U.S. Women Secure 12th in Final Relay

The U.S. women’s relay team of Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, WI/Army World Class Athlete Program), Margie Freed (Apple Valley, MN/Craftsbury Green Racing Project), Chloe Levins (Rutland, VT/Mansfield Nordic Pro), and Luci Anderson (Golden Valley, MN/Team Birkie) closed out the season with a solid 12th place finish in the final relay of the year, securing 12th overall in the relay discipline standings. The 2025-26 discipline ranking marks a notable step forward for the team, improving four places from last season’s 16th place ranking.

Irwin opened the final 4x6km relay for the U.S., using two spare rounds in prone and one in standing to keep the team firmly in contention. She tagged off in 11th place, +39.5 behind the leader. Freed took over on the second leg, shooting clean in prone and using three spares in standing, battling on the skis to maintain the team’s 11th place position at the second exchange.

Levins took over for the third leg, showcasing her trademark sharpshooting by using just one spare in prone and cleaning the standing stage. Anderson anchored the team and delivered a strong closing performance, posting the fourth-fastest ski time on her leg. With two spares in prone and one in standing, she brought the team across the line in 12th place.

The women’s relay season began with a 16th place finish in Oestersund, followed by 15th in Hochfilzen and a breakthrough sixth place performance in Oberhof, the team’s best relay result since 2022. They continued with an 11th place finish in Ruhpolding before wrapping up the season with 12th in Kontiolahti. With a handful of individual races left this season, the U.S. women look to continue their solid form to secure 13th place in the Nations Cup standings and earn back their fourth individual start for the 2026-27 season.