• Finland’s Arttu Maekiaho moved up from ninth after the jump to win gold in the opening 10k nordic combined event at the USANA FIS Junior Nordic World Championships.
• France’s Laurent Muhlethaler led after the jump, but dropped to 17th.
• Maekiaho had to hold off a hard-charging Mika Mermeulen of Austria, who recorded the fastest cross country time moving up from 29th.

VAL DI FIEMME, Italy (Jan. 15, 2017) - Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) capped a three-event weekend in Val di Fiemme, finishing 13th in a nordic combined World Cup.

Fletcher jumped to 33rd but turned on the gas during the 10k cross country to record the second fastest time, finishing 56.8 seconds behind winner Eric Frenzel of Germany and seven seconds outside the top 10. Brother Taylor was 30th.

The weekend opened on Friday with Frenzel also taking the win on the HS134 meter hill and 10k cross country. Taylor Fletcher jumped to 46th, but boosted it to 21st after finishing fourth in cross country. 

In Saturday’s team sprint, brothers Fletcher combined to finish eighth - 40 seconds behind winning Norway. The Czech Republic was second with Italy third. Germany was uncharacteristically off the podium in fifth and sixth.

The tour now heads to one of its iconic sites in Chaux-Neuve, France for a pair of individual events next weekend.

RESULTS
Friday, Jan. 13 - Individual
Saturday, Jan. 14 - Team Event
Sunday, Jan. 15 - Individual

PARK CITY, UT (Jan. 13, 2017) - Six nordic combined skiers have been named to the team that will represent the USA at the International Ski Federation's 2017 USANA Nordic Junior World Ski Championships Jan. 30-Feb. 5 at the Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow Nordic Center. It's the first time the global junior event has been held in the USA since 1986 in Lake Placid.

The team was named by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, in collaboration with USA Nordic, following the completion of trials last month and final international events. Selection was based on results of international Continental Cup competitions along with three trials events with jumps at Steamboat Springs, CO and Park City, UT.

The team blends some seasoned veterans with a host of newcomers to international competition.

The team will be led by Ben Loomis (Eau Claire, WI) of the Flying Eagles Ski Club. Loomis was the silver medalist at the Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway last February and is competing regularly on the World Cup tour. He will be joined by Stephen Schumann (Park City, UT) of Park City Nordic Ski Club. Schumann qualified through Continental Cup points scored in Klingenthal, Germany in December. He and Loomis each won one of the final two trials events in Park City in late December. Also on the team is two-time Junior Worlds veteran Koby Vargas (Steamboat Springs, CO) of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.

Among the newcomers to Junior Worlds will be Grant Andrews (Steamboat Springs, CO) of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. Andrews had his first international experience last season finishing fourth and 11th in a youth Nordic combined event in Norway. It will be the first international event for both Tucker Hoefler (Park City, UT) of the Park City Nordic Ski Club as well as Elijah Vargas (Steamboat Springs, CO) of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.

"It is a great opportunity for these athletes to be able to compete at home against such a strong international field," said Coach Martin Bayer. "We have some great experience on this team, especially with Ben Loomis who showed at the Youth Olympic Games last season that he can compete with the best in the world."

The first competition day is Tuesday, January 31 with individual 10k event. The 4x5k team event is Thursday, Feb. 2 with the final 5k individual event on Saturday, Feb. 4. All jumping is on the HS100m Olympic jump at the Utah Olympic Park with cross country on the Olympic Trails at Soldier Hollow.

2017 USA JUNIOR NORDIC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
(Name, hometown, USSA club, birthdate, age at start of championships)
Grant Andrews, Steamboat Springs, CO (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) 12/3/1997 (19)
Tucker Hoefler, Park City, UT (Park City Nordic Ski Club) 9/12/1998 (18)
Ben Loomis, Eau Claire, WI (Flying Eagles Ski Club) 6/9/1998 (18) * ***
Stephen Schumann, Park City, UT (Park City Nordic Ski Club) 3/14/2000 (16)
Elijah Vargas, Steamboat Springs CO (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) 8/5/2000 (16)
Koby Vargas, Steamboat Springs, CO (Park City Nordic Ski Club) 5/31/1998 (18)  * **

* Member of 2016 Junior Worlds team** Member of 2015 Junior Worlds team
*** Member of 2016 Youth Olympic Games team

