The following release is published with permission from the United States Snowshoe Association (USSSA) and features results from the recent World Snowshoe Championships. Featured photo of lead racers completing first lap of two in the National Snowshoe Championships 5km event by Jim Tucker.
Brillion, Wisconsin — The 16th annual 2025-2026 World Snowshoe Federation World Snowshoe Championships presented by the North Country Sports Council and local Nicolet National Bank, took place at the world-class Ariens Nordic Center in Brillion, WI from December 18-21, 2025. Athletes from the US, Canada and several other countries, competed over a 2.5km loop that they ran four times for the 10km distance.
Three-time US National Snowshoe Champion, Wisconsin’s own Jackie Hering, after capturing her 4th 2025-2026 US National Snowshoe Championship women’s title the day before, doubled back and ran to a dominating win for her first WSSF World Snowshoe Championship title. In so doing, Hering led the US women’s teammates, Kaitlyn Vanias (Silver) and Olivia Dietzel (Bronze) to the team gold medal.
On the men’s side, 20-year-old Eliot Soderholm of Paul Smiths College in NY, the 2024 WSSF Junior Men’s World Champion, successfully moved up to duplicate Hering’s success. He won his first 2025-2026 US National Men’s Snowshoe Championship title the day before. He then returned to dominate the 10km World Snowshoe Championship field becoming the youngest ever World Snowshoe Champion. He held off a spirited challenge from Canada’s national champion Julien Pinsonneault (Silver). Andrew Allen of St. George UT took the bronze medal with Devon Byers of Ironwood MI, taking 4th place overall, helping lead the US Men’s team to the gold medal while Canada claimed the team silver medal. Athletes from MI, NY, MD, IL, NV, WA, WI, MN, FL, VA and GA participated; the athletes representing the US, Canada, Spain, Italy and Hungary.
Athletes 19 and Under as of 12/31/25 competed in the WC Junior Division and covered 2 laps for a 5km challenge. Athletes from Paul Smiths’ College of NY dominated the event. They claimed the top 4 places which included Bryce Shannon winning his first WSSF Junior Men’s World Champion title. Matthew Matis (Silver) and Brock Boissey (Bronze) also teamed up with Shannon to claim the World Junior Men’s Team title.
Results
The top 5 collegiate finishers earned All-American honors
All-American Women
Chloe Freund – Paul Smiths’ College
Morgan Cheney – Paul Smiths’ College
Olivia Bobbie – Paul Smiths’ College
All-American Men
Eliot Soderholm – Paul Smiths’ College
Bryce Shannon – Paul Smiths’ College
Matthew Matis – Paul Smiths’ College
Aidan Minihan – Paul Smiths’ College
Brock Boissey – Paul Smiths’ College
U.S. National Snowshoe Team
The top finishers in the Juniors, Seniors, and Masters age groups earned berths on the 2025–2026 U.S. National Snowshoe Team.
Junior women: Rebekah Koch WI
Junior men: Bryce Shannon NY, Matthew Matis NY, Brock Boissey NY
Senior women: Jackie Hering WI, Laurel Moyer PA, Oivia Dietzel WI, Elise Greenwald WI, Michayla Hansen WI
Senior men: Eliot Soderholm NY, Andrew Allen UT, Erik Barkhaus WA, Devon Byers MI, Jesse Lambrecht WA
Masters women: Nicole Finstad WI, Carol Van Handel WI, Stephanie Erickson WI
Masters men: Nathan Koch WI, Michael Wilson MN, Andrew Grosvenor WI
Editor’s Note: For more snowshoeing articles posted by ATRA, visit this link.
Enjoy a video from the 20th National Snowshoe Championships featuring Dan Vega below.
