By Shannon Lukens for Steamboat Radio/Blizzard Broadcasting. Courtesy photos.
Cross Country skiers with Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club competed at the Super Junior National Qualifier and RMISA collegiate races at Soldier Hollow in Utah, Jan. 22-25. It’s the largest cross country junior race in the United States with more than 700 competitors. In a few top finishes of the local athletes, Antigone Loomis won the classic sprint combined U18/U20 women’s race with teammate Sophia McGinnish-Smith in third. Sawyer Landers won on the men’s side. Bode Rhodes won the Men’s U16 Individual start freestyle race. More top finishes for the local athletes are below.
Press Release from Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Jan. 27, 2026
Cross Country Ski Team has Multiple Podiums at Soldier Hollow Super JNQ
Steamboat Springs, Colo – The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club cross country ski team traveled to Soldier Hollow, Utah, Jan. 22–25, to compete in the Super Junior National Qualifier and RMISA collegiate races. The event, the largest junior cross country ski race in the country, featured more than 700 competitors and served as a Junior National Qualifier for athletes from the Rocky Mountain, Far West, Intermountain, High Plains, and Pacific Northwest divisions.
SSWSC athletes opened the weekend with strong performances in Friday’s classic sprint races, earning two victories and multiple top finishes. Antigone Loomis won the combined U18/U20 women’s race, while teammate Sophia McGinnis-Smith placed third. In the U16 men’s race, Sawyer Landers captured the win, with Conor Devin finishing 10th and Bode Rhodes close behind in 11th. Forrest Bishop won the U12 division.
Saturday’s individual-start freestyle races continued the team’s success. Bode Rhodes led the way with a win in the U16 men’s race, while Conor Devin narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth, just 0.4 seconds back. Sawyer Landers placed sixth. In the U16 women’s race, first-year U16 athletes Lylah Keller and Livia Spector delivered standout performances, placing third and sixth, respectively. Additional notable results included Annika Weidel finishing eighth in the U14 women’s field, Grey Barbier, skiing collegiately for Montana State University, placing ninth in the freestyle race and 10th in the classic race, and Forrest Bishop winning the U12 division for the second straight day.
On the international stage, SSWSC athlete Georgia Bishop departed for Norway on Sunday and is preparing to compete in upcoming races in Norway and Sweden.
Up next for the SSWSC cross country team is the next Junior National Qualifier in Frisco, Colorado.
Podium Photos:
U16 Men’s Podium Sprint Race – Sawyer Landers WIN
U18/U20 Women’s Podium Sprint Race – Antigone Loomis WIN and Sophia McGinnis-Smith 3rd
U16 Men’s Podium Freestyle Distance – Bode Rhodes WIN
U16 Women’s Podium Freestyle Distance – Lylah Keller 3rd
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ABOUT SSWSC
Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC) provides sports and youth development programming for nearly 1,200 athletes in Steamboat Springs. SSWSC believes in the fundamental value of sport for the individual. Our mission is to create champions on and off the mountain by developing life skills and personal growth through sports. Our vision is to be the nation’s model community youth sports organization, inspiring every individual to achieve their highest level of personal and athletic potential. SSWSC alumni have become Olympians, NCAA champions, collegiate scholars, CEOs, and leaders. Our programs include alpine, cross country, freestyle, freeskiing, Nordic combined, jumping, snowboarding, backcountry education, strength and conditioning, cycling, and skateboarding. Founded in 1914, SSWSC is one of North America’s oldest and most successful winter sports clubs, serving tens of thousands of athletes for over a century, including 100 Olympians with 19 Olympic medals. U.S. Ski & Snowboard named SSWSC Club of the Year five times, more than any other club in the country. For more information, visit www.sswsc.org.