U.S. Ski & Snowboard names 16 athletes — including 4 with ties to Vail area — to world juniors team

U.S. Ski & Snowboard named 16 athletes — including four with ties to Ski and Snowboard Club Vail or Eagle County — to represent the country at the 2026 FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships taking place in Narvik, Norway, March 7-15.

“We are incredibly proud of each of these athlete and the hard work, discipline, and perseverance they have shown to reach this level,” said Brad Wall, SSCV alpine program director.  

Mari Renick, Maya Maxson, Viktoria Zaytseva and Alex Krupka join the squad, which is made up of U.S. Ski Team athletes from the B and C teams, the Regional Development Team and clubs across the country. Stanley Buzek and Jevin Palmquist of Team Summit and Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club athletes Jeremy Nolting and Logan Grosdidier also made the squad. Buzek is a two-time world junior championship medalist and is expected to contend individually in the slalom. Three-time junior world medalist Elisabeth Bocock — who has posted multiple top-15 finishes on the World Cup in giant slalom this year — is also on the team.

“This year’s Junior World Championship team showcases an outstanding group of athletes who have already demonstrated their potential with strong performances at the NorAm level and beyond,” Chip Knight, Alpine development director of the U.S. Ski Team, stated in a press release. “Blending valuable experience with emerging talent, this group is well-positioned to achieve meaningful individual results while contributing to a strong team effort for the U.S.”

Several current U.S. Olympians made their mark at past junior world events, including Lauren Macuga and Paula Moltzan. Edwards skier River Radamus won two golds in 2019 and a silver medal in both 2018 and 2017. Last year, SSCV alumnus Hunter Salani nabbed a bronze medal with Buzek in the team combined while Liv Moritz picked up a bronze medal in the mixed team parallel. Her twin sister, Kjersti, flew from bin 29 to fourth in the first run of the slalom before ultimately finishing eighth.

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Renick opened her season with a pair of top-7 finishes on the NorAm Cup at Copper Mountain in December. She won her first race on the circuit — a downhill at Whiteface Mountain on Feb. 4 — and followed that up with a podium in the super-G two days later. Currently, the 16-year-old is second in the downhill standings, fifth in the super-G and 12th overall.

Maxon has competed at many of the same stops as Renick, traveling to Germany and Austria for FIS-level events as well as the North American stops. Her best NorAm finish was a 13th in the super-G on Feb. 6.

“It is a particularly remarkable achievement for Mari and Maya as first-year FIS athletes to earn World Junior selection,” Wall said.

Zaytseva, who won three titles at the U16 nationals in 2023 and captured a top-10 at the senior nationals the following year, has contested a mix of NorAm and European Cup events this season. The 18-year-old grabbed a slalom podium at Owl’s Head in Canada on Feb. 9 and is currently ninth in the tech discipline standings. The former SSCV athlete will be competing at World Juniors for the first time after qualifying last year but sustaining a season-ending injury that prevented her from participating, Wall noted.

Krupka has been consistently in the top-20 on the NorAm circuit this season. The 19-year-old Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy graduate had a season-best fifth in the giant slalom in Tremblant on Jan. 9.

“For Alex, this milestone represents the realization of a goal he has been laser-focused on for the past two seasons, demonstrating unwavering commitment and determination,” Wall said.

“I did a lot of strength work in the off season and switched ski brands in October. The adjustments and changes from last season have been a huge part of my success, along with the coaching from Will Hadden and Matt Underhill,” Krupksa told the Vail Daily in an email on Thursday. “Going into World Juniors, my goal is to send it as hard as I can and wherever I stack up is what I’ll have to live with. Having no expectations seems to always be the best mindset for me.” 

The 2026 Junior Worlds schedule includes downhill, super-G, giant slalom and slalom along with a team Alpine combined and mixed team event. Live timing will be provided by the International Ski Federation (FIS).