On the first day of competition in Falun, Sweden for the 2024 World Cup Finals, JC Schoonmaker led the way for the Americans, finishing in ninth place, not made easier by the pouring rain and heavy fog that enveloped the course from the start of the day to the end. 

The weather was not in anyone's favor today. With warm temperatures, snow was not in the forecast, rain was. With the threat lingering in the morning, the humid air and grey clouds, rain was inevitable. With the race only minutes away, rain jackets were shed, thrown into trash bags and ran to the finish to put right back after atheltes took a lap around the challenging sprint course. Featuring a long-striding incline out of the start gate, straight to a long climb, it was not easy. Then, it got harder. Straight into a horseshoe, banked turn, the athletes were not met with nice conditions, making this course more challenging than it already was. As athletes took another screaming left-hand turn, they were met with one more final climb, over a bridge into the stadium, with a double poll finish.

In the qualifications. six Americans advanced, including Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, Rosie Brennan, Schoonmaker, Gus Schumacher and Zanden McMullen based on their top 30 results. With waxing conditions already challenging from the get-go, it was the skis that were going to make the biggest difference today, which left wax techs from around the world scrambling to find the best kick and glide. 

Into the quarterfinals, the Americans only sent one through to the semifinals - Schoonmaker. Though five of the U.S. athletes did not advance, it was a day filled with great racing, where our athletes not only showed up but showed some grit. 

For Diggins, the pressure of leading the Overall World Cup Globe and the Distance Globe standings have been a main storyline for all in Falun, and with today's result, Diggins continues to maintain her positive outlook.

"Overall, I feel like my energy is good after today," said Diggins. "To be totally honest, it's been a very long season, a long time from home, but my goals and priorities are different than what others may have for me, and out of everything I can control, I feel like I am very proud of how I skied. For me, the most important thing is that I don't let other people's priorities take away my joy in ski racing and sometimes that's hard to do but that is what I'm focused on."

For Alaska's McMullen, who just capped his career-best result on Tuesday in Drammen, today was another step in the right direction for the young skier. "This is awesome. I am definitely feeling the fatigue of the whole season and this last week, but it's so nice to slowly climb up," said McMullen. "I am so happy for this whole season, it's been so fun and i'm just excited to see what I can do for the last two!"

Into the semis, Schoonmaker skied another tactful race, pushing on the uphills, taking the inside corner into a draft into the descent and charing the final climbs. Though it was not enough this time, Schoonmaker still nabbed a top-ten result, his second in a row.

"I feel pretty good about today," said Schoonmaker. "This season has been pretty consistent with qualifying, which is really nice and constantly gaining experience. "I would have liked to finish off the season better but I am already excited for next year." 

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo of Norway dominated the field, claiming the top spot on the podium and taking home the Sprint Crystal Globe. For the women, Norway's Kristine Staavas Skistad took home her second sprint victory of the week, with Sweden's Linn Svahn taking home his Sprint Crystal Globe for the women. For the U.S., Diggins led the way for the women, finishing in 18th, with Rosie Brennan fresh off a classic sprint podium three days ago in Drammen, in 20th and Julia Kern in 24th. For the men, Gus Schumacher was back in the top 30 in 19th and McMullen in 20th. 

With the season continuing tomorrow with a 10k classic, the competition in the World Cup standings is expected to intensify further. With Diggins leading the charge and Svahn closely following, it will be an exciting end to an already historic season for the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. 

RESULTS
Men
Women

WORLD CUP OVERALL
Men
Women

Every year at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Congress awards ceremony in May, U.S. Ski & Snowboard recognizes the work of those behind the scenes and the people and organizations that provide athletes of all ages with opportunities to participate in ski and snowboard competitions.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard members can nominate in many of the award categories, including The Paul Bacon Award for excellent event organization, the John J. Clair Award for outstanding service to national teams and more.

How the process works

• Nominations for these awards are accepted from members who have a valid and current membership for the 2023-24 Season. 
• Each sport committee also submits its own nomination.
• Selection of awards winners is determined by a vote of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Awards Working Group in early April.
• Winners are announced in May.

How to nominate

• Read through the categories open to public nomination.
• Click on the nomination link for each individual award for which you wish to nominate.
• Complete the nomination paying special attention to highlighting accomplishments required for each award.
• Nominees must also be current members of U.S. Ski & Snowboard.
• Click to submit.
• Remember, you need to submit nominations for each award separately.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT NOMINATIONS: Friday, March 29, 2024

PUBLIC NOMINATION CATEGORIES

Paul Bacon Award (event organization)

The Paul Bacon Award is given to an individual or group for the greatest contribution to U. S. Ski & Snowboard in the field of race organization during the 2023-24 season. Traditional nominees include local clubs or individuals whose work has made a difference in providing good events for athletes.

