PARK CITY, UT (Jan. 11, 2016) – Two ski jumpers and one nordic combined skier have been nominated by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association to the 2016 U.S. Youth Olympic Team that will compete in Lillehammer, Norway, February 12-21. Casey Larson, 15, (Barrington, IL/Norge Ski Club) was nominated to the men’s ski jumping team, with Logan Sankey, 15, (Steamboat Springs, CO/Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) nominated to the women’s squad. Ben Loomis, 15, (Eau Claire, WI/Flying Eagles Ski Club) was nominated to represent Team USA in nordic combined.

The International Olympic Committee’s Youth Olympic Games offer a competitive venue for young athletes to not only compete, but also participate in a Learn & Share program designed to inspire and empower youth. The 2016 U.S. Youth Olympic Team will be formally named by the United States Olympic Committee in late January.

Larson and Sankey qualified for nomination based on results in ski jumping events in December at Steamboat Springs, CO and Park City, UT. Loomis earned his spot with a top-five finish in a FIS Nordic Combined Continental Cup at the Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow in Park City, UT in December.

Modeled after the Olympic Games, the Youth Olympic Games debuted its winter event in 2012 at Innsbruck, Austria. Held every four years, the Winter Youth Olympic Games will feature over 1,100 athletes, aged 15 to 18, from around the world.

The nordic combined event, along with individual ski jumping events for men and women, are set for February 16. A mixed team ski jumping event will be February 18.

Coupled with the competition, the Learn & Share program will offer young athletes the opportunity to become ambassadors of their sport through workshops and exercises based around five major themes: Olympism, Social Responsibility, Skills Development, Expression and Well-Being and Healthy Lifestyles. 

2016 U.S. YOUTH OLYMPIC TEAM SKI JUMPING/NORDIC COMBINED NOMINEES

Nordic Combined Men

Ben Loomis (Eau Claire, WI, 15, Flying Eagles Ski Club): Loomis is following in the footsteps of older brother Adam, who competes on the World Cup tour. He solidified his spot on the team with an outstanding weekend in the FIS Nordic Combined Continental Cup in Utah with a fourth-place finish. He was a member of the 2015 Junior Worlds Team that competed in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Ski Jumping Men

Casey Larson (Barrington, IL, 15, Norge Ski Club): Larson grew up ski jumping with the Norge Ski Club in suburban Chicago. He was third last season in the U.S. Junior National Championships and won the first of two qualifying events in Steamboat Springs, CO in December to help earn a nomination.

Women

Logan Sankey (Steamboat Springs, CO, 15, Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club): A member of the 2015 Junior Worlds Team that competed in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Sankey finished 11th and 16th in a FIS Continental Cup ski jumping event last January in Sweden.

HIGHLIGHTS

The 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games will be held in Lillehammer, Norway, February 12-21.

It is the second installment of the Winter Youth Olympic Games and will feature over 1,100 young athletes aged 15-18 competing in winter events.

Alongside competition, the teens will also learn the spirit of the Olympic Games, so that they may become strong ambassadors of their sports.

The USOC will formally name the 2016 U.S. Youth Olympic Team in late January.

The jumping team was named based on two December competitions in Steamboat Springs, CO and Park City, UT.

The Nordic combined athlete was nominated based on results from the FIS Nordic Combined Continental Cup in Utah.

FROM THE ST PAUL SKI CLUB:

Summer Camp:   June 25-28, 2015

** We have received several RSVP so far, but just wanted to send another reminder

The St Paul Ski Club would like to invite you to a Central Training Camp in conjunction with a Fly Girls Camp.  Sarah Hendrickson (member of the Visa Women's Ski Jumping Team & the 2012 World Cup Ski Jumping Champion) will be conducting the camp. St Paul is providing many great opportunities to start your summer season.  We have plastic on our 20m and 46m. 

