Clarner Earns Spot on Team USA for 2027 World University Games

Tom Bartol

Nordic Ski | 8/10/2026 10:18:00 AM

Junior Matthew Clarner of the Clarkson University Nordic Ski team has qualified for the World University Games set to take place in January 2027 in Changchun, China.

Clarner was one of eight male student-athletes from the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) named to Team USA, joining Wesley Sumner (Colorado Mesa University), Paavo Rova (Saint Olaf College), Gabriel Lloyd (Paul Smiths College), Sisu Lange (Paul Smiths College), Philip Matthews IV (Paul Smiths College), Graydon Walker (Western Colorado University), and Austin Quillian (University of Wyoming). At least six of the eight skiers will participate in any given race.

Roughly 1700 athletes from nearly 60 countries/regions are expected to compete from January 15-25 at Changchun's Beidahu Ski Resort and Songhua Lake Ski Resort. There will be nine Nordic Ski events for the men and women, including an Individual Freestyle Sprint, a 10K Classic, a 4x5K Relay, and a 15K Freestyle, as well as a Mixed Classic Relay.

Clarner, a rising junior from Hopkinton, New Hampshire, finished sixth overall at the USCSA National Championships in March 2026 as a sophomore, placing fourth in the 7.5K Classic as well as the 15K Freestyle while also placing 21st in the Freestyle Sprint. In his first collegiate season with the Golden Knights, he took 19th overall at the USCSA Nationals, coming in seventh in the 7.5K Freestyle and in the top 30 in the Classic Sprint and 15K Classic. In his two seasons with the Golden Knights, he has won 10 races.

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Players Mentioned

Matthew Clarner: Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Matthew Clarner
: Sophomore