energy and breakthrough performances of our young men’s squad. Our World Cup service program continues to provide incredible experience and depth, propelling U.S. athletes towards historic milestones. The U.S. cross country community is energized and working harder than ever before. We can’t wait to watch this group of talented athletes show off their abilities on the World Cup, at the 2025 Trondheim Nordic World Ski Championships, and the 2025 Schilpario World Junior and U23 Champs.”
Period one of the World Cup will feature three venues beginning in Ruka, Finland, at the end of November. Last season in Ruka, the U.S. team started strong with three podiums, including two by Brennan and one by Diggins. The Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team criteria and athletes who qualified for period one of the 2024-25 World Cup season can be found HERE.
Rejoining the World Cup Service Team for the 2024-25 season are wax technicians Per-Erik Bjørnstad and Tim Baucom. Also joining the Service Team is former Stifel U.S. Ski Team Development Coach Bernie Nelson, who contributed profoundly as a National Nordic Foundation (NNF) Trail to Gold coach to the service effort as the U.S. athletes achieved historic results at last year’s Tour de Ski.
“Bernie Nelson is the first full-time woman technician to join the World Cup Service Team in history and highlights our continued commitment to excellence in athlete support and improving gender equity in our staffing ranks,” added Grover.
2024-25 Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team
(Hometown; Club; College; Birthdate)
MEN
A Team
- Ben Ogden (Landgrove, VT; Stratton Mountain School; University of Vermont; 2/13/2000)
- James "JC" Schoonmaker (Tahoe City, CA; Alaska Pacific University; University of Alaska Anchorage; 8/12/2000)
- Gus Schumacher (Anchorage, AK; Alaska Pacific University; University of Alaska Anchorage; 7/25/2000)
B Team
- Kevin Bolger (Minocqua, WI; Team Birkie; University of Utah; 4/11/1993)
- Michael Earnhart (Anchorage, AK; Alaska Pacific University; 8/11/2002)
- John Steel Hagenbuch (Ketchum, ID; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; Dartmouth College; 10/1/2001)
- Luke Jager (Anchorage, AK; Alaska Pacific University; University of Utah; 1/17/2000)
- Zak Ketterson (Minneapolis, MN; Team Birkie; Northern Michigan University; 4/2/1997)
- Will Koch (Peru, VT; Stratton Mountain School; University of Colorado Boulder; 2/21/2002)
- Zanden McMullen (Anchorage, AK; Alaska Pacific University; 5/31/2001)
Development Team
- Fin Bailey (Peru, VT; Stratton Mountain School; University of Vermont; 7/27/2005)*
- Zach Jayne (Bend, OR; Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation; University of Utah; 3/30/2004)*
- Trey Jones (Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winters Sports Club; University of Colorado Boulder; 4/10/2004)*
- Murphy Kimball (Anchorage, AK; Alaska Winter Stars; University of Alaska Anchorage; 7/16/2006)*
- Jack Lange (Lebanon, NH; Stratton Mountain School; Dartmouth College; 4/27/2004)*
- Derek Richardson (Anchorage, AK; Alaska Pacific University; 5/21/2004)
- Jack Young (Kay, VT; Craftsbury Green Racing Project; Colby College; 12/17/2002)*
WOMEN
A Team
- Rosie Brennan (Park City, UT; Alaska Pacific University; Dartmouth College; 12/2/1988)
- Jessie Diggins (Afton, MN; Stratton Mountain School; 8/26/1991)
- Julia Kern (Waltham, MA; Stratton Mountain School; Dartmouth College; 9/12/1997)
- Sophia Laukli (Yarmouth, ME; Aker-Dæhlie; University of Utah; 6/8/2000)
- Samantha “Sammy” Smith (Boise, ID; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; Stanford University; 9/22/2005)
B Team
- Haley Brewster (Avon, CO; University of Vermont; 6/6/2003)
- Novie McCabe (Winthrop, WA; Alaska Pacific University; University of Utah; 12/15/2001)
- Sydney Palmer-Leger (Park City, UT; Stratton Mountain School; University of Utah; 2/4/2002)
Development Team
- Kendall Kramer (Fairbanks, AK; University of Alaska, Fairbanks; 6/26/2002)
- Ava Thurston (Waterbury, VT; Stratton Mountain School; Dartmouth College; 10/6/2004)
*Newly named to the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team
2024-25 Cross Country Coaches and Staff
- Anouk Patty: Chief of Sport
- Cross Country Program Director: Chris Grover
- Head Coach: Matt Whitcomb
- Cross Country Sport Development Director: Bryan Fish
- World Cup Coach: Jason Cork
- D Team Coach: Kristen Bourne
- Development Team Coach: Greta Anderson
- Cross Country Press Officer: Leann Bentley
- Cross Country Sport Coordinator: Adam St. Pierre
- Cross Country Technical Advisor: Allan Serrano
- Uniforming: Art Myshrall
Service Staff
- Head of Service: Oleg Ragilo
- World Cup Service: Per-Erik Bjørnstad
- World Cup Service: Eli Brown
- World Cup Service: Tim Baucom
- World Cup Service: Paul Choudoir
- World Cup Service: Bjørn Heimdal
- World Cup Service: Chris Hecker
- World Cup Service: Bernie Nelson