PAUL BACON AWARD Nomination Form

John J. Clair Award (service to national teams)

The John J. Clair Jr. Award is given for outstanding service that benefited the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team in 2023-24. Past recipients have included outside team support personnel, donors, journalists, movers and shakers. Most recipients have been individuals, though some organizations have been recognized. The recipient’s service should be to the national teams.

JOHN J. CLAIR JR. AWARD Nomination Form

Bud & Mary Little Award (service to FIS or USOPC)

The Bud & Mary Little Award is a lifetime achievement award presented to an individual who has contributed significantly through a long-term involvement with the International Ski & Snowboard Federation or U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Recipients are eligible to receive the award only once. Achievement should be lifetime; it is not specific to this past year.

BUD & MARY LITTLE AWARD Nomination Form

Buddy Werner Award (sportsmanship)

Have you seen any great acts of sportsmanship this past year? Nominations should be based on actions from the 2023-24 season. It is only open to individuals.

BUDDY WERNER AWARD Nomination Form

Russell Wilder Award (service to youth)

The Russell Wilder Award recognizes the most outstanding effort during 2023-24 in focusing the interests of American youth on the sports of skiing or snowboarding. It can be awarded to an individual or an organization.

RUSSELL WILDER AWARD Nomination Form

OFFICIALS NOMINATION AWARD CATEGORY*

West Family Award (outstanding official)

The West Family Award is a lifetime achievement honor, recognizing an outstanding certified official at any level.  Nominations come from the pool of current U.S. Ski & Snowboard Officials membership.

WEST FAMILY AWARD Nomination Form

*Nominations only open to those who hold a current U.S. Ski & Snowboard Officials membership. 

FIS TECHNICAL DELEGATE NOMINATION AWARD CATEGORY^

Westhaven Award (outstanding FIS technical delegate)

The Westhaven Award is a lifetime achievement award, recognizing an outstanding FIS technical delegate for his or her service over time. Nominations come from the pool of current FIS TDs.

WESTHAVEN AWARD Nomination Form

^Nominations only open to those who hold a current U.S. Ski & Snowboard Technical Delegate membership. 

Rosie Brennan is back.

In the heart of Drammen, Norway, amidst one of the most exciting and challenging races on the circuit, Rosie Brennan made a remarkable comeback, clinching third place in the Drammen City Sprints.

In a season that started with back-to-back podiums and top-10 after top-10, Brennan has faced many ups and downs this 2023-24 season. After only three days rest between last week's 50k Holmenkollen, where athletes skied 31+ miles with over 6,000 feet of elevation gain, Brennan and the field were tasked with a course that played to double pole strength and a whole lot of grit.

"Honestly, I'm a bit surprised! I felt really bad yesterday, so I think the extra day helped. You never know what the body will do - maybe I need to do a 50k warm-up all the time!" Brennan joked. "I am so happy. It's been a tough year. I didn't know what was going on or what I could do to get back, but it's nice to know that it's still there and that I can have a strong finish to the season."

With the podium, Brennan snags her fifth individual podium of the season, but even more special, she finally can check the box on two of her career-long goals. When starting her career, Brennan set out to collect bibs 1-50. With 228 World Cup starts and today's bib #3, Brennan collected 1-50, checking off a goal that seemed impossible towards the beginning of her career. Her second, and more important, goal was to podium in every single World Cup discipline - both classic and sprint, skate and distance. Today, she achieved that goal with her third-place result in the classic sprint. 

But Brennan wasn't the only one shining on the classic tracks today. Her teammates also had a stellar performance, with three U.S. women joining Brennan in the sprint heats and three U.S. men advancing through from the qualification round. This strong representation underscored the depth of talent within the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team and once again put the red, white and blue in full display among the thousands of Norwegian flags lining every square inch of the Drammen city sprint loop. 

In the men's race, the U.S. contingent continued to impress with three men, including Zanden McMullen, securing spots in the heats. McMullen's performance was particularly noteworthy as he achieved his career-best result, finishing in 17th place. His result comes off the back of a strong season for the young Alaskan, who bested his previous result in nearly every World Cup weekend. Alongside McMullen was the leading man, JC Schoonmaker. Schoonmaker skied a tactical, gritty race to advance through to the finals, where he finished sixth. He is having a stellar season, with back-to-back top 10s and his career-first podium earlier this winter in the Östersund classic sprint. Zak Ketterson was the third American to advance and though his day ended with the quarterfinal, he nabbed another top-30 result to add to his strong World Cup resume. 