2017 USANA FIS NORDIC JUNIOR WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS
Monday, January 30
7:00 p.m. Opening Ceremony (Zermatt Resort, Midway)

Tuesday, January 31
9:00 a.m. Nordic combined HS100m jump (Utah Olympic Park)
3:30 p.m Nordic combined 10k (Soldier Hollow)

Wednesday, February 1
7:00 p.m. Medal ceremony (Ice Castles, Homestead Resort, Midway)

Thursday, February 2
9:00 a.m. Nordic combined HS100m team jump (Utah Olympic Park)
3:30 p.m. Nordic combined team 4x5k (Soldier Hollow)

Friday, February 3
7:00 p.m. Medal ceremony (Ice Castles, Homestead Resort, Midway)

Saturday, February 4
9:00 a.m. Nordic combined HS100m jump (Utah Olympic Park)
3:30 p.m. Nordic combined 5k (Soldier Hollow)

Sunday, February 5
6:30 p.m. Closing Ceremony and Medals Ceremony (Zermatt Resort, Midway)

TOP PAST JUNIOR WORLDS FINISHES FOR USA
1 - Todd Lodwick - 1996 Asiago, Italy
2 - Alex Glueck - 2002 Schonach, Germany
3 - Nathan Gerhart - 2002 Schonach Germany
5 - Eric Camerota - 2004 Stryn, Norway

PARK CITY, UT (Jan. 5, 2017) - Five men and five women have been named to the team that will represent the USA at the International Ski Federation's 2017 USANA Nordic Junior World Ski Championships Jan. 30-Feb. 5 at the Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow Nordic Center. It's the first time the global junior event has been held in the USA since 1986 in Lake Placid.

The team was named by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, in collaboration with USA Nordic and Women's Ski Jumping U.S.A., following the completion of trials events last weekend. The team was selected based on results of international Continental Cup competitions along with three trials events with jumps at Steamboat Springs, CO and Park City, UT.

The 10-person ski jumping team includes six athletes who competed in the 2016 World Championships in Rasnov, Romania, including Logan Sankey (Steamboat Springs, CO) who was also on the 2015 team that jumped in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The 2017 team is led by top qualifiers from trials Casey Larson (Barrington, IL) of the Norge Ski Club and Anna Hoffmann (Madison, WI) of the Blackhawk Ski Club. Larson swept to wins in all three trials events while Hoffman won back-to-back last weekend on the Olympic jumps in Park City.

The team is one of the most diverse ever with athletes representing seven different clubs from three major ski jumping regions of the country. Five team members are from the strong USSA Central Division including three from the Chicagoland's Norge Ski Club.

"We've seen some strong progress from our men's jumping team both at the junior and World Cup level in the past few years," said USA Nordic Executive Director and Olympian Billy Demong. "It's a great benefit for these athletes from clubs around America to be jumping on what has become a training base for much of the season.  It’s a tremendous opportunity to garner international experience with a home field advantage and I credit the Utah Organizing Committee with having the vision and tenacity to bring this event back to the USA."

"This team is a real tribute to our Fly Girls program," said Women's Ski Jumping U.S.A. President Laura Sankey. "This initiative from Women's Ski Jumping U.S.A. was only introduced three years ago but is already making a difference."

All five of the women on the team were a part of the inaugural Fly Girls program.

"Casey Larson has shown his strength with very solid jumps in all three qualifying events," said Men's Coach Clint Jones. "It was good to see that Trevor Edlund also stepped up his game a bit in Park City. There is a bit of a gap back to the next athletes, but they are young and will earn some great experience this year at Junior World Championships."

"Anna Hoffmann is a great example of how the Fly Girls program can work," said Women's Ski Jumping U.S.A. Coach Alan Alborn. "This will be her first Junior Worlds but she joins a very experienced team especially with Cara Larson and Logan Sankey."

Casey Larson and Sankey were also members of the Youth Olympic Games team that competed last February in Lillehammer.

The first competition day is Wednesday, Feb. 1 with individual events for both men and women. The women's team event is Thursday, Feb. 2 with the men Friday, Feb. 3. Jumping concludes with a mixed gender team event on Sunday, Feb. 5.

