Team Birkie's Alayna Sonnesyn discusses best World Cup season ever

Last month, we brought on Spud Nordic ski coach Eric Wicklund to chat about how he makes things work in Moorhead. Inspired by that conversation, we decided we needed to hear more about how the team started. Today's guest is Tom Dooher, who coached cross-country and track and field at Moorhead High before starting the Nordic team in the fall of 2014. We picked his brain on how he built a program capable of sustained success, navigated challenges and built a culture where every athlete matters and relationships are what really matter. Enjoy!Moorhead High School Nordic competitive historyGirlsState Qualifiers Pursuit Celine Kjernsval (2016)Sofie Overturf (2017,2018) (2)Kate Ludwig (2017,2018) (2)Abbie Ishaug (2020*, 2023)Kennedy Olson (2020*,2022,2023) (3)Octavia Nerguson (2020*)Olivia Watson (2020*)Siri Overturf (2020*, 2022) (2)Jamie Raske (2020*, 2022) (2)Ava Nelson (2020*)Jacki Johnson (2025)Addy Stordahl (2025)*Denotes team qualifiersState Sprint Relay QualifiersJamie Raske & Siri Overturf (2022)Abbie Ishaug & Jackie Johnson (2023) (Fifth place finish)Chloe Pesek & Izzy Kupitz (2024)Team Section ChampionshipsGirls - 1st (2020)Individual Section ChampionsAbbie Ishaug (2020)State Team FinishesPursuit - 12th (2020) State Relay FinalistsAbbie Ishaug and Jackie Johnson - Sprints - 5th (2022)All StateAbbie Ishaug 17th (2020)Northstar Conference Team Champions (5) (2018, 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025)BoysState Qualifiers Pursuit Isaac Wicklund (2018)Jack Lee  (2018, 2019)Max Rogers (2022)Zaine Braaten (2022, 2023 - all-state) (2)Logan Olson (2024, 2025*) (2)Wes Brouillard (2025*)Eli Schlichting (2025*)Ian Schimmelpfennig (2025*)Barrett Hicks (2025*)*Denotes team qualifiersState Sprint Relay Qualifiers Tavan Schlichting & Jack Holston*Best Team Finish at Sections  Boys - 2nd (2025)Individual Section Champions  N/AState Team FinishesPursuit / Relay - 9th (2025)State Relay FinalistsN/A  (Best finish - 17th (2025))Support the Seder-Skier!⁠⁠⁠Our supporters:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EnjoyWinter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Atomic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sporthill⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We take the 4Cs: cquestions, comments, concerns AND compliments at [email protected] on striving. Keep on skiing.

Joining us on the show today is Steamboat Springs WinterSports Club head U20/U18/U16 cross-country ski coach Josh Smullin! Show notes: start - 20 min: SederSkier fitness update/Double UP Winter Park race report/ Mt. Massive trail run 20:00 - end: Josh Smullin!Smullin's illustrious ski career spans top-level junior national showings, a 4-year career at CU and numerous SuperTour and American Ski Marathon Series podiums and wins as a member of Team Rossignol. The father of two holds degrees in kinesiology and sports psychology and was an assistant coach at the University of Utah before landing at SSWSC, where he has guided countless athletes to junior, college and international successes.Josh is has also been the de facto KING of Colorado loppet ski racing for the better part of almost two decades. Let's just say, if he shows up at the starting line, the rest of the field is fighting it out for second.If there is anyone who can speak to the state of xc skiing and development — and share a fun race story or two — it's Josh. We picked his brain on his upbringing, philosophy, opinions on the current JN/U16 "controversy"/conversation and more....and we already thought of 100 more questions we probably should have asked!! Nonetheless, we hope you enjoy the show!Support the Seder-Skier!⁠Our supporters:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EnjoyWinter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Atomic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sporthill⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We take the 4Cs: cquestions, comments, concerns AND compliments at [email protected] on striving. Keep on skiing.Joining us on the show today is Steamboat Springs WinterSports Club head U20/U18/U16 crosscoach Josh Smullin

19:38 - start of interviewWe have a great show for you today!Kyle Steitz joins to talk about how he launched and grew the Poudre School District high school ski team from the ground up. Growing up in Steamboat Springs as the son of the USA Nordic Combined head coach, Stietz was on skis from the time he could walk. By the time he was offered a DI scholarship, however, he was beyond burnt out. Find out how starting up a team in Fort Collins — which receives 10 days or less of snow a winter — in 2018 reignited his passion for the sport. Hear how he navigated challenges to develop his first state champion, how he’s taken lessons from his youth and applied them to coaching today’s generation and how every season’s eager group of young athletes surprise him in the best of ways. If you're an athlete or coach at any level, you've got to listen to this conversation!Just some show notes: Beginning: SederSkier health update19:38 - start of interviewWe've been talking to coaches across the country on 'how they make things work,' in terms of running a high school or club cross-country ski team. If you are or know a coach who is navigating unique challenges and would be a valuable guest for this series, reach out at [email protected].

