9 Alaska-connected skiers named to 2022-23 U.S. cross-country team

By Anchorage Daily News

Updated: May 11, 2022 Published: May 11, 2022

Rosie Brennan competes during the women's 30K mass start free cross-country skiing competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics on Feb. 20 in Zhangjiakou, China. (Aaron Favila / Associated Press archive 2022)

Nine skiers with Alaska connections have been named to the 2022-23 U.S. Cross Country Team, U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced Tuesday.

UAA Athlete of the Year JC Schoonmaker joins APU skiers Rosie Brennan and Scott Patterson on the A Team.

The B Team includes Anchorage’s Gus Schumacher and APU skiers Hailey Swirbul, Luke Jager and Hunter Wonders.

Brennan, Patterson, Schumacher, Jager, Swirbul and Schoonmaker were all part of the U.S. Olympic Team for the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

United States' Scott Patterson competes during the men's 15K + 15K skiathlon cross-country skiing competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics on Feb. 6 in Zhangjiakou, China. (Alessandra Tarantino / Associated Press archive 2022)

APU’s Michael Earnhart and Zanden McMullen were nominated to the Development Team.

Wonders moved up from the Development Team to the B Team.

APU skier Hannah Halvorsen, also a 2022 U.S. Olympian, retired from the team.

Hannah Halvorsen, of the United States, competes during the women's sprint free cross-country skiing competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics on Feb. 8, in Zhangjiakou, China. (Alessandra Tarantino / Associated Press archive 2022)

The team is selected based on criteria established by U.S. Ski and Snowboard.

“This team is the largest in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s XC history, and it could become our most successful one, too,” head coach Matt Whitcomb said in a release. “There is clear talent, as well as a history of impressive results, but most importantly, these are individuals from many different clubs in the U.S. that are interested in connecting and believing in one another, and pushing hard. Talent and past results don’t get me as excited as a bunch of athletes that are ready to lock in together.”