Cross Country Athletes Deliver Strong Performances at Junior National Championships

Photos courtesy American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation

Sixteen athletes from the cross country program competed at the 2026 Cross Country Junior National Championships, held March 9-14, turning in an impressive set of results against the nation’s top junior skiers. Georgia Bishop is the junior national champion in the freestyle individual start, Sawyer Landers, Conor Devin and Bode Rodes are 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the mass start classic and six SSWSC athletes earned All-American honors by placing in the top 10 of their respective events.

Georgia Bishop delivered one of the standout performances of the week for SSWSC. The U16 skier captured a national title in the freestyle individual start by a commanding 31-second margin, took second in the mass start classic and placed eighth in the classic sprint. Bishop also posted the fastest opening leg in the U16 relay.

SSWSC athletes consistently finished near the top. Four athletes earned top-four individual finishes, highlighted by a sweep of second through fourth place in the U16 boys mass start classic: Sawyer Landers was second, Conor Devin third and Bode Rhodes fourth. Antigone Loomis finished fourth in the classic sprint, missing third by less than 6 inches.

Additional highlights included Sophia McGinnis-Smith earning All-American honors with a 10th-place finish in the classic sprint. Livia Spector secured a top-10 finish in the U16 girls mass start classic.

SSWSC also had strong performances in the relay events. The U16 team of Bishop, Devin and Landers placed fourth overall, with Bishop winning the opening leg. In the U18 relay, Loomis turned in a second-place performance on the first leg.

The Junior National Championships are the highest level of domestic competition for junior cross country skiers, bringing together top qualifiers from across the country.

Congratulations to Anna Rhodes and Eva Minotto, who are finishing their senior year season strong. Rhodes had top 20 finishes in both the Freestyle Individual Start (17th) and the Mass Start Classic (17th).

Top 20 Results (Top 10 earn All-American honors)
March 9 – Freestyle Individual Start
U16 Girls (67 competitors)
• 1st – Georgia Bishop
U16 Boys (78 competitors)
• 5th – Conor Devin
• 7th – Sawyer Landers
• 11th – Bode Rhodes
U20 Women (37 competitors)
• 17th – Anna Rhodes

March 11 – Classic Sprint
U16 Girls (67 competitors)
• 8th – Georgia Bishop
U16 Boys (76 competitors)
• 6th – Bode Rhodes
U18 Girls (85 competitors)
• 4th – Antigone Loomis
• 10th – Sophia McGinnis-Smith

March 13 – Mass Start Classic
U16 Girls (65 competitors)
• 2nd – Georgia Bishop
• 10th – Livia Spector
• 15th – Lylah Keller
U16 Boys (76 competitors)
• 2nd – Sawyer Landers
• 3rd – Conor Devin
• 4th – Bode Rhodes
U18 Boys (82 competitors)
• 19th – Henry Patten
U20 Women (38 competitors)
• 17th – Anna Rhodes

March 14 – Relays
• U16 Team (Georgia Bishop, Conor Devin, Sawyer Landers) – 4th place
• U18 Relay – Antigone Loomis skied 2nd on the opening leg

Photos Top to Bottom: Photos courtesy American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation

U16 Freestyle Skate Podium – Georgia Bishop WIN
U16 athlete Georgia Bishop skiing
U16 Men’s Mass Start Skate Podium – Conor Devin 2nd, Bode Rhodes 3rd, Sawyer Landers 4th
U18 Women’s Sprint Podium – Tig Loomis 4th
U18 athlete Tig Loomis – sprint heats
U16 Women’s Mass Start Clasic Podium – Georgia Bishop 2nd, Livia Spector 10th
U16 Lylah Keller skiing

Connor Devin