The Soldier Hollow Super Junior National Qualifier in Midway, Utah, is a long-standing annual event for over 600 youth cross country ski racers. It is the largest youth cross country event in the nation. Clubs and teams from around nice western states competed in the two-day event. The competitive level was high. The former Olympic site has the infrastructure to handle an event of this size. Classic sprints and freestyle skate races took place on Friday, January 26, and Saturday, January 27.

Warm weather welcomed racers on both days. The first race on Friday was a classic sprint. Sprints start with a qualifier race, and then the top 30 finishers advance into six-person heats. Charley Lodwick had the second fastest qualifier time in the U18/20 women’s division and skied well through the heats, finishing 3rd overall for the day. Tig Loomis also had the second fastest time but in the U16 women’s division. She skied strategically through the heats and finished 3rd overall for the day. Grace Olexa, Georgia Bishop, Tristan Thrasher, and Shea Rossi all qualified solidly, but as the snow softened, they crashed on the most significant descent and could not get back into contention. In the U12 women’s race, Beatrice Bishop took top honors. Her brother Forrest matched her result in the U10 men’s race.

Saturday was a new day and a different race format, individual start freestyle skate with two very impressive races by SSWSC athletes. First, Tristan Thrasher made amends for his mishap the day before by handily winning the U16 men’s 5k. Then Henry Magill, fresh off top international results in Sweden, won the U18/20 men’s 7.5k. Other top results in the U18/U20 race women’s race were 8th place Tig Loomis and 9th place Anna Rhodes. In the U18/U20 men’s race, Campbell McLaren was 11th. In the U16 men’s race, Charlie Wiedel was 10th, and in the U16 women’s race, George Bishop was 12th, and Eva Minotto was 13th. In the U14 men’s race, SSWSC athletes were fast, with four in the top ten - 3rd Sawyer Landers, 5th Conor Devin, 6th Bode Rhodes, and 9th Jackson McLaren.

Friday, January 26 Overall SSWSC Results
Annika Wiedel- 7th place – U12 female
Nora Demoss- 12th place- U12 female
Maren Sachs- 18th place- U14 female
Sophia Tirone- 21st- place- U14 female
Livia Spector- 33rd place- U14 female
Klara Novotny- 43rd place- U14 female
Sawyer Landers- 7th place- U14 male
Jackson McLaren- 11th place- U14 male
Bode Rhodes- 17th place U14 male
Conor Devin- 22nd place U14 male
Jett Brosterhous- 50th place U14 male
Georgia Bishop- 21st place U16 female
Shea Rossi- 27th place U16 female
Davis Brosterhous- 33rd place U16 female
Eva Minotto- 48th place U16 female
Leah Miller- 78th place U16 female
Tristan Thrasher- 13th place U16 male
Charlie Wiedel- 17th place U16 male
Henry Patten- 81st place U16 male
Grace Olexa- 27th place U18/20 female
Kiri May- 31st place U18/20 female
Alena Rossi- 40th place U18/20 female
Anna Rhodes- 44th place U18/20 female
Norah Graham- 49th place U18/20 female
Campbell McLaren- 29th place U18/20 male
Jackson Menand- 38th place U18/20 male
Luke Bedell- 88th place U18/20 male

Saturday, January 27 Overall SSWSC Results
2nd- U10 male- Forrest Bishop
3rd- U12 female- Beatrice Bishop
3rd- U20 female- Charley Lodwick
4th- U10 male Axel Loomis
8th- U12 female Annika Wiedel
8th- U16 female- Tig Loomis
9th- U18/20 female- Anna Rhodes
10th- U16 male- Charlie Wiedel
11th- U18/20 male- Campbell McLaren
12th- U16 female- Georgia Bishop
13th- U16 female- Eva Minotto
16th- U18/20 female- Kiri May
17th- U18/20 male- Jackson Menand
19th- U16 female- Davis Brosterhous
23rd U14 female- Nora Demoss
26th- U14 female- Maren Sachs
28th- U18/20 female- Grace Olexa
32nd- U16 female- Shea Rossi
34th- U14 female- Livia Spector
42nd- U14 female- Klara Novotny
47th- U18/20 female- Norah Graham
51st- U18/20 male- Luke Bedell
53rd- U14 male- Jett Brosterhous
53rd-U18/20 female- Alena Rossi
54th- U16 male- Henry Patte