Kleinheinz, Mueller and Bivins-Lux win Norton Junior National Championship titles

Park City (FIL/17 Mrz 2025) The Norton Junior National Championships concluded the competition season for USA Luge's young athletes. Ellie Kleinheinz won the junior women's class (19-21 years), Aidan Mueller won the men's class and the doubles team of Nathan Bivins and Wolfgang Lux won the title in the doubles.

By winning the 2025 junior national title, Ellie Kleinheinz (Santa Clara, California) has won gold in every national category she has competed in. In 2022, Youth Olympian (YOG Gangwon 2024) won the Youth B (13 and under) title, followed by the Youth A (14-18) title in 2023.

2024 YOG participant and Norton Youth A Champion, Talia Tonn (Cecil, Wisc.) took second with a time of 3:01.875, followed by Breckan Luedke (Menasha, Wisc.) in third with a time of 3:03.667.

Aidan Mueller (West Islip, N.Y.) won his first Norton Junior National title with a time of 3:10.701. Logan Barnes (Clarkesville, Tenn.) finished second just behind Mueller with a time of 3:10.890. 2024 Youth Olympian Orson Colby (Riverton, Utah) was third with a time of 3:15.380.

The national doubles championship was determined by a two-heat competition, with both men's and women's teams competing in the national championships. 2024 Olympians Bivins (Castleton, N.Y.) and Lux (Swanton, Vt.), earned their first Norton Junior title in 1:30.541. 2024 Youth Olympian Sadie Martin (Vermontville, N.Y.) and Brianna Gosnell (Evansburg, Pa.) took second in 1:33.271. Marcus Mueller (Brookfield, Wis.) and Ansel Haugsjaa (Framingham, Mass.), who competed as members of the national team for most of the season, were disqualified in their last race as juniors due to runners that were too warm. Aside from the disappointment, the result has no impact on the duo's position on the national team ahead of the 2025-26 season.

The U.S. Luge National Team is expected to train in Lake Placid next week in preparation for the 2025-26 season. Both Lake Placid and Park City will host World Cup events in December. These races will be part of the qualifying process for the 2026 Olympic team. Overall World Cup bronze medalists Chevonne Forgan (Chelmsford, Massachusetts) and Sophia Kirkby (Lake Placid, New York) will attend the pre-homologation of the new Olympic track in Cortina, Italy, at the end of this month.

One event remains on the 2024-25 schedule: the Norton Masters National Championship, scheduled for March 30 in Lake Placid, N.Y. The race features non-national team athletes and those over the age of 30.