Liz Stephen nabs bronze in U23 XC World Championships; U.S. junior ski jumpers get top 20

The U.S. Ski Team's Liz Stephen made history Thursday, taking bronze in the women's 15K mass start in the Under-23 Cross Country World Championships as three Americans finished in the top 11. It was the second straight year U.S. women have medaled at the Championships.

MALLES, Italy — The U.S. Ski Team's Liz Stephen made history Thursday, taking bronze in the women's 15K mass start in the Under-23 Cross Country World Championships as three Americans finished in the top 11. It was the second straight year U.S. women have medaled at the Championships.
    Stephen, a student at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, added another notch to her podium status, landing in one of three coveted spots six times already this season at competitions including U.S. SuperTour races, Canadian NorAms and a silver medal at the U.S. Cross Country Championships in January.
    "This is huge for us," said U.S. Nordic Director Luke Bodensteiner. "Not long ago distance events and women's results were glaring weaknesses. Last year Laura Valaas took silver at U23 in the sprint and now Liz has taken bronze in a distance race."
    Taz Mannix followed Stephen in eighth and Morgan Arritola (Fairfield, ID/U.S. Ski Team/Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation) was 11th. Russian Olga Tiagai won the women's race followed by Silia Tarvonen of Finland in second.
    In the men's 30K, Mike Sinnott (Sun Valley, ID/ Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation/The Factory Team/Dartmouth College) led U.S. athletes in 30th. Switzerland's Dario Cologna won the men's race followed by Russian Ilia Chernousov in second and Maurice Manificat of France in third.
     In other nordic news, the National Sports Foundation's Anders Johnson led a group of four U.S. men when he finished 17th during the 2008 FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships in Zakopane, Poland, on Wednesday. Chris Lamb followed Johnson in 32nd place.
    Germany's Andreas Wank won the competition, followed by Shohhei Tochimoto of Japan in second and Andreas Strolz of Austria in third.
    In the women's field, Sara Hendrikson led U.S. women ski jumpers in their only event in the 2008 FIS Nordic Junior World Championships on Thursday, finishing 16th in a field of 37 jumpers.
    Jaquel Seifriedsberger of Austria won the women's competition, followed by Italian Elena Runggaldier in second and Katja Pozun of Slovenia in third. The U.S. Ski Team's Avery Ardovino followed Hendrikson in 20th.
    The Nordic Junior World Ski Championships jumping program wraps-up for the men Friday with a team competition.