COLERAINE, Minnesota – At the conclusion of the sixth and final Junior National Qualifier race in Coleraine on Feb. 18, the Midwest Team for Junior National USSA Cross Country Championships was announced.

Abigail Jarzin (homeschooled) and Jackson Adler (Green Bay East) are returning to the Junior National team for their second year in the U18 division.

Ryan Thieme (Bay Port) and Daniel Huhtala (Ashwaubenon) are new to the adventure and will ski in the U16 age division.

The racers amassed points by skiing very well in four of six competitions including classic and skate sprints, mass starts, and distance tests.

Three of the four racers went into the final weekend in good position for naming.

Huhtala was on the cusp, an uncertainty he met with a dramatic, upending overall win in the classic sprint qualifier on Saturday, Feb. 17.

The 50 plus member Midwest squad includes young collegiate U20s, and high school skiers in the U18 and U16 divisions who will compete against the best in the nation.

Four of the six Wisconsinites named came from the Ashwaubenon Nordic Ski Team indicating team community and culture are an added boost.

The Cross Country Championships are held March 3 to 10 in Soldier Hollow, Utah, and offer aspiring athletes a pre-Olympic showcase for their sprinting and distance racing talents.