"It feels great to be back in the finals just to know I can be in there," said Schoonmaker. "For sure would’ve loved to put up more of a fight in the end, but it’s some pretty fast guys in there and they don’t make it easy. I went into today trying to focus on trusting my finishing ability and even though I wasn’t finishing very well, it put me in a good position to move on. Was glad to feel like I was making smart choices and being active mentally during the heats."

For the women, it was Brennan, Julia Kern and Jessie Diggins punching their ticket to the heats. Brennan qualified third, setting herself up nicely going into the quarters with Diggins and Kern close behind. Brennan and Kern qualified through to semifinals, while Diggins did not advance out of the quarters. In the semis, Brennan crossed the line in fourth, advancing through based on her time; Kern did not advance but still finished the day in seventh, a testament to her strong skiing through the day and another noteworthy top 10 to her resume, on her favorite course no less.

Into the finals, in the decisive moments of the race, Brennan's grit showed. With a burst of speed in the final stretch, she surged ahead, securing her place on the podium with a well-earned third place. Met by nearly her entire team, including all the wax technicians and coaching staff, the team celebrated yet another Stifel U.S. Ski Team podium with the city of Drammen cheering right behind them.

For the women, Brennan led the way on the podium, Kern seventh, Diggins 16th, Erin Bianco of Bridger Ski Foundation in 36th, Sammy Smith of the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team D Team in 42nd, and Alaska Pacific Universities Renae Anderson in 43. For the men, Schoonmaker was sixth, McMullen 17th, Zak Ketterson 29th, Gus Schumacher 32nd, Kevin Bolger of Team Birkie 34th, Luke Jager 41st and Michael Earnhart 52nd. 

Now the team resets for yet another race weekend, only 48 hours away, where they will close out this historic season in Falun, Sweden for the cross country World Cup Finals. 

Tuesday's results in Drammen ended with Norway's Kristine Stavaas Skistad and Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo taking home the victory for the women and men. Diggins continues to lead the overall World Cup standings by 102 points ahead of Sweden's Linn Svahn; Brennan sits fifth.

RESULTS
Women
Men

The Holmenkollen cross country ski race stands as a pinnacle in the world of skiing, tracing its roots back to the late 1800s. Year after year, this iconic event asserts its prominence as one of the rowdiest, most attended races on the World Cup circuit, and this year was no exception. With Jessie Diggins and Rosie Brennan both securing spots in the top 15 and all USA racers within the top 30, the inaugural women's 50k classic was nothing short of exciting.

The day began with wax technicians and coaches getting an early start to test skis, finding the best kick and glide for the 30+ mile race. However, they weren't alone in their early prep - fans were already out in force as the sun rose over Oslo. Known for its passionate spectators, the Holmenkollen draws thousands upon thousands of fans, turning the event into a veritable national celebration, filled with cheering, drinking, fireworks - you name it, its there. The Norwegian fervor for cross-country skiing transforms the Holmenkollen into the Super Bowl of their nation and the scene was something to see. 

Today's race was exclusively for the women, with the men set to tackle the course tomorrow. Among the 39 women on the mass start line, there were four Americans: Brennan, Diggins, Laukli, and McCabe. Diggins, wearing the coveted yellow bib, led the charge alongside Brennan, currently sitting fourth overall. Despite less than ideal snow conditions, deteriorating rapidly to a sugary texture, the stage was set for a challenging race from the outset.

As the gun signaled the start, the pace was relentless. With six laps ahead, the competition was fierce, and the stakes were high. The lead pack, including eventual winner Sweden's Frida Karlsson, set a blistering pace, closely trailed by athletes from Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and the USA. Karlsson's decisive move over 15k from the finish left the competition trailing, but the excitment of seeing the world's best only feet away kept the momentum charging and the fans decibel levels getting even higher. 

As fatigue set in and the race drew to a close, Karlsson secured the victory, with teammate Ebba Andersson in second and Germany's Katharina Hennig in third. Diggins raced to an 11th place, Brennan 13th, Laukli 25th, and McCabe 28th, with Diggins maintaining her lead in the overall World Cup standings heading into the next race in Drammen, Norway.

Reflecting on her performance, Brennan left with a positive message, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of success in sport. "No race is defined by the results - there’s so much more that goes into having a performance and finding your best self. For me today, that was a result I’m proud of."

