FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
World Junior Championship Tryouts, Senior Nationals, J1 trip tryouts
A large group of Midwest skiers traveled to McCall Idaho the first week of January to compete at the Senior National Championships. These races also served as tryouts for the Park City World Cup, WJCT and the J1 trip for athletes born 83 and later. Several athletes had excellent races as a record 6 junior athletes qualified to compete in Europe this winter. This years World Junior team which will compete at the end of January and first week of February in Karpazc Poland includes two Midwest athletes. NMU freshmen Rachel Daw from Duluth MN. and Jordan Seethaler from Delafield Wisconsin qualified to the 5 women team.
In the J1 trip which will also be held the last week of January and the first week of February in Finland. Midwest division had 4 qualifiers for this trip, Adriaan Ostrander, and Dan Skold both Junior National Champions the past two years. Lindsey Weier, national champion in classic last year and Lindsay Williams the Midwest's most improved female athlete in 00. All 6 athletes are participants in the Community Olympic Development Program.
Just missing the J1 trip were Jenny Abraham, Dan Whipple and Ben Cline. These 3 athletes were very close to making the team and show great promise in the future.
J1 trip athletes were selected based on their sprint and classic results. World Junior Team members were selected on their best two of the three races.
Name sprint classic skate club, school
Dan Skold 14th 23rd 15th CODP, BWNP, Hopkins
Adriaan Ostrander 30th 11th 18th CODP, Hayward
Lindsey Weier 5th 7th 9th CODP, BWNP, Mahtomedi
Lindsay Williams 6th 10th 14th CODP, BWNP, Hastings
These athletes were among the top 10 in the overall results and just missed qualifying to go to the J1 Finland trip.
Danny Whipple 20th 43rd 33rd Gitchi Gummi, Blaine
Ben Cline 22nd 41st 36th CODP, Madison SC West
Jenny Abraham 25th 21st 27th Saukko, CODP, SPA
Older Juniors born in 81 and 82 competing from the Central division and placing in the top 30 include:
Andre Watt 11th 11th Antonina's Ski School
Maria Stewart 10th 30th 29th CODP, NMU
Emily Klemp 19th 20th 17th Copper Island
Andrea Roberts 23rd 28th 15th CODP, BWNP, Armstrong
Club designation
CODP is the Community Olympic Development Program, coaches include Todd Johnson, Deno Johnson and Kevin Brochman. Saukko is coached by Todd Johnson. BWNP is Brochman-Wilson Nordic Program and is coached by Marta Wilson, Deno Johnson and Kevin Brochman. Gitchi Gummi is coached by Nikolai Anikin. NMU is Northern Michigan and is coached by Sten Fjeldheim. Antonina's Ski School is coached by Antonina Aniken from Duluth MN.
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