U.S. Ski & Snowboard officially announces the 21 athletes who have been nominated to the 2026-27 Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announces its teams in two phases: nomination and acceptance. The athletes are formally nominated to the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team in May. Pending their acceptance of the nomination and adherence to the team expectations outlined in team criteria, athletes will be officially announced to the team in October 2026.

The 2026–27 roster is led by two-time Olympic silver medalist Ben Ogden, Olympic silver medalist Gus Schumacher, World Cup podium finisher JC Schoonmaker and two-time World Championships medalist Julia Kern. At the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games, Ogden snapped a 50-year medal drought with silver in the classic sprint, becoming the first American man to medal since Bill Koch in 1976. Days later, Schumacher joined Ogden to capture another silver medal in the team sprint – marking the team’s third medal of the Games, alongside Jessie Diggins’ bronze. Diggins retired at the end of the 2025-26 season.

The Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team features several new names, including three athletes breaking through to the national team: Jack Leveque, Neve Gerard and Corbin Carpenter. 

2026-27 Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team

A TEAM

Men

Ben Ogden (Burlington, VT; Stratton Mountain School; University of Vermont; 

James "JC" Schoonmaker (Lake Tahoe, CA; Alaska Pacific University; University of Alaska Anchorage

Gus Schumacher (Anchorage, AK; Alaska Pacific University; University of Alaska Anchorage

B TEAM
Women

Julia Kern (Waltham, MA; Stratton Mountain School; Dartmouth College

Kendall Kramer (Fairbanks, AK; Alaska Pacific University; University of Alaska Fairbanks

Sophia Laukli (Yarmouth, ME; Aker-Dæhlie; University of Utah

Novie McCabe (Winthrop, WA; Alaska Pacific University; University of Utah

Samantha “Sammy” Smith (Boise, ID; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; Stanford University

Ava Thurston (Waterbury, VT; Dartmouth College

Men

John Steel Hagenbuch (Ketchum, ID; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Dartmouth College

Zak Ketterson (Bloomington, MN; Team Birkie; Northern Michigan University

Zanden McMullen (Anchorage, AK; Alaska Pacific University

Jack Young (Jay, VT; Craftsbury Green Racing Project; Colby College

DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Haley Brewster (Avon, CO; Stratton Mountain School; University of Vermont

Neve Gerard (Bend, OR; University of Utah

Sydney Palmer-Leger (Park City, UT; Mansfield Nordic Pro Team; University of Utah

Men

Corbin Carpenter (Aspen, CO; University of Alaska Anchorage

Tabor Greenberg (Moretown, VT; University of Vermont

Zach Jayne (Bend, OR; Stratton Mountain School; University of Utah

Murphy Kimball (Anchorage, AK; Alaska Winter Stars; University of Alaska Anchorage

Jack Leveque (Anchorage, AK; Alaska Winter Stars