Tomorrow, the men will get their chance on the infamous track, with coverage starting at 4:45 a.m. ET, live on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Women

When you think about racing in Lahti, Finland, the first thing that comes to mind is challenging waxing conditions and hard courses, but that did not stop the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team from finding success at the first set of races back in Europe. In today's 20k classic individual start, Rosie Brennan led the team, finishing the day in ninth place - her 13th World Cup top 10 of the season - with fellow Alaskan Zanden McMullen in 23rd, tying his career-best result in the process. 

Lahti has historically been a difficult race and today was no exception. With a 20k classic interval start on deck, the temperatures were high, the clouds were low and klister was the only option for the skis. With today's conditions, even the best skiers would feel challenged, both physically and mentally. Would the klister hold? Will there be as many crashes as there were in yesterday's sprint? Would the glide be enough? Patience was the main theme of the day, mixed with a healthy amount of perseverance and grit.

Lahti's 20k is the second race back since the unforgettable weekend of racing at the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis, which saw historic results from the U.S. team among top-tier skiing from the world's best. With a long plane ride separating Minneapolis and Lahti, the rest of the cross country elite is back to their normalcy - racing in Europe. 

The women kicked things off with three Americans on the start: Jessie Diggins, Rosie Brennan and Sophia Laukli. With the interval start format, Laukli was off first, followed by Brennan, then Diggins. 

The eventual leaders of the race were indicated early on through the splits on the course. At the five-kilometer time check, Brennan was within seconds of the leaders, sitting in a comfortable position within the top 10, even having battled illness for the last few weeks. 

"The conditions were wet and soft but honestly not that bad by Lahti standards," said Brennan, post-race. "This place has some of the toughest waxing on the circuit. The course demands a lot technically and physically so I felt that focusing solely on good skiing was my best chance to put together a decent race. Going in to today, I had no expectations, knowing that my body is far from it's best. But I love klister skiing, so i felt like that if I just focused on good skiing, I might be able to have an ok race." 

Five kilometers into the race, Brennan was still positioned well within the top 10, with Diggins and Laukli in the top 30. With kick and glide becoming a real challenge, made evident by athletes utilizing the herringbone technique on the uphills rather than staying in the classic tracks, the battle continued with everything, and everyone, being tested. Brennan ultimately crossing the finish line in ninth. 

"Today was a challenge," said Diggins. "We had some variable wax conditions within the team, for sure. Without fluoros and in conditions like this, if the glide isn't where you want it to be and it blows up your race. So that was challenging, but the thing was, everyone tried as hard as they could. The service team did their best, I went out there and did my best and I am really proud of how I skied. I never gave up, I worked every inch of that course and pushed as hard as I could for all of it!"

Diggins finished 21st and continues to lead the overall World Cup standings, ahead of Sweden's Linn Svahn. The result also helps her continue to lead the distance standings ahead of Germany's Victoria Karl. Brennan is fifth in the overall World Cup standings.

At the end of the women's race, the excitement was for Finland, as Krista Parmakoski, a long-time great of the sport who has skied competitively on the World Cup for over 15 years, finally felt the taste of victory once again after a six-year drought. With today's win, Paramkoski was back on top of the podium, met with hugs and congratulations from Brennan and Diggins post-race. 

Germany's Karl was just .5 seconds behind in second place and Kerttu Niskanen gave the home crowd what they deserved - another Fearless Fin on the podium in third. Laukli finished 26th. 

For the men, McMullen stole the show in 23rd, another top result for the young Alaskan. On the start list alongside four other Americans, including Michael Earnhart, Scott Patterson, Luke Jager and Peter Wolter. Gus Schumacher and Zak Ketterson did not start today's race. 

In the early stages, the scene was already being set, with Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, Paal Goldberg and Finland's own Livo Niskanen setting the bar. Four laps around Lahti's crowded course, it was still anyone's race. 

At the halfway mark, McMullen was a top 25 contender, skiing a consistent and strong pace. Dropping back to 27th at 13.4k, McMullen stepped on the gas to move up to 23rd across the finish line, tieing his career-best World Cup result; his previous best was in Canmore, Alberta just a few weeks ago, where he was 23rd in the 15k. McMullen is having a breakout season, consistently skiing in the top 30 in the world, and is having fun in the process.

"I felt pretty strong today," said McMullen. "The skiing was very tough, and I historically have struggled A LOT in warm wet slushy conditions. It was definitely a mental battle out there and felt so nice to cross the finish line. Also proud that I had a good race in a Scandinavian-stacked classic race!"

