Rocky Mountain Nordic Junior National Selection Criteria

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For the 2023 Junior Nationals as of November  1, 2023 (changed wording in Italic)

 

  1. USSA Mandated Quotas — The Rocky Mountain Nordic (RMN) has a quota of 50 (25 females and 25 males, not including
    prequalified skiers) for the USSA Junior National Championships (JNs). A maximum of fourteen(14) skiers can be named, per gender, in any one age class (U16, U18, and U20), prequalified skiers do not add to these totals. There is no minimum per class. RMN will send thirteen (13) U20/U18 skiers in a combined class and twelve (12) U16 per gender to JNs. Prequalified skiers will be added to these totals based upon their age and gender.
  2. Prequalification — In addition to the RMN quota of 50 skiers, RMN can also take skiers who qualify above the quota according to US Ski & Snowboard Rules through the following options: 

52.5.1 Any individual who meets one or more of the following criteria in the current season will be eligible to represent their Division above the Divisional Basic Quota:

  • They are ranked in the top 20 men or women on the Junior World Championships Team Ranking List.
  • They qualify for and attend the U18 Nordic Junior Nations Competition Trip.
  • They are among the top five junior-aged individuals of a final NCAA Regional Ranking Lists.
  • They are a member of the U.S. Team to the World Junior Championship in either Biathlon or Nordic Combined.
  • They are a member of the U.S. Team to the International Youth Olympic Games in Biathlon, Cross Country, or Nordic Combined.

52.3.1 The Guest Class can include the following:

  • Exchange students who are certified by the Division in which they reside that they perform to the same level as the U.S. Citizens qualifying from that Division – In RMN this can be done by meeting the qualification requirements set forth for the division on the RMN Points List or by being named to another country’s World Junior Championship Team. 
  • Invited foreign competitors, subject to the approval of the Junior Working Group.
  • U.S. citizens residing outside of the United States who meet one of the Automatic Qualifying Standards.
  1. Eligibility — A junior skier must be a member of RMN to be eligible for the RMN JN Team. Only Junior National Qualifying (JNQ) races that a skier participates in after they are an RMN member will be considered under the selection criteria.

52.2.2 Competitors will represent the Division in which he/she lives, attends school, or customarily trains and races. Divisional eligibility issues will be arbitrated by the Sport Development Manager. A skier must compete in a minimum of four (4) RMN JNQ races in order to have their RMN points be eligible to be calculated for the RMN JN team.

  1. RMN Junior National Qualifier (JNQ) Races — Eight (8) races will be designated prior to the season as JNQ races. These races will be posted on the RMN Schedule of Events and appear on the RMN website. Eligible RMN members who compete in these races will receive RMN JNQ points. To be scored in an RMN JNQ race, a skier must be a member of RMN at a minimum of four (4) days prior to the race in which he/she wishes to be scored.
  2. Scoring Procedure — The following scoring method will be used to calculate RMN Junior standings throughout the season. The scoring method awards points to all eligible RMN skiers according to the table below.
Place Points Place Points Place Points
1 100 11 24 21 10
2 80 12 22 22 9
3 60 13 20 23 8
4 50 14 18 24 7
5 45 15 16 25 6
6 40 16 15 26 5
7 36 17 14 27 4
8 32 18 13 28 3
9 29 19 12 29 2
10 26 20 11 30 1
  1. Qualification Points List — The sum of a skier’s best four races at RMN JNQ races, regardless of technique or race format, will be used to determine the skier’s RMN points. Skiers will be ranked on the RMN Points List according to their RMN points in descending order.
  2. Tie Breaking Procedure — Ties in the points list will be resolved using the U.S. Ski & Snowboard tie breaking procedure. A skier will move ahead in the final championship or trials standings, and on the RMN JN Team selection list, based on the following procedures using the RMN Final JN Points List after the last of eight Junior National Qualifying races:
  1. Highest/higher single finish
  2. The second-highest single finish
  3. The third-highest single finish
  4. The fourth-highest single finish
  5. Lowest U.S. Ski & Snowboard points from the last U.S. Ski & Snowboard points list posted prior to the naming of the 2020 RMN JN Team.

