Mueller and Haugsjaa win final two Junior World Cup events
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Marcus Mueller, Ansel Haugsjaa, Talia Tonn and Aidan Mueller on the podium at Junior World Cup 5
SIGULDA, Latvia—Marcus Mueller and Ansel Haugsjaa won the final two Junior World Cup events held outside of Riga. In the team event, which featured Aidan Mueller, Talia Tonn and Mueller/Haugsjaa, the United States won the bronze.
The Junior National Team coaching staff made the strategic decision to focus on taking as many runs as possible this season, as the group is relatively young. This meant forgoing several international competitions throughout the 2024-25 season.
Men’s doubles
Mueller (Brookfield, Wisc.) and Haugsjaa (Framingham, Mass.) joined the National Team most of the season but raced in the final three Junior World Cups. They won all three Junior World Cup races and topped the time sheets on both days of the competition. The duo did not defend their 2024 Junior World Championship title, focusing instead on the World Championships in Whistler.
Nathan Bivins (Castleton, N.Y.) and Wolfgang Lux (Swanton, Vt.) did not finish the first race, but bounced back and finished fourth in the next race.
Mueller and Haugsjaa finished fifth in the overall Junior World Cup points standings, while Bivins and Lux were eighth.
Women’s doubles
The United States entered one women’s doubles sled driven by Sadie Martin (Vermontville, N.Y.) and Brianna Gosnell (Evansburg, Pa.). The duo placed fifth in the first race and did not finish the second race. They finished the season ranked ninth in the overall Junior World Cup standings.
Men’s singles
Aidan Mueller (West Islip, N.Y.) finished sixth in the first race, with Logan Barnes (Clarksville, Tenn.) seventh. In the second race, Barnes was tenth and Mueller was 11th. Orson Colby (Riverton, Utah) was 18th and 19th in his races. Seth Coates (Potsdam, N.Y.) did not finish the two races.
Barnes finished the season ranked 19th in the overall Junior World Cup standings. Mueller, who spent the first half of the season racing with the National Team, ranked 20th. Colby finished the season ranked 28th and Coates 45th, while Gavin Davis (Berwick, Pa.) was 48th.
Women’s singles
Tonn (Cecil, Wisc.) finished 15th and 18th in the two competitions. Elizabeth Kleinheinz (Santa Clara, Calif.) was 18th and 21st in her two races, with Gosnell 22nd and 23rd. Maggie Richardson (Mount Vernon, Ohio) was 24th and 21st. Macey Schomaker (Park City, Utah) did not finish in either of her races.
Tonn finished the season ranked 25th in the overall Junior World Cup standings, Gosnell 28th, Kleinheinz 29th, and Richardson 31st.
Team event
Team USA took the bronze in the first race. In the second race, Tonn, Barnes, Mueller and Haugsjaa combined their efforts to finish fourth.
The United States finished fourth in the overall Junior World Cup team event standings.
The focus now shifts to the Norton Youth and Junior National Championships, slated to take place March 7-8 and 13-14, 2025, respectively, at the Utah Olympic Park. The National Team plans to train in Lake Placid, N.Y. following the conclusion of the IBSF Bobsled and Skeleton World Championships scheduled March 6-16, 2025, at Mt. Van Hoevenberg.
