SSWSC cross country athletes just returned from a week of races at the 2025 U.S. Cross Country Junior National Championships in Soldier Hollow, Utah—the 2002 Olympic Venue in Midway, Utah from March 6 – 15, 2025. Youth cross country skiing competitors from around the country between the ages of 14 and 20 set their sights on Junior Nationals as one of their target goals for the season. Training and associated preparation are streamlined for optimal performance for this event, which takes place during the first full week of March. Many elements need to come together for an athlete to achieve success. Athletes race for the Rocky Mountain Nordic Division Team. Over 425 competitors race in the four-race event.

Sixteen SSWSC cross country ski athletes qualified for Junior Nationals this year based on the four best performances from the Rocky Mountain Nordic season’s eight races— Campbell McLaren (U18M), Tristan Thrasher (U18M), Tig Loomis (U18F), Anna Rhodes (U18F), Eva Minotto (U18F), Grace Olexa (U20F), Davis Brosterhous (U18F), Georgia Bishop (U16F),  Maia McGinnis-Smith (U16F), Sophia McGinnis-Smith (U16F), Maren Sachs (U16F), Bode Rhodes (U16M), Sawyer Landers (U16M), Henry Patten (U16M), Conor Devin (U16M),  Jackson McLaren (U16M).

Five SSWSC athletes placed in the top ten in individual races—Tristan Thrasher, Campbell McLaren, Georgia Bishop, Maia McGinnins-Smith, and Grace Olexa. Top-ten earns All-American honors. Especially impressive were U18 Tristan Thrasher, who placed 2nd in the 10K freestyle skate race, and U18 Georgia Bishop, who placed 5th in the freestyle skate race. Both are in their first year of their respective age groups. McLaren was 8th overall for the U18/U20 in the classic race (6th in U18) and 7th in the U18 sprint. Maia McGinnins-Smith also placed 10th U16 in the sprint, and Grace Olexa was 8th American U20 and 9th U20 overall on the sprint day. FULL RESULTS HERE

Four races were slotted into six days. The week started out with an individual start classic race, 5K for the U16 and 10L for the U18/U20.

Notable SSWSC Individual Classic Race Results: FULL RESULTS
Campbell McLaren - 6th place U18 male
Tristan Thrasher - 14th place U18 male
Antigone Loomis - 18th place U18 female
Anna Rhodes - 19th place U18 female
Sawyer Landers - 17th place U16 male
Georgia Bishop - 17th place U16 female

After a day of rest, the competitions resumed on Wednesday with a scheduled freestyle sprint. Initially, the snow conditions were firm and extremely fast. As the day wore on, conditions became very soft and tricky. The 1.4K distance was the same for every age category.

Notable SSWSC Sprint Results: FULL RESULTS
Maia McGinnis-Smith - 10th place U16 female
Sophia McGinnis-Smith - 15th U16 female
Campbell McLaren - 7th place U18 male
Grace Olexa - 9th place U20 female

Using another day to rest and regroup, the competition started again with a mass start freestyle. The SSWSC’s best result came from Tristan Thrasher, who broke away with two other racers mid-way through the U18 male 10k. They had a sizeable lead over the rest of the field and Tristan ultimately finished second on the day.

Notable SSWSC Freestyle Mass Start Results: FULL RESULTS
Tristan Thrasher - Silver Medal U18 male
Antigone Loomis - 16th place U18 female
Georgia Bishop - 5th place U16 female
Maia McGinnis-Smith - 20th place U16 female
Grace Olexa - 20th place U20 female

SSWSC joined nine other Colorado-based clubs to form the Rocky Mountain Division Team. 57 athletes from Colorado composed the RMD Team. On a spring-like day that saw snow and sun come and go, the final event, a mixed-gender Classic 3.5k Relay, took place. Thrasher and McLaren both did the leadoff leg for different teams, and tagged off in contact with the lead in 2nd and 3rd place. Bishop had a very strong leg, skiing her team from 4th to 1st.

Notable SSWSC Classic Relay Results: FULL RESULTS
Antigone Loomis 2nd leg of a 6th place U18 Team
Campbell McLaren 1st leg and Anna Rhodes 4th leg of a 7th place U18 Team
Georgia Bishop 2nd leg and Maia McGinnis-Smith 4th leg of a 4th place U16 Team
Sawyer Landers 1st leg of a 5th place U16 of a 5th place U16 Team
Conor Devin 1st leg, Sophia McGinnis-Smith 2nd leg and Bode Rhodes 3rd leg of a 10th place U16 Team

Photos Top to Bottom:
Tristan Thrasher Podium, Tasha Thrasher
SSWSC Cross Country Junior Nationals Team
Campbell McLaren Racing, Ross McLaren
Maia McGinnis-Smith, Anya McGinnis-Smith
Thrasher Racing, Drew Ledger
Tig Loomis, Ross McLaren
Georgia Bishop, Ross McLaren