Klaebo took home the victory, with Finland's hometown hero, Niskanen in second, marking quite the comeback campaign after missing the majority of the season, and gracing the podium only hours earlier in Friday's team sprint. Norway's Nyenget rounded out the men's podium in third. For the U.S. men, Patterson was 34th, Earnhart 48th, Jager 55th and Wolter 57th. 

Tomorrow, the athletes wrap up the Lahti Ski Games with a skate sprint, slated to begin at 3:15 a.m. ET for qualifications, with rounds kicking off at 5:45 a.m. ET, live on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

This past weekend marked a historic moment in the world of ski racing as Minneapolis, Minnesota played host to the Stifel Loppet Cup, one of the most dynamic World Cup events in the history of cross country skiing. With more than 40,000 passionate fans lining the course over the weekend, the atmosphere was nothing short of electric for the first World Cup on U.S. soil since 2001.

Highlights included Gus Schumacher winning his first ever World Cup in the 10k freestyle, becoming the youngest American ever to win a World Cup and the first American male to win a distance event since 1983, and Olympic champion Jessie Diggins podiuming in the 10k freestyle.

"I am just so grateful for this team and for everyone being here and I just think this represents something so big for our team. This has been the best day ever!" said Gus, through tears. 

Diggins, a hometown hero who hails from just 30 minutes away from the venue, was equally as emotional about the event, having worked for years to get the World Cup to happen.

"I feel like this whole weekend has been huge for the growth of American skiing," said an emotional Diggins after the race. "Everyone finally got to see how much people love this sport and see how psyched everyone was. We've wanted this for so long." 

Athletes found themselves awestruck by the thunderous roar of the crowd, so deafening that they could hardly hear themselves breathe. The consensus: It was the biggest, loudest and most exciting World Cup event the world's best athletes had ever experienced. 

"This was something special!" said seven-time Olympic medalist Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, one of the most successful cross country skiers in history. "What an amazing crowd and atmosphere it was. So much fun racing this weekend, goosebumps!"

World Cup winner Lucas Chanavat of France expressed a similar sentiment on Instagram. "Huge congrats to Gus Schumacher for making history and giving goosebumps to everyone watching the race. Thanks Jessie Diggins for making all of this possible, and the whole U.S. Ski Team for pushing cross country skiing to new levels and showing the world how every World Cup should look like."

Among the thousands of passionate fans, athletes and families, the energy of Wirth Park brought both U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey trailside, with Frey comparing the event to the Super Bowl in terms of its significance to the city. Similar to how the 2015 Fenway Big Air in Boston, Massachusetts and 2019 Visa Big Air in Atlanta, Georgia brought skiing and snowboarding to major metro areas, the Stifel Loppet Cup did the same, with fans coming from all 50 states to witness the magic in Minneapolis, just 20 minutes from the airport. All general admission tickets were provided free of charge by the Share Winter Foundation and Loppet Foundation, ensuring an opportunity for everyone to see the inspiration up close.

World Cup events are a multimillion-dollar investment and the Stifel Loppet Cup would not have been possible without the support of the Loppet Foundation, Share Winter Foundation, the International Ski & Snowboard Federation, volunteers, key sponsors and donors. U.S. Ski & Snowboard blue chip partners were also on-site, including Stifel Financial, Kappa, iFit and Textron Aviation.

The momentum from the weekend extended into the following Monday with unprecedented community engagement. With athletes scheduled to sign autographs for 60 minutes, more than nine Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes, including Diggins and Schumacher, sat in the chilled Minnesota air for four hours to sign autographs for kids and adults alike. With the success of the first U.S. World Cup in more than two decades, the foundation has been set for what it takes to host a world-class cross country event in the states again.

"In the wake of the Stifel Loppet Cup's resounding success, it's evident that this event wasn’t just about the results—it's about inspiring the next generation of cross country skiing across America," said Sophie Goldschmidt, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. "This World Cup marks a pivotal moment in our nation's ski racing landscape, especially as we saw how many Americans were not only on the start list, but in the top 30 and on the podium. As we continue to replay this weekend in our minds, we’re reminded how important it is to bring this level of events to the U.S., knowing the impact it has not only on our athletes but the future. By investing in the infrastructure to bring World Cups to U.S. soil, we're not only showcasing our love for skiing but also laying the groundwork for a future where World Cup events include U.S. as a yearly stop on the calendar. I could not be more proud of what this team has accomplished this week right in our back yard."