2017 USA JUNIOR NORDIC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
(Name, hometown, USSA club, birthdate, age at start of championships)

Men
Decker Dean, Steamboat Springs, CO (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) 8/8/2000 (16)
Trevor Edlund, Woodbury, MN (St. Paul Ski Club) 03/02/1997 (19)
Patrick Gasienica, Richmond, IL (Norge Ski Club) 11/28/1998 (18) *
Casey Larson, Barrington, IL (Norge Ski Club) 12/16/1998 (18) * ***
Nathan Mattoon, Eau Claire, WI (Flying Eagles Ski Club 9/22/1998 (18) *

Women
Gabby Armstrong, Lake Placid, NY (New York Ski Education Foundation) 12/06/1998 (18) *
Anna Hoffmann, Madison, WI (Blackhawk Ski Club)  3/28/2000 (16)
Cara Larson, Barrington, IL (Norge Ski Club) 11/5/2000 (16) *
Samantha Macuga, Park City, UT (Park City Nordic Ski Club) 2/17/2001 (15)
Logan Sankey, Steamboat Springs, CO (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) 5/28/1998 (18) * ** ***
* Member of 2016 Junior Worlds team
** Member of 2015 Junior Worlds team
*** Member of 2016 Youth Olympic Games team

2017 USANA FIS NORDIC JUNIOR WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS
Monday, January 30
7:00 p.m. Opening Ceremony (Zermatt Resort, Midway)

Wednesday, February 1
11:00 a.m. Women’s HS100m jump (Utah Olympic Park)
2:00 p.m. Men’s HS100m jump (Utah Olympic Park)
7:00 p.m. Men’s and women’s HS100m medal ceremony (Ice Castles, Zermatt Resort)

Thursday, February 2
9:00 a.m. Women’s HS100m team jump (Utah Olympic Park)

Friday, February 3
2:00 p.m. Men’s HS100m team jump (Utah Olympic Park)
7:00 p.m. Medals Ceremony (Ice Castles, Zermatt Resort)

Sunday, February 5
1:00 p.m. Mixed gender team jump (Utah Olympic Park)
7:00 p.m. Closing Ceremony and Medals Ceremony (Zermatt Resort)

TOP PAST JUNIOR WORLDS FINISHES FOR USA
2 - Sarah Hendrickson - 2012 Erzurum, Turkey
7 - Clint Jones - 2002 Schonach, Germany
8 - Abby Hughes - 2009 Strbske Pleso, Slovakia
8 - Abby  Hughes - 2006 Kranj, Slovenia
9 - Avery Ardovino - 2007 Tarvisio, Italy

Six-year-old Anna Hoffman sat on the bar atop of the 20-meter jump at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City. Next to her was one of the leading ski jumpers in America, Lindsey Van, offering words of encouragement. Young Anna was calm and collected, helmet and goggles on her head and skis fixed to her feet, gingerly placing them into the porcelain ski track for her trip down the in-run. It was a long way from her home jump at the Blackhawk Ski Club outside Madison, WI.

Lindsey Van, right, shares her ski jumping wisdom with Anna Hoffmann, age 6. (Park Record)

That was a decade ago. Anna was the youngest of the girls assembled at the Olympic jumping complex for a first-ever camp with the newly named members of the debut national team which was already eager to motivate the next generation of ski jumpers. It would be nearly three years until Lindsey Van would win her sport’s first World Championship, and nearly eight until women’s jumpers would soar off Olympic jumps for the first time in Sochi, Russia.

Over this past New Year’s weekend, Hoffmann was back again at the Utah Olympic Park. But this time she was a confident 16-year-old vying for a spot on the Nordic Junior World Championship team that will compete against athletes from around the world in Utah this February.

Ski jumping is in Anna’s DNA. It was what her family did. “I started ski jumping when I was 2,” she said. Older sister Elyse, a member of the first national development team, and brother Joe paved the way. “Since then my family and I had been traveling all over the Midwest. We heard about this girls camp in Park City and we were all in for it!”

Her early heroes were pioneering women from the Midwest – Karla Keck and Blair Tompten – along with Van of Park City, one of the early international stars of women’s ski jumping.

“I always thought Sarah Hendrickson was really interesting,” said Hoffmann. “I remember when she was nine years old and wanted to jump on the big hill!”

“It’s funny for me to see the pictures from that camp,” said Van, now retired and finishing school at the University of Utah. “I remember it well – we had young girls from all over the country. I’m happy to see some of those athletes from those early camps are still ski jumping and having success. If we motivated any of those girls from those early camps to keep ski jumping then it was worth it.”

