SVSEF Cross Country Teams Qualify 12 for Junior Nationals at West Yellowstone

Podium finishes, deep sprint fields, and frigid conditions highlight season’s penultimate event

Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF) Prep, Comp, and Postgraduate (PG) cross country (XC) athletes competed Feb. 21–22 at the IMD Junior National qualifier at the Rendezvous Ski Trails in West Yellowstone, WY.

Hosted by Bridger Ski Foundation with support from the West Yellowstone Ski Education Foundation (WYSEF), the two-day event featured a skate sprint on Saturday and a classic distance mass start race on Sunday. Athletes competed in cold temperatures and true winter conditions, with fresh snow and exceptional course preparation creating fast racing and challenging competition across all age groups. SVSEF brought more than 40 athletes to the event, producing multiple podium finishes and qualifying 12 skiers for the upcoming IMD Junior National Cross Country Championships in Cable, Wisconsin.

“The team embraced cold weather and real winter conditions in West Yellowstone, which produced some fantastic classic tracks for our final day of competitions,” said Head Comp Team Coach Chris Mallory. “The large number of Junior National qualifiers from Sun Valley this year is a testament to this team as a whole raising the bar for themselves.”

SVSEF Cross Country Program Director Becky Flynn highlighted the team’s collective energy and support throughout the weekend, “It was a weekend filled with energy and enthusiasm,” Flynn said. “It was a winter wonderland. We had over 40 athletes racing and our parent support was spectacular. We’re so proud of this team for qualifying 12 athletes to compete in the upcoming Junior Nationals.”

The weekend featured standout performances across multiple divisions, including a victory from Nick Gardiner in the U18 classic race, a second-place finish from Stella St. George in both sprint and distance events, and a win from U12 skier Henri Allaire in Sunday’s classic race.

Photo: SVSEF Cross Country Junior National Qualifying athletes pictured in front of the Lake Creek training center: Zach Quesnel, Charlie St. George, Caleo Morrison, Tait Boschen, Natalie Carlson, Henry Flynn, Thijs Lloyd, Stella St. George, Josephine Renner, Alternate: Sydney Nelson. Missing from photo: Sidney Brown, Duncan Fryberger and Nick Gardiner.

Saturday, Feb. 21 – Skate Sprint 

FU18/20
11th – Natalie Carlson
24th – Anna Gilman
25th – Dylan Buck

MU18/20
4th – Nick Gardiner
5th – Charlie St. George
13th – Zach Quesnel

FU16
2nd – Stella St. George
4th – Josephine Renner
8th – Sydney Nelson

MU16
10th – Thijs Lloyd
14th – Bailey Kurtz
17th – Henry Flynn

FU14
4th – Nina O’Sullivan
5th – Payton Daley-Scheingraber
13th – Penelope Zook

MU14
11th – Ben Wellner
13th – Augie Allaire
19th – Jed Schmidt

Sunday, Feb. 22 – Classic Mass Start

MU20 – 10km Classic
4th – Zach Quesnel

FU20 – 10km Classic
7th – Anna Gilman

MU18 – 10km Classic
1st – Nick Gardiner
3rd – Tait Boschen
8th – Charlie St. George

FU18 – 10km Classic
7th – Natalie Carlson
16th – Dylan Buck
21st – Riley Siegel

MU16 – 7.5km Classic
7th – Thijs Lloyd
14th – Finn O’Donnell
18th – Henry Flynn

FU16 – 7.5km Classic
2nd – Stella St. George
5th – Sydney Brown
10th – Sydney Nelson

MU14 – 2km Classic
10th – Augie Allaire
18th – Cody Lloyd
19th – Ben Wellner

FU14 – 2km Classic
3rd – Payton Daley-Scheingraber
7th – Nina O’Sullivan
19th – Penelope Zook

MU12 – 2km Classic
1st – Henri Allaire
3rd – Stephen Chudleigh
11th – Spencer Flynn

FU12 – 2km Classic
5th – Catherine Jameson
18th – Tallulah Gerald

SVSEF IMD Junior National Team Qualifiers

U18/20 Men
Zach Quesnel
Charlie St. George
Nick Gardiner
Caleo Morrison
Tait Boschen
Duncan Fryberger

U18/20 Women
Natalie Carlson

U16 Men
Henry Flynn
Thijs Lloyd

U16 Women
Stella St. George
Josephine Renner
Sydney Brown
Alternate: Sydney Nelson

For Saturday’s race results click here, for Sunday’s click here.

Up Next for the Prep, Comp, and PG Teams

SVSEF athletes will compete at the Junior National Cross Country Championships in Cable, Wisconsin, March 7–14, 2026.