Alayna Sonnesyn hops on to talk about a whole variety of interesting topics, from Trondheim to training, her ski and running journeys — dealing with pressure, successes and failures in high school, college and professionally in both — and what brought her to Team Birkie last year.Enjoy!⁠Support the Seder-Skier!⁠Our supporters:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EnjoyWinter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Atomic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sporthill⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We take the 4Cs: cquestions, comments, concerns AND compliments at [email protected] on striving. Keep on skiing.

Just 10 years after the team was formed, Moorhead High School qualified its first boys team for the Minnesota Nordic Ski State Championships this past February.Head coach Eric Wicklund joins the show to discuss how he makes things work at a school more known for hockey in a town that is flat and frigid all winter and hot, windy and humid all summer.We dive into the daily challenges of directing training, managing equipment, teaching technique and inspiring passion in a place where weather, culture and other factors aren't always conducive to growing the sport.This was a really fun conversation with many powerful messages for athletes, coaches and master-blasters alike!Enjoy!Support the Seder-Skier!⁠⁠Our supporters:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EnjoyWinter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Atomic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sporthill⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We take the 4Cs: cquestions, comments, concerns AND compliments at [email protected] on striving. Keep on skiing.

A little fever/cold terrorism, but we show up to give you instant takes from day 1 of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Congress on May 13 anyway.

Kate Oldham got the U.S. cross-country skiing community's attention with her 10k individual start national title at Kincaid Park earlier this year. The Roaring Fork native wasn't done, however. The MSU senior competed at World Cups, the world championships in Trondheim, NCAAs and Super Tour Finals before calling it a year. And what a year it was. Hear more about what was behind the 4.0 student's breakout season as well as her development, dreams (which might involve horses, not skis) and secret talent (kayaking?)....Kate also tells us what club she'll be skiing for in 2025-2026.Support the Seder-Skier!Our supporters:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EnjoyWinter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Atomic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sporthill⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We take the 4Cs: cquestions, comments, concerns AND compliments at [email protected] on striving. Keep on skiing.

Team Birkie is a Midwest-based professional cross country ski team formed through a collaboration between the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, The Loppet Foundation, and Central Cross Country Skiing (CXC). With athletes competing at the FIS World Cup, U.S. SuperTour, and regional marathon levels, the team is dedicated to advancing skiing in the Central Region. With its home base in Minneapolis, MN, Team Birkie promotes partnership and community engagement, striving to set higher standards in the sport and inspire the next generation of Nordic skiers.Register for Summer College programLearn more about the team rosterTeam Birkie ProgramsSupport the Seder-Skier!⁠Our supporters:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EnjoyWinter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Atomic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sporthill⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We take the 4Cs: cquestions, comments, concerns AND compliments at [email protected] on striving. Keep on skiing.

SederSkier Congress session: 'How to talk for 120 minutes straight' with Ryan Sederquist....- start: Teaching jobs making other jobs easy, Fargo weather makes everywhere amazing - - 4:00 Pikes Peak EXTREME TRIATHLON - 4:00- 5:00: TPNC grooming report - 5:00- 6:30: Crazy Craigslist item/Matt Carpenter discussion - 6:30- 12:30: Jantaloppet suggestions - 12:30- 19:30: argument for the afternoon mocha health benefits rant- 22:30 - indoctrinating kids with the afternoon mocha- 26:00 - Jordan B. Peterson convo - progress > related to exercise science studies- 37:00 - the Magic is in the Man- 39:02 - bad harmony- 39:33 - Anthony Edwards rant- 56:00 - Brian Smith: The Christian Athlete/Steve Magness - Win the Inside Game- 1:07 - Funny Fishscale story involving me and Bryan Fish - 1:13 - SederSkier Congress made up sessions- 1:18 - Treadmill update- 1:19 - Body image testimony/suggestion/email

We are delighted to welcome one of our favorite U.S. athletes, JC Schoonmaker, to The SederSkier Podcast for the first time!The APU star and 2022 Olympian chatted about the 2024-2025 season, world champs, ski classics, super tour finals, scouting sprint courses , Klaebo, the LA Lakers and so, so much more!Want to support the SederSkier? Go HERE