There’s a great heritage for ski jumping in the Midwest that lives on at the Blackhawk jumping complex west of Madison. Hoffmann got her start on the tiny five and 15-meter jumps, and drew inspiration from her heroes. After becoming one of the top young jumpers in the USSA’s Central Division, thanks to work of her coaches at Blackhawk, she next moved up to Women’s Ski Jumping U.S.A. innovative Fly Girls program – a pathway to bridge motivated young girls up to the next level. And she eventually followed her sister’s footsteps onto the national development team.

“Anna is a product of a lot of club work with Blackhawk and three years on the Fly Girls team and now development team,” said Women’s Ski Jumping U.S.A. Coach Alan Alborn. “Anna has been really working hard and focused on pushing her level higher which is starting to blossom on the ski jump.”

Last winter, Hoffman won the national junior title. This past summer she had her first taste of jumping overseas, with a camp in Slovenia and competition in Hinterzarten, Germany. Earlier in December, she competed in her first Continental Cup in Norway – jumping against the largest field ever in a COC event.

“Slovenia was the most fun I’ve had in a long time - to be with my teammates, who are like my sisters, and to go to places I had only heard about,” she said. “I wasn’t worrying about how I finished; I just wanted to enjoy the experience. I learned a lot.”

But on a clear, cold late December morning, she was perched again at the top of the in-run – this time the Olympic HS100 meter tower, a jump that has become like a second home over the years.

Climbing out onto the bar, her focus was clear. But she was scared. Making the Junior Worlds team was her primary goal this year. She knew she could jump better than she had in the Steamboat qualifier, when she was fifth. But, on her final training ride the day before, she had crashed hard.

Her four competition jumps over two days would be the most important of her young career. If she wanted a trip to Junior Worlds, she had to step it up.

“I was scared I was going to fall again,” she said. “But I thought about how many jumps I’ve taken on that hill and not fallen. I focused on the in-run knowing that every good jump comes from a good in-run.”

She pushed off, gliding down the track and off into the air - 86.5 meters – decent, but not enough as she stood second. Her next jump had to be better. It was – 88.5 meters to take a narrow win. The next day, it was all on the line again. With a first jump of 88.5 meters and longest ride of the day at 89.5 on her second, she swept the qualifiers.

She’ll now be joining the best juniors in the world Jan. 30-Feb. 5 at the Utah Olympic Park.

“I’m just really, really excited,” said Hoffmann with passion. “Being a young kid so immersed in ski jumping, I’ve always wanted to be like the other girls and go to these big competitions. It means so much to me that I can represent the USA at Junior Worlds in my country.

“I’m honored.”

PARK CITY, UT (Dec. 31, 2016) - USSA Central Division ski jumpers dominated in the final two qualifiers for spots on the USA team that will compete in the 2017 Nordic Junior World Championships to be held in early February in Utah. Casey Larson (Barrington, IL) of the Norge Ski Club and Anna Hoffman (Madison, WI) from the Blackhawk Ski Club swept to back-to-back wins on the HS100-meter Olympic ski jump in Park City.

Larson, who was on the Junior Worlds team a year ago that competed in Romania, made it a perfect three-for-three after winning earlier in the month at Steamboat Springs. For Hoffman, it was a breakout weekend for the 16-year old who had been fifth at the opening qualifier in Steamboat Springs.

The team will be named in mid-January based on results from international World Cup and Continental Cup results, along with finishes from the three qualifying events.

Friday, Larson flew 98.5 and 94.5 meters for the two longest rides of the day. Nordic combined skier Ben Loomis (Eau Claire, WI) from the Flying Eagles Ski Club was second with Trevor Edlund (Woodbury, MN) of the St. Paul Ski Club was third. Saturday, Larson went 90.5 meters on his first jump then knocked it out of the park with a towering 102.0 meter final ride to seal the win over Loomis and Edlund.

“I was really happy with my jumping,” said Larson. “I’ve been working really hard and hoping to get to Europe to compete with the best before coming back for Junior Worlds.”

“It was an obvious that Casey Larson has been working hard to get the win again,” said USA Nordic Coach Clint Jones. “He has been showing very solid jumps at a high level in all three of the qualifying events. It was also good to see that Trevor Edlund also stepped up his game a bit.

“There’s a gap back to the next group, but they are young and will earn some great experience this year at Junior World Championships.”

