Sports

Meet Alaska’s Winter Olympians

Here's a look at the largest contingent of Alaska athletes in Olympic history.

SADIE BJORNSEN

Sport: Cross-country skiing
Birthday: 11/21/1989
Birthplace: Omak, Washington
Hometown: Winthrop, Washington
Residence: Anchorage
High school: Liberty Bell High School (Winthrop, Washington)
College: UAA, APU
Team/club: Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center
PFD recipient: Yes
Twitter: @sadzarue
Instagram: @sbjornsen
Website: sadiebjornsen.com

Sadie is a two-time Olympian. At the 2014 Olympics, she was a member of the ninth-place women's relay team and placed 18th in the 10K classic and 31st in the 15K skiathlon. At the 2017 World Championships, she teamed up with Jessie Diggins to win a bronze medal in the team sprint.

[Team Alaska can fend for itself – and put on a show]

ERIK BJORNSEN

Sport: Cross-country skiing
Birthday: 7/14/1991
Birthplace: Omak, Washington
Hometown: Winthrop, Washington
Residence: Anchorage
High school: Liberty Bell High School (Winthrop, Washington)
College: UAA, APU
Team/club: Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center
PFD recipient: Yes
Twitter: @erikbjornsen
Instagram: @ebjornsen1991
Website: erikbjornsen.com

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Like older sister Sadie, Erik is a two-time Olympian. At the 2014 Olympics, he placed sixth in the team sprint, 11th in the men's relay, 36th in the 15K classic, 38th in the 30K skiathlon and 39th in the freestyle sprint.

ROSIE BRENNAN

Sport: Cross-country skiing
Birthday: 12/2/1988
Birthplace: Salt Lake City
Residence: Anchorage
High school: Park City High (Utah)
College: Dartmouth College, APU
Team/club: Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center
PFD recipient: Yes
Twitter: @rosiewbrennan
Website: rosiebrennan.blogspot.com

Rosie is an Olympic rookie who has been competing on the World Cup tour since the 2012-13 season. She helped the women's relay team win a bronze medal in a 2015 World Cup in Lillehammer, Norway, and owns three other top-10 World Cup finishes.

ROSIE FRANKOWSKI

Sport: Cross-country skiing
Birthday: 7/30/1991
Birthplace: Minneapolis
Hometown: Minneapolis
Residence: Anchorage
High school: Southwest High School (Minneapolis)
College: Northern Michigan University, APU
PFD recipient: Yes
Team/club: Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center
Website: rosiefrankowski.wordpress.com

Rosie is an Olympic rookie who won her first national-championship medal last month by placing third in the women's 20K classic.

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LOGAN HANNEMAN

Sport: Cross-country skiing
Birthday: 6/2/1993
Birthplace: Fairbanks
Hometown: Fairbanks
Residence: Anchorage
High school: Lathrop High
College: UAF
Team/club: Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center
PFD recipient: Yes

Logan, Reese's younger brother, is an Olympic rookie who won a silver medal in the classic sprint at last month's national championships and gold medal in the freestyle sprint at last season's national championships. At the 2016 U23 World Championships for skiers under 23, he placed 15th in the freestyle sprint.

REESE HANNEMAN

Sport: Cross-country skiing
Birthday: 12/25/1989
Birthplace: Fairbanks
Hometown: Fairbanks
Residence: Anchorage
High school: Lathrop High
College: UAA
Team/club: Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center
PFD recipient: Yes
Twitter: @reesehanneman
Instagram: @reesehanneman
Website: reesehanneman.com

Reese, Logan's older brother, is an Olympic rookie who won both sprint titles at last month's national championships. At both the 2011 and 2012 U-23 World Championships for skiers under 23, he placed 24th in the sprint race.

TYLER KORNFIELD

Sport: Cross-country skiing
Birthday: 2/9/1991
Birthplace: Anchorage
Hometown/residence: Anchorage
High school: Service
College: UAF
Team/club: Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; as a junior, Alaska Winter Stars
PFD recipient: Yes
Twitter: @TKxc
Instagram: @tkornfield

Tyler is an Olympic rookie who captured the 30K classic title at last month's national championships. At the 2013 U23 World Championships for skiers under 23, he placed 19th in the freestyle sprint.

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[Americans aim to end cross-country drought in Pyeongchang]

ROSIE MANCARI

Sport: Snowboarding
Event: Snowboardcross
Birthday: 1/22/1994
Birthplace: Anchorage
Hometown/residence: Anchorage
College: UAA
Team/club: Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
PFD recipient: Yes
Instagram: @rosiemancari
Website: rosiemancari.com

Rosie is an Olympic rookie who is coming off one of the best World Cup results of her career — she placed eighth at Bansko, Bulgaria, the final World Cup race before the Olympics.