The Stifel Loppet Cup is included in the slate of FIS World Cups in the United States, including four alpine, two freestyle, three snowboard/freeski and one ski jumping event. With a goal to bring more exposure to sports under U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Goldschmidt has continued to increase the amount of World Cups hosted in the states year after year.  

Now, the momentum stemming from the best season in history for the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team season continues, as the team heads back to Europe for races. Diggins is leading the overall World Cup standings and continuing to etch her name in history as the only American woman to win the overall World Cup Crystal Globe.

In the end, the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis just did exactly what it needed to do, leaving its legacy as one of the important ski races in the history of the sport, inspiring generations to come and providing a blueprint for the future of World Cups around the world. 

Relive the magic of the historic races by both Gus and Jessie. 

With tears streaming down their faces, Gus Schumacher won his first career World Cup and Jessie Diggins stepped on the podium in third place at the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The weather warmed up for Sunday’s race with a deep crew of Americans ready to attack the 10k skate course. The crowd showed up in droves, with another 20,000 people arriving to see their favorite ski racers race the local track at Wirth Park. 

The men went first, with Stifel U.S. Ski Team’s Schumacher skiing a strong race to take the lead, but he would have to sit for more than 40 athletes to see if the result would hold. Racer after racer came through the finish line as Schumacher’s eyes grew wider, continuing to beat Olympic medalists and world champions. His teammates gathered around him in the leader's box with tears beginning to flow as the last racer crossed the finish line, confirming Schumacher’s win with yells and hugs.

“It’s hard to believe,” said a teary-eyed Schumacher. “I’m just so grateful for this whole team and everyone being here. It represents something big for our team and I really love doing it with these guys… This has been the best day ever.”

Schumacher was the first American man to win a distance World Cup in 41 years, since Olympic silver medalist Bill Koch won in a 30k in Sarajevo in 1983. The last American man to win a non-distance race was Simi Hamilton, who took a sprint in Lenzerheide in 2013, 11 years ago. Schumacher had also never podiumed; his previous best result was fourth. 

It was also another feather in the cap for the successful Stifel U.S. Ski Team men, who have now accrued three podiums this season from three men: Schumacher, JC Schoonmaker and Ben Ogden. Prior to the 2023-24 season, the men had not had a podium since 2017.

Supporters continued to pack the course as the women took to the track. Diggins ran near the end of the start list, with every fan’s eyes on the local girl as she pushed for a top result. She left everything on the course, gasping for air and collapsing at the finish, but skied into third place to secure the podium. Surrounded by her family, friends and teammates, Diggins cried happy tears through the awards ceremony. 

“It wasn’t even about the podium,” she said. “I just had the best day ever out there. No one had more fun than me, except maybe Gus because it’s his day! I’m so proud of him. It was so emotional. The whole team was over the moon for him. That was an incredible day.”

More than that, the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis was about bringing World Cup cross country ski racing back to the United States for the first time in more than 23 years. 40,000 fans showed up over the two days with signs, banners and cowbells. Tears were shed by athletes, staff, and fans throughout the weekend: the first time the skiers skied the buffed-out track, when crowds walked miles to pack the stands and sides of the course, when the U.S. national anthem was sung over the loudspeaker, when thousands of young girls and boys lined up for autographs from their heroes and get glitter put on their cheeks. 

“I feel like this whole weekend was huge for the growth of skiing in this country,” said Diggins, who had been a massive part of bringing this World Cup to her hometown. “Everyone got to see how much people love this sport. People are psyched. We wanted this for a long time. It’s incredible that we got to experience it together and share it.”

Rounding out the Americans, Stifel U.S. Ski Team’s Sophia Laukli snagged a top 15 result in 15th place. Julia Kern was 19th and Rosie Brennan 22nd and Haley Brewster 25th. Brewster had her first two World Cup starts in Minneapolis and secured impressive results. Sydney Palmer-Leger was 32nd, Kendall Kramer 36th, Movie McCabe 37th, Margie Freed 41st, Sammy Smith 42nd, Alexandra Lawson 50th and Alayna Sonnesyn 51st. 

On the men’s side in the top 30, Scott Patterson was 22nd, Zanden McMullen 25th and John Steel Hagenbuch 30th. David Norris was 35th, Luke Jager 39th, Hunter Wonders 47th, Peter Wolter 52nd, Walker Hall 56th, Michael Earnhart 61st, Reid Goble 64th and Brian Bushey 67th.

