Note: this article has been updated
They did it again: #1 club in the country at Junior Nationals! Huge congrats to the BSF Nordic team for representing at the 2026 Cross Country Junior Nationals in Cable, Wisconsin, where they won the club championship for the second year in a row, edging out 2nd place Loppet Nordic Racing of Minneapolis.
BSF had 18 athletes qualify for the event as part of the Intermountain Division team. "The team skied really well," said BSF Nordic Director Andrew Morehouse. "We had 17 All-American finishes from 8 skiers. Most importantly, everyone seemed pretty happy."
WIsconsin delivered a crazy week of weather, with lots of snow and challenging conditions. Claire Rucker became the U16 National Champion in the women's classic distance race, while also picking up a 3rd place in the Freestyle distance race. Also landing on the podium with top-3 finishes were Necia Nicholas, Tula Higman (twice), and Kristian Hudacek. But it was the depth of the BSF team that made them national champions: with so many top-10 and top-30 placings over the course of a week of racing, they once again found themselves leading the points as the top overall club in the country.
Nordic coach Gray Wasson said, "These kids work so hard all year long, and watching it all pay off on the Junior National stage made for the perfect end to the racing season."
Morehouse also noted that collectively, the coaching staff was "impressed that we could keep kids excited and motivated to train all season giving our winter." With little to no snow this winter, they've been training without the usual plethora of in-town trails that BSF grooms. Instead, they relied on BSF's 0.5 km snowmaking loop at Sunset Hills, trails in Hyalite and at Crosscut.
Morehouse added, "Coaches are incredibly proud of how this group of athletes managed challenging conditions and high expectations and showed up to Wisconsin ready to race and support their Intermountain Division teammates. And with activities like trash bag sledding and the name game, we know that these athletes are leaving Cable with new friendships and memories that will last a lifetime!"
U16 Men 5K
12. Ross Bowman
36. Finn Wirth
49. Ben Larson
U16 Women 5K
3. Claire Rucker
28. Hazel Gault
31. Phoebe Maixner
U18 Men 7.5K
6. Samuel Madsen
U18 Women 7.5K
10. Tula Higman
16. Isabella Waters
17. Ayden Brutger
U20 Men 7.5K
4. Callahan Waters
10. Kristian Hudacek
13. James Sowers
21. Zach Shockey
35. Fritz Sanders
41. Isaac Novosad
U20 Women 7.5K
3. Necia Nicholas
16. Charlotte Wilson
U18 Women
2. Tula Higman
6. Isabella Waters
29. Ayden Brutger
U20 Women
6. Necia Nicholas
20. Charlotte Wilson
U16 Women
11. Claire Rucker
16. Hazel Gault
28. Phoebe Maixner
U18 Men
60. Samuel Madsen
U20 Men
11. Callahan Waters
12. James Sowers
18. Zach Shockey
22. Isaac Novosad
27. Kristian Hudacek
34. Fritz Sanders
U16 Men
8. Ross Bowman
15. Ben Larson
22. Finn Wirth
U18 Women 11.2K
2. Tula Higman
6. Isabella Waters
21. Ayden Brutger
U18 Men 11.2K
31. Samuel Madsen
U20 Women 14.5K
9. Necia Nicholas
13. Charlotte Wilson
Men U20 14.5K
3. Kristian Hudacek
15. Callahan Waters
16. Zach Shockey
19. James Sowers
29. Isaac Novosad
33. Fritz Sanders
U16 Women 7.9K
1. Claire Rucker
14. Phoebe Maixner
23. Hazel Gault
U16 Men 7.9K
7. Ross Bowman
11. Finn Wirth
30. Ben Larson
1. Bridger Ski Foundation
2. Loppet Nordic Racing
3. Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
4. Minneapolis Ski Club Nordic
5. APU Nordic Ski Center
6. Ski & Snowboard Club Vail
7. Alaska Winter Stars
8. Tahoe Endurance Club
9. Park City Ski & Snowboard Club
10. Mat-Su Nordic
