21 Athletes nominated to 2026-27 Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team
Sat, May 16, 2026 - By Leann Bentley, Stifel U.S. Ski Team
Park City, UT - U.S. Ski & Snowboard have nominated 21 athletes to the 2026-27 Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team.
There are two phases: nomination in May and acceptance. Nominated athlete must accept the nomination and agree to adhere to the team expectations outlined in team criteria. Athletes will be officially announced to the team in October 2026.
The 2026–27 roster is led by two-time Olympic silver medalist Ben Ogden, Olympic silver medalist Gus Schumacher, World Cup podium finisher JC Schoonmaker and two-time World Championships medalist Julia Kern. At the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games, Ogden snapped a 50-year medal drought with silver in the classic sprint, becoming the first American man to medal since Bill Koch in 1976. Days later, Schumacher joined Ogden to capture another silver medal in the team sprint – marking the team’s third medal of the Games, alongside Jessie Diggins’ bronze. Diggins retired at the end of the 2025-26 season.
The Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team features several new names, including three athletes breaking through to the national team: Jack Leveque, Neve Gerard and Corbin Carpenter.
2026-27 Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team
(Hometown; Club; College; Birthdate)
A TEAM
Men
- Ben Ogden (Burlington, VT; Stratton Mountain School; University of Vermont; 2/13/2000)
- James "JC" Schoonmaker (Lake Tahoe, 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
Women
- Julia Kern (Waltham, MA; Stratton Mountain School; Dartmouth College; 9/12/1997)
- Kendall Kramer (Fairbanks, AK; Alaska Pacific University; University of Alaska Fairbanks; 6/26/2002)
- Sophia Laukli (Yarmouth, ME; Aker-Dæhlie; University of Utah; 6/08/2000)
- Novie McCabe (Winthrop, WA; Alaska Pacific University; University of Utah; 12/15/2001)
- Samantha “Sammy” Smith (Boise, ID; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; Stanford University; 9/22/2005)
- Ava Thurston (Waterbury, VT; Dartmouth College; 10/6/2004)
Men
- John Steel Hagenbuch (Ketchum, ID; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; Dartmouth College; 10/1/2001)
- Zak Ketterson (Bloomington, MN; Team Birkie; Northern Michigan University; 4/2/1997)
- Zanden McMullen (Anchorage, AK; Alaska Pacific University; 5/31/2001)
- Jack Young (Jay, VT; Craftsbury Green Racing Project; Colby College; 12/17/2002)
DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Women
- Haley Brewster (Avon, CO; Stratton Mountain School; University of Vermont; 6/6/2003)
- Neve Gerard (Bend, OR; University of Utah; 3/20/2006)*
- Sydney Palmer-Leger (Park City, UT; Mansfield Nordic Pro Team; University of Utah; 2/4/2002)
Men
- Corbin Carpenter (Aspen, CO; University of Alaska Anchorage; 12/2/2004)*
- Tabor Greenberg (Moretown, VT; University of Vermont; 5/4/2006)
- Zach Jayne (Bend, OR; Stratton Mountain School; University of Utah; (3/30/2004)
- Murphy Kimball (Anchorage, AK; Alaska Winter Stars; University of Alaska Anchorage; 7/16/2006)
- Jack Leveque (Anchorage, AK; Alaska Winter Stars; 5/3/2009)*
*Newly named to the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team