RESULTS
Women
Men

In front of 20,000 screaming fans in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jessie Diggins sprinted to fourth place in her hometown at the Stifel Loppet Cup. 

It was a chilly day, but it didn’t stop massive crowds from showing up at Minneapolis’ Wirth Park, armed with cowbells, bibs and homemade signs for the first day of racing. Fans packed the park, running from location to location to cheer on their favorite athletes on the hard-packed track at the first World Cup in the United States in more than 23 years.  

From a stacked start list of Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes, eight Americans qualified through to the heats in the skate sprint: Diggins, Julia Kern, Rosie Brennan and Sammy Smith for the women, and Gus Schumacher, JC Schoonmaker, Zak Ketterson and Kevin Bolger for the men. 

The heats were rowdy. Kern had a near-crash with Frida Karlsson of Sweden, forcing her out of contention in her quarterfinal heat. Brennan and Smith were in the same quarterfinal heat, but did not move on to semis. Schumacher, Schoonmaker, Ketterson and Bolger also did not move out of quarterfinals. 

Diggins sailed through both the quarterfinals and semis, finishing in first place for both. In the finals, she was locked in a battle with Jonna Sundling and Linn Svahn of Sweden and Kristine Stavaas Skistad of Norway, but was beaten out to just miss the podium. But that didn’t matter to Diggins, who was thrilled to be racing in her home state and in front of her friends and family. 

“We’ve been keeping track and I've cried seven times today and all for the best reasons,” said Diggins, who was instrumental in bringing the World Cup to Minneapolis. “I’ve dreamed about this for my entire career. I thought about what it would be like to race in my own country for 300 World Cups and this blew me away. This is the coolest day in my entire racing career. It was so special. It was really overwhelming.” 

Out of the eight athletes in the heats, three hail from the midwest: Diggins from Afton, Minnesota, Ketterson from Bloomington, Minnesota and Bolger from Minocqua, Wisconsin. While all of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes were excited to race in their home country, it was particularly special for these three.

“This exceeded any expectations I could have ever had,” said Ketterson. “It was the loudest, most well-attended race. You go to races like Holmenkollen with a lot of fans, and they’re never cheering for you. Hearing ‘Zak, Zak, Zak!’ and then when they announced that I was from Bloomington, the crowd was just yelling. That’s why you ski.”

Rounding out the American women, Brennan was 21st, Smith 26th, Kern 27th, Ava Thurston 40th, Haley Brewster 41st, Alayna Sonnesyn 44th, Renae Anderson 48th, Sydney Palmer-Leger 49th, Margie Freed 50th and Michaela Keller-Miller 51st. On the men’s side, Schumacher was 17th, Bolger 20th, Ketterson 21st, Schoomaker 28th, Jack Young 33rd, John Steel Hagenbuch 37th, Will Koch 38th, Michael Earnhart 44th, Zanden McMullen 46th, Adam Witkowski 53rd, Luke Jager 62nd and Walker Hall 67th.  

The race continues on Sunday with a 10k skate. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

On a day where seemingly all weather patterns moved through the Canadian Rockies, the fourth race of a week-long World Cup brought the cross country world together for an exciting day of classic sprinting, with JC Schoonmaker skiing to an impressive seventh place and Julia Kern leading the women in 11th. 

With the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis looming, skiers had one more chance to see what they could do before traveling to the United States. In the qualifiers, where only the top 30 advance to the heats, which include a quarterfinal, semifinal and final round, seven Americans made their way, including Jessie Diggins, Rosie Brennan, Julia Kern, JC Schoonmaker, Gus Schumacher, Zak Ketterson and Luke Jager. This was Schumacher’s first time advancing to a classic sprint heat and the first time for Jager in the 2023-24 season. 

In the quarterfinal heats, there were seven Americans on the start line, all fending for the top two spots in their heat or the remaining two positions reserved for the "lucky losers," which refers to the third fastest athlete across the line. The quarterfinals were a nail-biter. On a tough course that challenged each athlete due to the slow snow, steep hills and skied-out classic tracks, everyone had to dig deep to fight for position. After several quarterfinal rounds, it was only Kern and Schoonmaker who made it to the semis - advancing to the next round by literally hundredths of a second. 

In the semis, Kern crossed the line in sixth, yet her time across around the course (3:20.81) was faster than the winner of the second semi-final heat. But, rules and rules and Kern's day was ultimately cut short, yet her positive attitude was present knowing that she is back to skiing where she wanted to be.