Anna Hoffman soars to a pair of Junior Worlds trials wins. (U.S. Ski Team - Tom Kelly)

Hoffman, meanwhile, had to come from behind to win on Friday. she went 86.5 and 88.5 meters to win over Annika Belshaw (Steamboat Springs, CO) of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club was second and Cara Larson (Barrington, IL) of the Norge Ski Club third. Saturday, Hoffman went 88.5 and 89.5 meters, taking a solid first jump lead over Larson and holding it, with Belshaw finishing third.

“Anna is a product of a lot of club work with Blackhawk in Wisconsin and three years on the Fly Girls team and now Women’s Ski Jumping U.S.A. Development team,” said Women’s Ski Jumping U.S. A. Coach Alan Alborn.  “Anna has been really working hard and focused on pushing her level higher which is starting to blossom on the ski jump.”

The Junior World Championships are set Jan. 30-Feb. 5 at the Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow - both venues from the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. It’s the first time the event has been in the USA since 1986 in Lake Placid, NY.

RESULTS

Dec. 10 - Steamboat Springs, CO - HS100 meter Ski Jumping Qualifier

Dec. 30 - Park City, UT - HS100 meter Ski Jumping Qualifier

Dec. 31 - Park City, UT - HS100 meter Ski Jumping Qualifier

NIZHNY TIGIL, Russia (Dec. 11, 2016) – Veteran Sarah Hendrickson (Park City, UT) soared to a 10^th place finish in the second day of a weekend FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Nizhny Tigil. Japan’s Sara Takanashi came from behind to take the win.

Hendrickson went 87.0 meters on her first ride to stand 12^th. In the second round, she went 84.5 meters for the eight best score of the round to move up to tenth.

"The wind was a huge factor this weekend and was a really tough couple days, luck definitely played a role,"Hendrickson said. "I haven't jumped in wind at all since the injury so I was hesitant every jump. I got super unlucky in the second round today but managed to hold on. This is the world of ski jumping and we have to live with it, but still a little frustrating." 

Takanashi, who set a new hill record of 102.0 meters the day before but missed the win, came back on her second jump to soar 98.5 meters – long ride of the day – to clinch the win.

The women now get a break before getting back in action on the HS137 meter large hill at Oberstdorf, Germany January 6-8.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Sarah Hendrickson (Park City, UT) soared to 10^th in a FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Nizhny Tigil, Russia.
• Japan’s Sara Takanashi took the win.
• The women are back in action the first weekend in January in Germany.

QUOTES
Sarah Hendrickson
The jumps were great and it was nice to see winter... cold winter.

The wind was a huge factor this weekend and was a really tough couple days, luck definitely played a role. I haven't jumped in wind at all since the injury so I was hesitant every jump. I got super unlucky in the second round today but managed to hold on. This is the world of ski jumping and we have to live with it but still a little frustrating. 

RESULTS
Women’s HS100m Jump

NIZHNIY TIGIL, Russia – (Dec. 10, 2016) – The FIS Ski Jumping World Cup tour headed to Russia, with Sarah Hendrickson (Park City, UT) leading the way finishing 14^th in Nizhny Tagil.

Japan’s Sara Takanashi was uncharacteristically off the top spot of the podium, finishing third with Norway’s Maren Lundby notching her first World Cup victory. Austria’s Danielo Iraschko-Stolz was second.

Hendrickson went 89.0 meters on both of her jumps. Ironically, Takanashi had the long ride of the day with 102.0 meters on her first jump – beating her old hill record of 99.0 meters. But she had troubles on her second, flying only 86.0 meters and dropping to third.

The Nizhny Tagil jumping complex is located in the region of Sverdlovsk Oblast, more than 1,000 miles east of Moscow just into Asia. Ski jumps in the community were renovated and new facilities constructed beginning in 2009 in the lead-up to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. It was the second straight year the women’s World Cup tour has competed at the Russian site.

It was Hendrickson’s first visit to the Nizhny Tagil jumps and just her third World Cup since returning after a nearly 15-month break to recover from knee surgery.

The women will be back on the jump for a second competition Sunday.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Sarah Hendrickson (Park City, UT) led the USA finishing 14^th on the HS100 meter hill in Nizhny Tigil.
• Japan’s Sara Takanashi set a new hill record of 102.0 meters, but finished third after having problems on her second jump.
• Nita England (Florence, WI) was in the points at 30^th.

RESULTS
Women’s HS97 Meter Jump