Kramer, Schumacher Sweep 2019 U.S. Junior Nationals
Kendall Kramer (Fairbanks, Alaska) and Gus Schumacher (Anchorage, Alaska) outdid themselves with dramatic comeback anchor legs, giving their respective teams victories in Saturday’s 3X3K freestyle relays on the final day of the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships at Kincaid Park. The wins gave Kramer, a U18 skier from Fairbanks, and Schumacher, a U20 skier from Anchorage, rare four-race U.S. Junior Nationals sweep.
“No win is a given and every race is different – some are close, some are decided by a jury,” said Schumacher, referring to Wednesday’s U20 classic sprint, in which he was beaten to the finish line by Far West’s J.C. Schoonmaker’s (toe but later awarded the win after officials ruled that Schoonmaker violated classic technique rules. “But to produce in every race, and to do it here, is so cool.”
Schumacher’s week of wins started with a victory in the U18/U20 10K individual freestyle Monday, the controversial classic sprint Wednesday, and a big blowout win in the 15K classic mass start Friday.
Kramer left no doubt in any of her races, winning by big margins in the U18/U20 5K individual freestyle Monday, the classic sprint Wednesday, and the 10K classic mass start Friday.
Both skiers ended their Junior Nationals on Saturday in the same position – skiing amazing come-from-behind anchor legs for thrilling team wins.
RESULTS
Men’s U20/18 10k individual freestyle
Women’s U20/18 5k individual freestyle
Men and women’s sprint
Men and women’s mass start classic
Men and women’s freestyle relay
Gus Schumacher (Alaska Winter Stars/Team Alaska), center, won the U20 men’s 15K classic mass start race Friday at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships at Kincaid Park. J.C. Schoonmaker (UAA-Auburn Ski Club/Far West), left, was second, followed by Cameron Wolfe (Ski and Snowboard Club Vail/Rocky Mountain), right. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
New England, center, won the U20 women’s 3X3K freestyle relay Saturday at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships at Kincaid Park. Alaska, left, was second, followed by Midwest, right. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Team Alaska (Ivy Eski, Kendall Kramer and Garvee Tobin), center, won the U18 women’s 3X3K freestyle relay Saturday at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships at Kincaid Park. New England, left, was second, followed by Pacific Northwest, right. The relay win was Kramer’s fourth in four JN races, following her three individual victories earlier in the week. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Intermountain, center, won the U18 men’s 3X3K freestyle relay Saturday at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships at Kincaid Park. Alaska, left, was second, followed by Pacific Northwest, right. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Everett Cason of APU/Team Alaska finished his M18 heat despite a broken ski in the men’s U16 classic sprint race at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships Monday at Kincaid Park. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Aiden Burt (Mansfield Nordic Club/New England), center, was the top U16 male skier in the classic sprint at Wednesday’s second day of racing at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships at Kincaid Park. Trey Jones (Green Mountain/New England), left, was second, followed by Wally Magill (Steamboat Springs/Rocky Mountain), right. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Logan Smith (Sun Valley SEF/Intermountain), center, was the top U16 female skier in the classic sprint at Wednesday’s second day of racing at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships at Kincaid Park. Quincy Massey-Bierman (Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club/New England), left, was second, followed by Ava Thurston (Mansfield Nordic Club/New England), right. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Michael Earnhart (Alaska Nordic Racing/Team Alaska), center, was the top U18 male skier in the classic sprint at Wednesday’s second day of racing at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships at Kincaid Park. Zanden McMullen (APU/Team Alaska), left, was second, followed by Johnny Hagenbuch (Sun Valley SEF/Intermountain), right. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Kendall Kramer (Fairbanks XC/Team Alaska), center, was the top U18 female skier in the classic sprint at Wednesday’s second day of racing at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships at Kincaid Park. Sarah Morgan (Sun Valley SEF/Intermountain), left, was second, followed by Charlotte Ogden (Stratton Mountain School/New England), right. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Gus Schumacher (Alaska Winter Stars/Team Alaska), center, was the top U20 male skier in the classic sprint at Wednesday’s second day of racing at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships at Kincaid Park. Conor Munns (Stratton Mountain School/New England), left, was second, followed by Will Solow (Colby College/New England), right. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Anja Maijala (UAF/Team Alaska), center, was the top U20 female skier in the classic sprint at Wednesday’s second day of racing at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships at Kincaid Park. Aubrey Leclair (APU/Team Alaska), left, was second, followed by Lucinda Anderson (Loppet Nordic Racing/Midwest), right. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Anja Majiala (UAF/Team Alaska) celebrates her win in the women’s U20 classic sprint finals at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships Monday at Kincaid Park. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Evan Nichols (Ford Sayre/New England) nears the finish of the men’s U16 5K individual freestyle race at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships Monday at Kincaid Park. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Wally Magill (Steamboat Springs Winter Sport/Rocky Mountain), center, was the top U16 male skier in the 5K individual freestyle at Monday’s first day of racing at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships Monday at Kincaid Park. Trey Jones (Green Mountain Valley/New England), left, finished second followed by Adrik Kraftson (Loppet Nordic Racing/Midwest), right. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Katrin Schreiner (Saratoga Biathlon/Mid-Atlantic) nears the finish of women’s U16 5K individual freestyle race at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships Monday at Kincaid Park. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Haley Brewster (Ski and Snowboard Club Vail/Rocky Mountain), center, was the top U16 female skier in the 5K individual freestyle at Monday’s first day of racing at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships Monday at Kincaid Park. Sofia Scirica (Cambridge Sports Union/New England), left, was second in the division, followed by Molly Moening (Minneapolis Ski Club/Midwest), right. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Johnny Hagenbuch (Sun Valley SEF/Intermountain), center, was the top U18 male skier in the 10K individual freestyle at Monday’s first day of racing at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships Monday at Kincaid Park. Zanden McMullen (U18, APU/Team Alaska), left, was second, followed by Will Koch (Stratton Mountain School/New England), right. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Gus Schumacher (Alaska Winter Stars/Team Alaska) pushes on his way to winning the men’s U18/U20 10K individual freestyle race at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships Monday at Kincaid Park. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Libby Tuttle (Loppet Nordic Racing/Midwest), left, and Stephanie Nicols (St. Lawrence University Nordic/New England) crest a hill during the women’s U18/U20 5K individual freestyle race at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships Monday at Kincaid Park. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Kendall Kramer (Fairbanks XC/Alaska), center, was the top U18 female skier in the 5K individual freestyle at Monday’s first day of racing at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships Monday at Kincaid Park. Nina Seemann (Stratton Mountain School/New England), left, was second in the division, followed by Libby Tuttle (Loppet Nordic Racing/Midwest), right. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Gus Schumacher (Alaska Winter Stars/Team Alaska), center, was the top U20 male skier in the 10K individual freestyle at Monday’s first day of racing at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships Monday at Kincaid Park. Scott Schulz (Sun Valley SEF/Mid-Atlantic), left, was second, followed by Reid Goble (Michigan Tech/Great Lakes), right. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
Lucinda Anderson (Loppet Nordic Racing/Midwest), center, was the top U20 female skier in the 5K individual freestyle at Monday’s first day of racing at the 2019 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Junior National Championships Monday at Kincaid Park. Mara McCollor (Minneapolis Ski Club/Midwest), left, was second in the division, followed by Sophia Laukli (Stratton Mountain School/New England), right. (Photo Credit - Michael Dinneen)