"I am really proud of how I skied today," said Kern. "It was just fun to ski on the skis I was on - our techs did an amazing job - and I love classic skiing on these kinds of days. It's been so fun here in Canmore and it's just building the excitement to next week in Minneapolis. I am so ready to show the world the U.S. I cannot express how exciting it will be."

For Schoonmaker, the race was interesting and exciting from start to finish. On a course that emphasizes the final stretch, it was all Schoonmaker's game. Coming into the last several hundred meters in sixth, he pulled out all the stops and made the move on the left side of the six-lane classic tracks into the finish, moving past three of his competitors and nearly crossing the line in third. With that move, Schoonmaker secured a top 10 result and even though he did not advance, still put a seventh place onto his strong resume. 

"It was nice to have a couple of good finishes and have a solid result," said Schoonmaker. "Honestly, my mentality in sprints is to act like I am going into the semis because if I am thinking too much about if I make it or not make it, that's just not the right headspace. I just went into it and skied on those trails and did what I could."

Alongside Kern and Schoonmaker in the top 30, was Brennan in 16th, Diggins in 17th, Ketterson in 18th, Schumacher in 20th and Jager in 24th. The ultimate winners of the race included five-time Olympic champion Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway in first for the men and World Cup sprint overall leader Linn Svahn of Sweden. 

Now, it's time for the race everyone has been waiting for, the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the first cross country ski race in the United States in more than 23 years. The action starts Saturday, Feb. 17. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

On the second day of racing in Canmore, Alberta, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team had another historic day in the skate sprint. Through the qualifications, where the top 30 for both men and women advance to the sprint heats, 11 qualified, marking the most Americans advancing to the heats in recorded history.

Jessie Diggins led the team with a fifth-place result, after her historic win just a day earlier in the 15k skate, followed by a slew of teammates, some of them having their first-ever World Cup starts. At the end of the day, 11 U.S. athletes graced the top 30, once again increasing the never-ending momentum felt this season by the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. 

In the women's qualifications, Diggins led the way, crossing the finish in sixth, followed by Rosie Brennan in 15th, Julia Kern in 17th, Lauren Jortberg of Stratton Mountain School in 20th and Erin Bianco of Bridger Ski Foundation making her career-first sprint heats in 25th. On the men's side, JC Schoonmaker led the team qualifying in fifth followed closely by an impressive run by Jack Young, a Colby College Nordic Ski Team athlete called up to the World Cup for the first time in his career, qualifying in 11th. Behind Young was Ben Ogden in 22nd, Logan Diekmann of Bridger Ski Foundation in 24th, Kevin Bolger of Team Birkie in 26th, and Gus Schumacher 27th. 

Into the quarterfinals, the athletes would take another fast lap around the intensely challenging sprint loop that featured sharp corners, fast downhills, and long uphills - a course that challenges even the best sprinters in the world. Though many did not advance onto the semis, this day is a step in the right direction with several USA athletes punching their tickets through to the heats.

"I was expecting to make the qualifications and knew I could do it," said Young, post-race. "Going into the heats, it was a lot like the rounds of the World Cups I've been watching my whole life. It went out easy, everyone slowed down at the top of the hill, and then everyone went for it on the downhill. I unfortunately did not advance, but it was a blast."  

Into the semis, Diggins, Kern and Ogden represented the red, white and blue on the start line, surrounded by fans - thousands of them - lining the entire course, creating an electric and impressionably loud atmosphere. 

Diggins ultimately wad the only American moving onto the finals as Ogden and Kern were just seconds away from qualifying, ending their day just short of the final round. 

In the women's final, things suddenly got interesting. "I don't think I've ever done a race like that," said Diggins, in her post-race reflections. "On the World Cup, you usually don't see that happening in the women's race in general." Diggins is referring to how the entire pack of six women nearly came to a stop at various points in the race - often a tactic used to not lead the downhill, which often allows your competitors to draft and slingshot ahead going into the finishing straightaway. "A lot of courses don't have this dramatic long straight slingshot and today, it was just fascinating. I tried to time it right, but it's a safer bet to just blast my way through, get up there, and see what happens. I sure tried and proud of myself for that and did what I had to do today!"

As the day came to a close, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway won for the men and Kristine Stavaas Skistad of Norway won for the women. The top 30 included Diggins in fifth, Kern 12th, Jortberg 19th, Brennan 26th and Bianco 29th. For the men, six landed in the top 30, led by Ogden in seventh, Diekmann 16th, Bolger 18th, Schumacher 19th, Schoonmaker 22nd and Young 23rd. 

Tomorrow, the athletes will once again turn around for another race, the 20k classic. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Women
Men