U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Stifel have announced the winners of the 2026 Stifel Awards for the 2025/2026 season, with cross-country skiers taking home honors across multiple categories.

The annual Stifel Awards recognize outstanding athletes and staff across the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, with winners chosen by a vote among their own teammates and colleagues. Now in its fourth year, the program covers eight sports and includes a cash prize for each recipient, funded by Stifel as title partner of the U.S. Ski Team.

“Stifel is proud to continue recognizing the outstanding athletes and staff of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team through the annual Stifel End of Year Awards,” said Ron Kruszewski, Chairman and CEO of Stifel, in a press release. “Our ‘Where Success Meets Success’ motto continues to reflect the dedication and excellence of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and we’re grateful for the opportunity to celebrate their achievements while continuing to grow the impact of these awards each year.”

On the cross-country skiing side, Jessie Diggins and Ben Ogden were named Athlete of the Year. Ogden also earned the Best Comeback award alongside Novie McCabe, while Kendall Kramer and Zak Ketterson were recognized as Most Improved. Sammy Smith and Murphy Kimball took home Rookie of the Year honors, and head coach Matt Whitcomb was named Coach of the Year.

Awards were also presented across the alpine, freeski, freestyle aerials and moguls, Nordic combined, para alpine, and ski jumping programs.

“The winners of the Stifel Awards are incredibly deserving of this recognition for everything they accomplished throughout the 2025-26 season,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Sport Anouk Patty. “This season was marked by outstanding performances across all of our teams and that success would not be possible without the dedication of the athletes, coaches and staff working behind the scenes every day. We’re grateful to Stifel for continuing to celebrate and support the people who make these achievements possible.”

The full list of cross-country winners

• Athlete of the Year: Jessie Diggins, Ben Ogden
• Rookie of the Year: Sammy Smith, Murphy Kimball
• Most Improved: Kendall Kramer, Zak Ketterson
• Best Comeback: Novie McCabe, Ben Ogden
• Coach of the Year: Matt Whitcomb

Also Read: U.S. cross-country skiing team nominations for season 2026/2027

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