Minnesota High School Athletes Headed to the 2026 Olympics

These members of Team USA competed for or graduated from high schools in Minnesota

Jessie Diggins celebrates her silver medal in cross-country skiing women's 30km mass start during the closing ceremony for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. She attended Stillwater Area High School. / Rob Schumacher-Imagn Images

The 2026 Winter Olympics begin this week in Milan, Italy, and 24 athletes from Team USA attended high schools in Minnesota.

Minnesota is only behind Colorado (31) for the states with the most athletes competing in the games.

Many of those athletes competed in MSHSL sports while in high school, while others trained and attended school.

Minnesota High School Athletes Headed to the 2026 Olympics

Aidan Oldenburg; Curling; Mapleton

Oldenburg was homeschooled but competed in cross county, bowling, trap shooting and track and field for Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton, according to minnesotaathletes.com. He finished eighth in at the 2019 MSHSL Track and Field Championships with a jump of 13-6. 

Brock Nelson; Men’s Ice Hockey; Warroad

Nelson was a star for hockey factory Warroad High School. He was a finalist for the 2009-2010 Mr. Hockey award after he scored 39 goals and added 34 assists. He currently plays in the NHL for the Colorado Avalanche. 

Grace Zumwinkle; Women’s  Ice Hockey Women’s; Excelsior

Zumwinkle attended Breck School in high school and was awarded with the 2017 Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year in girls hockey. She recorded 58 points (42 goals, 16 assists) in 23 games that season. She was also a two time tennis doubles state champion and runner-up. She finished eighth in the individual golf state tournament in 2016. 

Kelly Pannek, Women’s Ice Hockey, Plymouth

Pannek starred in hockey and soccer for Benilde-St. Margaret’s. In hockey, she was on the Star Tribune all-metro team four times, and she was a Ms. Hockey finalist in 2014. In soccer, she was the 2013 Ms. Soccer award recipient and won the 2012 and 2013 state championship. 

Jake Guentzel; Men’s Ice Hockey; Woodbury

Guentzel played for Hill-Murray for two seasons. In 2011-12, he scored 21 goals and had 67 points. The prior season, as a sophomore, he scored 15 goals and 28 assists. 

Jake Oettinger; Men’s Ice Hockey; Lakeville

Oettinger is a goalie who played for Lakeville North during his freshman season. He faced 246 shots on goal, and he had a 1.86 goals against average with a .931 save percentage. He helped Lakeville North reach the 2014 Class 2A championship.  

Jessie Diggins; Cross-Country Skiing; Afton

Diggins graduated from Stillwater Area High school in 2010. She was a cross-country ski star, reaching the top of the rankings as a sophomore. 

She stated: “After moonlighting as a dancer, soccer player, violinist, swimmer and track runner as a high school athlete, I finally settled on cross country skiing as a full-time passion.”

Lee Stecklein; Women’s Ice Hockey; Roseville

Stecklein went to Roseville Area High School. She won a 2010 state title and a 2012 Class 2A runner-up finish. As a senior defenseman, she scored 15 goals and 19 assists. 

Lucinda Anderson; Biathlon; Golden Valley

Anderson attended Robbinsdale Armstrong high school, and she competed in cross-country skiing. She helped Armstrong to the 2016 and 2019 state championship, and she finished second in her senior season.

Margaret Freed; Biathlon; Apple Valley

Freed won the cross-country skiing state championship in 2016 for Eastview High School. She also ran cross country and track and field, according to minnesotathletes.com.

Rory Guilday; Women’s Ice Hockey; Chanhassen

Guilday went to Minnetonka High School, and she was on the Star Tribune All-Metro team twice in her career. In 2021, her senior season, she scored eight goals and had 11 assists as a defenseman.

Taylor Heise; Women’s Ice Hockey; Lake City

Heise began her high school sports career in seventh grade. She played for Red Wing High School, and as a senior, she had 74 goals and 30 assists in 29 games. She scored nine points in the state tournament and won the Ms. Hockey award. 

Zak Ketterson; Cross-Country Skiing; Bloomington

Ketterson skied for Bloomington Jefferson and won a state championship in 2014 and 2016. He often skied at Theodore Wirth Regional Park. 

Other Athletes With Connections to Minnesota High Schools

Aileen Geving; Curling; Duluth

Attended Duluth Central High School. 

Brock Faber; Men’s Ice Hockey; Maple Grove

Did not play MSHSL hockey. He played with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. He played youth hockey with Osseo-Maple Grove Hockey Association.

Cory Thiesse; Curling; Duluth

Attended Duluth East High School. 

Jackson LaCombe; Men’s Ice Hockey Men’s; Eden Prairie

Attended Shattuck-Saint Mary’s.

Greta Myers; Speedskating (Long Track); Lino Lakes

Attended Gentry Academy.

Iris Pflum; Snowboarding; Minneapolis

Pflum will compete in parallel giant slalom in Milan. She attended Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

Paula Moltzan; Alpine Skiing Women’s; Lakeville

Moltzan attended Lakeville South before she moved to Vail, Colo., where she attended school and trained at Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy

Rich Ruohonen; Curling; Brooklyn Park

Attended Spring Lake Park High school. 

Tabitha Peterson Lovick; Curling; Eagan

Graduated from Eagan High School in 2007.

Tara Peterson; Curling; Eagan

Sister of Tabitha. Also attended Eagan High School. 

Giorgia Birkeland; Speedskating; White Bear Lake

Attended Mahtomedi High School.

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