 

  1. Selection of the RMN Junior National Team/Objective Criteria — Skiers for both the male and female teams will be selected to the RMN Junior Nationals Team in the following order:
    8A.  (1). Any skiers that pre-qualified for U.S. Junior Nationals using one of the methods listed in section 2 above
    (2). The thirteen highest ranked U18/U20 skiers from each gender. Prequalifiers are not
    ranked.
    (3). The twelve highest ranked U16 skiers from each gender. Prequalifiers are not
    ranked.

8B. Second year U20 skiers must finish in the top six of the combined U20/U18 RMN classes in the RMN JN final points list, NOT including prequalified skiers as identified in paragraph #2 above, in order to be named to the RMN JN Team. If a second year U20 skier does not meet that criteria they will not be named to the RMN JN team and the selection process will move down the RMN JN final points list until the quota of designated skiers has been met.

8C. RMN can take more than 25 male and 25 female athletes allotted by the U.S. Ski &
Snowboard Association when RMN athletes prequalify for JNs. The number of additional
athletes named to each team (male or female) must equal the number of prequalified athletes on each team. Quota spots earned by prequalified athletes will be allocated as follows for each of the male and female teams: Each additional spot earned for a team would be chosen from the next skier on the points list from whichever age class (U16 or U20/U18) and gender the prequalified skier comes from. For example, if a U16 female skier prequalifies, the next U16 female skier on the points will would be chosen for JNs.  To qualify for the JN team, second year U20 skiers must be in the top six of the final JN points, excluding prequalifiers.

8D. Second year U14 – RMN will only consider second year U14 skiers in each gender to be allowed to ski as a U16 skier in qualifying for the RMN Junior National Team. Those skiers would be required to have a U16 RMN membership and meet the other requirements as an RMN U16 skier. First year U14 skiers can ski up in the U16 class, but they will not be considered to score RMN JN points. 

8E. Prequalified skiers for the JNs do not count towards the quota of skiers RMN can take to the JNs. In order to name additional skiers to the JN Team, the prequalified skiers have to attend the JNs. RMN will name the additional skiers equal to the number of prequalified skiers attending the JNs based on objective criteria.

  1. Alternates – First and Second alternates from each class and gender (U20/U18 and U16) will be named to the team based on the final RMN Points list. If a skier on the JN team (with the exception of a pre-qualified skier) cannot compete, or chooses not to compete at the Junior Nationals for RMN, the alternates will be given the opportunity to join the RMN JN Team. As per U.S. Ski & Snowboard rules, an alternate cannot be named in place of a pre-qualified skier who does not attend the Junior National Championships.
  2. Discretionary Choices — RMN qualification process does not allow for naming of skiers to the RMN Junior National Team on a discretionary basis. With opportunities for prequalification as described above, in addition to normal qualification through the eight RMN junior national qualifying races, there should be ample opportunity for skiers to attempt to qualify for the RMN Junior National Team.
  3. Appeals Process and Appeals Board – Skiers have the right to appeal a decision made by the RMN Junior National Selection Committee. This appeal must be made in a timely fashion, and it will be considered in a timely fashion as well. To appeal, a skier must submit an appeal in writing (email is acceptable) to the RMN Board President, Mark Hurlbert. mailto:markhurlbert@hotmail.com. The BOD President will confirm to the skier that the appeal has been received and will convene an RMN Appeals Board meeting as quickly as possible. This meeting may be held via a conference call. The RMN Appeals Board will consist of the following members: The RMN Divisional Coordinator, the President of the RMN Executive Committee, The RMN JN Team Leader, a designated RMN Executive Committee member, and/or a parent member of the RMN Junior Competition Committee.