News & Stories
Loppet Nordic Racing Wins National Club Championship at Junior Nationals
March 15, 2016 (Minneapolis, MN) – Over the weekend in Cable, WI, Loppet Nordic Racing (LNR) was crowned the Overall U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) National Club Champions as well as the Women’s National Club Champion at the conclusion of the 2016 Junior National Nordic Ski Championships.
25 LNR athletes qualified for the 52-member Mid West team. All 25 LNR athletes finished in the top 30 at Junior Nationals at least once, scoring points for the club competition. The LNR combined women’s and men’s score was 1,535, while second-place Stratton Mountain School earned 1,153 across both its men’s and women’s teams. The LNR women outscored the 2nd place Stratton club 1,303 to 632.
“We had great performances by a large number of athletes in all three age categories this week. Our U20 women really dominated the week, racking up a huge number of points,” said LNR Head Coach, Piotr Bednarski. “Telemark, Wisconsin is a 3 hour drive, but we spend lots of time there for training camps and races so we almost feel like it’s our home course.” Bednarski continued by saying, “The race officials and volunteers really saved the day when temperatures rose into the 60’s and melted down much of the snow after the first day of racing. Even parents pitched in to help move snow onto the course!”
The athletes all competed in three individual events over the course of the week: a 10/5k individual classic race, a distance 15/10/5k individual freestyle, a freestyle sprint and a team relay hill climb.
Some of the top performances for LNR athletes at Junior Nationals included:
- Classic 10/5k
- Abby Drach, U20F 1st place
- Renae Anderson, U18F 4th place
- Kelly Koch, U16F 5th place
- Xavier Mansfield, U18M 3rd place
- Skate 15/10/5k
- Abby Drach, U20F 2nd place
- Michaela Keller Miller, U20F 4th place
- Sarah Bezdicek, U20F 6th place
- Margie Freed, U20F 9th place
- Kelly Koch, U16F 4th place
- Xavier Mansfield, U18M 8th place
- Freestyle Sprint 1.2k
- Sarah Bezdicek, U20F 1st place
- Abby Drach, U20F 3rd place
- Amanda Kautzer, U18F 2nd place
- Kelly Koch, U16F 7th place
- Team Time Trial – Hill Climb
- Overall “Queen of the Mountain” was Michaela Keller Miller, U20F
- Abby Drach, U20F 2nd place
- Kelly Koch, U16F 1st place
- Xavier Mansfield, U18M 5th place
LNR has now won the Overall Club National Championship Title three times, in 2014, 2015 and 2016, the Women’s Title in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and the Men’s Title in 2013 and 2014.
The 2016 Junior Nationals Roster for LNR:
- U20 Males
- Jacob Ajax, Green Bay UW
- U20 Females
- Abigail Drach
- Margie Freed
- Michaela Keller-Miller
- Ingrid Thyr
- Sarah Bezdicek, NMU
- Allison Ternes
- Kristine Keller-Miller
- U18 Males
- Xavier Mansfield
- Patrick Acton
- William Kerker
- Samuel Myers
- Thomas Woolhouse
- Torsten Brinkema
- U18 Females
- Amanda Kautzer
- Hannah Rudd
- Dottie Anderson
- Claire Benton
- Renae Anderson
- U16 Males
- James Schneider
- U16 Females
- Kelly Koch
- Siri Bohacek
- Lucy Anderson
- Rana Kraftson
- Triana Willmert
- LNR Coaches on the Mid West Staff:
- Chris Harvey – Head Coach
- Piotr Bednarski – U18 Women’s Coach
- Beth Ann Chamberlain – U16 Women’s Coach
- Paul Choudoir – Glide Wax Coach
About Loppet Nordic Racing (LNR): LNR is the competitive racing arm of the Loppet Foundation, the Minneapolis-based 501(c)3 nonprofit behind the annual City of Lakes Loppet Ski Festival. The Loppet Foundation created the high-level training program for juniors and adults when the Twin Cities’ largest and most successful ski racing clubs, Minnesota Valley Ski Club and Go! Training, and their respective coaches Reid Lutter and Piotr Bednarski joined the organization to launch LNR in the Spring of 2012. For more information, visit loppet.org/loppet-nordic-racing.
About the Loppet Foundation: Established in 2002 with an 800-person ski race, the Loppet Foundation now welcomes 40,000 participants annually to its events and programs. The Loppet Foundation engages people of all ages and backgrounds in year-round outdoor activities and adventures. The organization focuses its efforts around Events, Adventures, Racing, and Stewardship. Over the years the Foundation has taught more than 5,000 kids, including 4,000 from North Minneapolis, to ski, bike, and run trails, inspiring a love of the outdoors. For more information, visit loppet.org.