24th: 15/20/46M Hills (15 Possible Athletes) Sarah comes to St. Paul

25th: Sarah Intro before Training Train 6-7 BBQ 7-9

26th: 9AM-12pm Jumping, 1-2 Jump-2-3 Games, Agility, Flexibility

27th: 9AM-12pm Jumping, 1-2 -2-3 Games, Balance, Flexibility

28th: 9am-12pm jumping 

Everyone is welcome to attend,  that includes boys! 

The cost of the 4 day camp is $80.00 which also includes a T-shirt.  Daily price is $30.00 per day.  (camps in the past have cost as must as $160 for only 3 days).  

The camp will include a Welcome Dinner Thursday, June 25; Lunch on Friday June 26 and Saturday June 27 along with training and lots of good ski jumping and coaching by Sarah!   We will end the weekend with a little fun competition on Sunday before everyone heads for home. 

Please RSVP by June 17. 

Provide names, ages, home club and T-shirts size. 

Send RSVP to:   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If anyone is need of host families, please let us know so we can make arrangements for you.

Calling all athletes jumping on K46 or higher hills!  It is time to sign up now for the Central Division Devo Team.  Please go to the programs tab on this web site & print off the forms for the team this year.  Completed forms and payments can be sent to the mailing address listed on that page.  We are looking forward to a great year & seeing lots of new athletes jumping on the larger hills!!

Please note a couple of new things this year:  there will be a late fee assessed for any unpaid devo fees after December 1st.  Also of note is that the Devo B team idea has been shelved for now, due to not enough interest.  Also, it is now clearly stated in the program description that we will not allow athletes to join the Devo team after December 1st, unless a jumper switches to the K46 hills or larger during the season.  Athletes who are already on those hills need to join the team by the Dec. 1st date.

FROM PAUL LOOMIS, NC COACH/COORDINATOR:

I’m pleased to announce the following athletes who have qualified for competing in the Junior National Championships, to be held March 3-7 in Steamboat Springs, CO. These athletes have met criteria set forth by the Coaches Committee (listed on www.CentralSkiJumping.com).  Congratulations to these athletes, and I want to personally thank all those that participated in the qualifier events. To all those who were close but didn’t qualify, I encourage you to train hard, set goals, and keep trying!

U16 Men-

Andrew Urlaub- Flying Eagles Ski Club, Eau Claire, WI

Aidan Ripp- Cloquet Ski Club, Cloquet, MN

Noah Pollard- Blackhawk Ski Club, Madison, WI

Lucas Nichols- Norge Ski Club, Fox River Grove, IL

U18 Men- 

Luke Tschida- Minneapolis Ski Club, MN

Ben Loomis - Flying Eagles Ski Club, Eau Claire, WI

FROM SCOTT SMITH, CENTRAL HEAD COACH:

It is my pleasure to announce the 2015 Junior National Team that will be heading to Steamboat Springs, Colorado the first week of March.

Cara Larson- Norge Ski Club, Fox River Grove, IL

Mollie Immens- Norge Ski Club, Fox River Grove, IL

Sabina Gasienica- Norge Ski Club-Fox River Grove, IL

Casey Larson, Norge Ski Club, Fox River Grove, IL

Ben Kaiser-Norge Ski Club, Fox River Grove, IL

Hunter Smith-Norge Ski Club, Fox River Grove, IL

Nate Mattoon- Flying Eagles Ski Club, Eau Claire, WI

Andrew Urlaub-Flying Eagles Ski Club, Eau Claire, WI

Ben Dowling-Flying Eagles Ski Club, Eau Claire, WI

Adam Hamler-Flying Eagles Ski Club, Eau Claire, WI

Ben Loomis-Flying Eagles Ski Club, Eau Claire, WI

Noah Pollard- Blackhawk Ski Club, Madison, WI

Joe Hoffmann- Blackhawk Ski Club, Madison, WI

Trevor Edlund- St Paul Ski Club, MN

Ryan Johnson- St Paul Ski Club, MN

Luke Tschida- Minneapolis Ski Club, MN

Lucas Nichols-Norge Ski Club, Fox River Grove, IL

Aiden Ripp- Cloquet Ski Club, MN

Coaches for the Junior Nationals will be Scott Smith, Brian Nelson, and Paul Loomis.