KEEGAN MESSING

Sport: Figure skating
Birthday: 1/23/1992
Birthplace: Girdwood
Hometown/residence: Girdwood
Team/club: Sherwood Park Figure Skating Club, Alberta
PFD recipient: Yes
Twitter: @KeeganMOnline
Instagram: @sk8erkeeg
Website: keeganmessing.com

Keegan is an Olympic rookie who clinched his spot in the Pyeongchang Games by placing second at last month's Canadian national championships. He skated for the United States until the 2014-15 season, when he took advantage of his dual U.S./Canadian citizenship to join the Canadian federation. Earlier this season, he registered his best Grand Prix result on foreign soil by grabbing fifth place at the NHK Trophy in Japan.

CAITLIN PATTERSON

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Sport: Cross-country skiing
Birthday: 1/30/1990
Birthplace: McCall, Idaho
Hometown: Anchorage
Residence: Craftsbury, Vermont
High school: South High
College: University of Vermont
Team/club: Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club; as a junior, Alaska Winter Stars
PFD recipient: Not since 2012
Instagram: @caitlinmpatterson
Website: caitlinpatterson.wordpress.com

Caitlin, Scott's older sister, is an Olympic rookie. She is coming off a sweep at last month's national championships, where she claimed U.S. titles in all four women's races. She rode that momentum to the World Cup tour, where she placed 20th in a 10K classic in Slovenia and 23rd in a 10K freestyle in Austria.

SCOTT PATTERSON

Sport: Cross-country skiing
Birthday: 1/28/1992
Birthplace: McCall, Idaho
Hometown/residence: Anchorage
High school: South High
College: University of Vermont
Team/club: Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center; as a junior, Alaska Winter Stars
PFD recipient: Yes
Instagram: @scottgpatterson
Website: scottgpatterson.wordpress.com

Scott, Caitlin's younger brother, is an Olympic rookie who is coming off a dominant victory in the men's 15K classic at the national championships last month. He scored points in his most recent World Cup race by placing 27th in the 15K freestyle race last month in Austria. He is the reigning Mount Marathon champion.

KIKKAN RANDALL

Sport: Cross-country skiing
Birthday: 12/31/1982
Birthplace: Salt Lake City
Hometown: Anchorage
High school: East High
College: APU
Team/club: Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center
PFD recipient: Yes
Twitter: @kikkanimal
Instagram: @kikkanimal
Website: kikkan.com

Kikkan is Alaska's first five-time Olympian (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018). America's most decorated skier, she is a three-time winner of the World Cup overall sprint title and a three-time World Championship medalist. She and husband Jeff Ellis welcomed a baby boy in 2016, making Randall one of a handful of mothers on the U.S. Olympic team. Her best Olympic results include:
2014 — 7th team sprint, 8th women's relay, 18th freestyle sprint
2010 — 8th classic sprint, 11th women's relay, 23rd 30K freestyle
2006 — 9th freestyle sprint, 10th team sprint, 14th women's relay
2002 — 44th freestyle sprint

RYAN STASSEL

Sport: Snowboarding
Events: Big air, slopestyle
Birthday: 10/23/1992
Birthplace: Anchorage
Hometown: Anchorage
High school: Service High
PFD recipient: Yes
Twitter: @RyanStassel
Instagram: @ryanstassel
Website: ryanstassel.com

Ryan is a two-time Olympian who placed 14th in men's slopestyle in 2014. He won the gold medal in slopestyle at the 2015 World Championships and has collected four World Cup medals, three of them in big air.

JESSICA YEATON

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Sport: Cross-country skiing
Birthday: 11/21/1991
Birthplace: Perth, Australia
Residence: Anchorage
College: Montana State
Team/club: Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center
PFD recipient: Yes
Twitter: @jjyeaton
Instagram: @jjyeaton
Website: jessicayeaton.wordpress.com

Jessica is an Olympic rookie who was born in Australia, trained as a skier in Alaska and will compete in Pyeongchang for Australia. Last month in Germany, she made Australian history with teammate Barbara Jezersek by becoming the country's first finalists at a World Cup event, placing 10th. At last season's test event in Pyeongchang, she finished 24th in the skiathlon.

Beth Bragg

Beth Bragg wrote about sports and other topics for the ADN for more than 35 years, much of it as sports editor. She retired in October 2021. She's contributing coverage of Alaskans involved in the 2022 Winter Olympics.

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