Cross Country Athletes Compete Against Top U.S. Athletes at the Schutzenski Festival in Utah

Posted on 10/24/2024 by sswscadmin in

Antigone, Maia, Jessie Diggins! and Sophia (photo: Artemis Hamrick)

Three SSWSC cross-country athletes traveled to beautiful Midway, Utah, for roller ski races at the Schutzenski Festival at the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center for two days of racing starting October 18, 2024, Antigone Loomis, Sophia McGinnis Smith, and Maia McGinnis Smith. Top athletes from around the country showed up for the 10k classic race on Friday and the skate sprint race on Saturday.

Friday’s race started after a two-hour delay due to inclement weather. U.S. Cross Country Ski Team member Rosie Brennan took 1st place, followed by her teammate Jessie Diggins in 2nd, and Tilde Baangman from the University of Colorado took 3rd. SSWSC athlete Sophia McGinnis-Smith took 31st place with a time of 31:38 with her sister, Maia, following closely behind in 32nd place. Antigone Loomis finished 35th with a time of 32:23. The podium for the men included U.S. Cross Country Ski Team members Luke Jager in 1st and Gus Schumacher in 2nd. Canadian Remi Drolet took 3rd.

Day two of the races saw improved weather, with the sun showing itself in the afternoon, making it a perfect day for the sprint rounds. SSWSC athlete Antigone Loomis qualified 20th, sending them to the Senior Women quarterfinal rounds. Antigone finished 5th in their heat, ending their advancement to the semi-finals. The female sprint race podium saw similar faces to the previous day, with Jessie Diggins in 1st, Rosie Brennan in 2nd, and Tilde Baangman in 3rd. The McGinnis-Smith sisters both qualified for the Royal Court Junior Sprints. They each fought through three more sprint races (quarterfinals, semis, and finals), resulting in an overall finish of 7th for Maia and 8th for Sophia, with a mere second separating them.