MIDWAY, UTAH - Competing against the top junior Nordic skiers in the country, Keira Scott (18), representing the Far West Nordic Ski Education Association, claimed her first National Championship title in the U-20 Women's Skate Sprint race at the 2025 Junior National Championships at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center.
From March 8 to March 15, over 450 junior athletes from 10 regions across the United States traveled to Soldier Hollow to compete for National titles. Among them, 33 athletes from the Far West region -- representing California and Nevada -- are racing in four championship events: Monday's Classic Individual Start, Wednesday's Skate Sprint, Friday's Mass-Start Skate Distance race, and Saturday's Team Relay.
On Wednesday, Keira Scott delivered a standout performance to earn her first national title in a highly competitive sprint race. A freshman at Bowdoin College in Maine and a longtime skier with ASC Training Center in Truckee, California, Scott made her fourth Junior Nationals appearance. Her top finish last year was 15th in the U18 Classic 10km Mass Start, but this year, she proved her dominance by skiing with confidence and tactical precision.
"There were a lot of unknowns but I knew I was just going to fight for every place I could," Scott said. "I feel like being positive and flexible was a really big part of today. It just felt like a team effort. My skis were really fast. All the coaches supported me. All the girls- I know them from the college circuit- we got to hang out together between the heats. It was just a fun day."
In a 1.3km race featuring two decisive climbs, she executed a patient strategy, making her move at just the right moment to outski her competition in the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final heats.
"This result has been a long time coming for an athlete who has worked incredibly hard but also understands the value of perseverance," said Gus Johnson, Nordic Director at ASC Training Center and Head of Service for the Far West Team, who has coached Scott for the past seven years. "That finish-line hug was one of my proudest coaching moments."
Scott wasn't the only Far West athlete to stand on the podium during the sprint competition. Luka Karnickis earned two national podium finishes, securing second place in Monday's Classic 5km race and third in Wednesday's Skate Sprint. A second-year U-16 athlete competing in his third Junior Nationals, Karnickis is no stranger to success -- last year, he also landed on the podium in the 2024 Junior Nationals Classic Mass Start 5km.
"It's been incredible to watch our athletes push themselves on the national stage and rise to the occasion," said Quinn Lehmkuhl, Head Coach for the Far West Team and Co-Head Coach of Tahoe Endurance Club. "The warm weather and slushy snow have created some really tough conditions, but our athletes have shown impressive strength and adaptability."
Niki Johnson rounded out the Far West podium finishes on Wednesday, taking third in the U-18 Women's Skate Sprint. Johnson, who recently represented the U.S. at the U-18 Scando Cup in Gjøvik, Norway, fought through a competitive field to secure her spot on the podium.
"It's been an exciting first few days of racing, and we can't wait to see what's in store for the final two events," Lehmkuhl added. "With an incoming storm and the possibility of fresh snow, we're looking forward to some incredible racing ahead. It's been an inspiring week so far, and I couldn't be more proud of our athletes."