There must be something in the water up there in Minnesota, because the Land of 10,000 Lakes has skied another athlete onto the U.S. Team roster. Lakeville’s Ben Saxton has emerged as a rising star in the U.S. cross country scene, and he is one of two skiers added to the U.S. Cross Country Development Team for 2014-15.

After two state nordic championships at Lakeville North High School, Saxton was accepted to ski for Dartmouth College. However, he decided to take two gap years to improve his skiing and push for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. The move paid off. Before ever setting foot on snow for the Big Green, Saxton made the 2013 Junior World Championships Team and took second in the freestyle sprint of the 2014 U.S. Championships. Those results were good enough to propel Saxton into the sights of the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team.