Midway through January, the Ski jumping and Nordic combined teams traveled to Ishpeming, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, to compete in the first set of Junior World Qualifiers. The team battled through tough conditions and came away with some good results.
The 2026 FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships are being held in Lillehammer, Norway, in March. Previously, they were scheduled to be in Trondheim, Norway, but the venue has been changed. The United States has four spots on the team plus an alternate. Qualification is discretionary, but outside of international events, the main way to get on the team is through the 4 Junior World Qualification events. The first two just took place in Ishpeming, and the other two are in Brattleboro, Vermont, in February. Currently, one athlete has auto-qualified for the team based on World Cup results, leaving the other four spots (including the alternate) up for grabs.
Image of the Change of Venue Announcement for Junior Worlds. Photo by FIS.
This year, Ishpeming experienced a historic snowfall. As of January 20th, 2026, they are already 50-60 inches above their yearly winter average. This trend continued while the team was there, and it “snowed basically the entire time we were there,” Jack Kroll ’26 said. The snow brings “unique challenges to competing.”” The tracks can slow down, and the comp can become unfair. Also, the landing can become sticky, making it hard to land,” Henry Loher ’26 said.
Athletes also had to contend with high winds, especially on the second day of competition. Ishpeming is located 15-20 miles inland from Lake Superior, which creates strong winds and lake-effect snow.
The first competition was held on Friday, January 16th – a night competition under the lights, starting at 7 pm. Hundreds of spectators came to watch 37 athletes compete in a US Cup Competition that would also serve as a World Junior Qualifier. The US Cup is a yearlong domestic competition series for U20 athletes. Henry Loher ’26 would keep his streak of 7 consecutive US Cup wins over the last two seasons. Jack Kroll ’26 finished just off the podium, in 4th, followed by Duncan Van Dorn ’28 in 5th, Eli Larkin ’27 in 8th, and Cadel Cox ’27 in 12th. Islay Sheil ’28 finished 4th in the U20 Girls.
On the second day, conditions deteriorated during the trial round, and by the time the first round started, the wind and snow made jumping unsafe at times. This led to long wind holds and breaks to blow the snow out of the track. Additionally, there was a long hold after Max Fey ’28 crashed due to an equipment failure. Luckily, Max was able to walk away from the crash unharmed and take a second-round jump. Loher and Kroll finished 1st and 2nd, respectively, followed by Larkin in 8th. Due to the conditions, the Nordic combined athletes chose not to risk taking a second jump, as only the first jump dictates your starting time for the cross-country race. Shiel finished 6th in the U20 Girls.
Henry Loher ’26 1st and Jack Kroll ’26 on the podium. Photo provided.
On the Nordic combined side of things, Duncan Van Dorn ’28 led the way with two 4th places finishes, one in the 10k and one in the 5k. Unfortunately, Max Fey ’28 was disqualified on the first day for incorrect measurements. It was later determined that the people taking his measurements made the mistake, not him. On the second day, Fey started last due to his crash and made up solid time. On day one, Cadel Cox ’27 finished 9th and finished in a photo finish on the second day.
Looking ahead, the team has an off weekend to prepare for the Eastern Championships in Salisbury, Connecticut, from the 6th to the 8th of February. The following weekend, February 14th and 15th, the team has the final two Junior World Qualifiers in Brattleboro, Vermont. Currently, Henry Loher ’26 leads the qualification with 200 points. Then, Jack Kroll ’26 is tied with another athlete for 2nd place. “I have high hopes going into the second set. I was hoping for a 4th or 5th place in Ishpeming and then podiums in Brattleboro. Getting the podium in Ishpeming puts me in a great spot and takes some of the pressure off ahead of Brat,” Kroll said.