Knute Johnsgaard is the latest Yukoner to join Canada’s senior cross-country ski team.

The 22-year-old confirmed the news during an interview with the Star yesterday afternoon.

“I’m training with the very top guys in the country who are some of the fastest in the world,” Johnsgaard said from Canmore, Alta., where he has been training at the Alberta World Cup Academy for the last two weeks.

The designation marks the fulfillment of a longtime goal for Johnsgaard, who has had the senior team in his sights ever since he cracked the Canadian junior roster in 2010.

“Making the national team has been one of my lifelong goals, second only to the Olympics,” he said. “I’m so happy to have this opportunity.”

Johnsgaard joins Yukon female stalwarts Emily Nishikawa and Dahria Beatty on the 12-member senior team.

Annah Hanthorn continues to hold a roster position with the junior squad, while Nishikawa’s older brother Graham Nishikawa is a guide for the Para-Nordic World Cup team.

Johnsgaard said it was a 14th place finish in the sprint race at the U23 World Skiing Championships in Kazakhstan in February that eventually put him on the team.

The Mount Lorne skier said the designation has given him a great sense of accomplishment for his work since graduating from F.H. Collins Secondary School.

“Most of my high school classmates already have a diploma from a university, but this is what I’ve been working for the past five years since I’ve been done high school,” he offered.

Yukon head coach Alain Masson said he is excited for Johnsgaard to unlock his potential in Canmore.

“I think it will be good for him to train with faster male skiers during the year and should help him improve his skiing next year,” Masson said in an email this morning.

Johnsgaard admitted he will miss the Yukon this summer.

“I’m really going to miss certain training adventures unique to the Yukon like hunting and packrafting. At the same time, Canmore offers new advantages like a multi-million dollar treadmill, and closer monitoring and coaching with the national team.”

Canadian coach Justin Wadsworth said he believes Johnsgaard has the physical makeup to excel with the senior national team.

“He’s got the attributes to ski at a world-class level,” Wadsworth said. “I get one discretionary choice for men and women. I haven’t used them a lot, but this year I did choose Knute.”

Johnsgaard spent the last few seasons with the Yukon Elite Squad, and he’s proud of what that team accomplished together.

“It was hard for me to part ways with Colin Abbott. I definitely couldn’t have made it to where I was without the support of my teammates.”

Johnsgaard isn’t the only Yukoner making headlines with Cross Country Canada this month.

Pavlina Sudrich has joined the Alberta World Cup Academy as a coach. The 29-year-old is the only female in Canada actively coaching at the high-performance level.

“I always hoped to build enough experience to coach at this level,” said Sudrich, who took up her new role earlier this month. “It’s a big honour.”

Meanwhile, skier Kendra Murray is expected to begin training under Sudrich in Canmore this fall.

Finally, Natalie Hynes, Mac Prawdzick and Marcus Deuling were three of 22 junior skiers identified for next winter’s national talent squad.

The goal of the talent squad is to ease the potential future transition to a national development centre. Members of the talent squad also receive nominal funding.

Hynes cracked the roster by finishing in the top 11 in aggregate standings at the 2015 Haywood nationals.

Prawdzick and Deuling were also selected based on their rankings from last season’s national championships.

“It is great to get the recognition,” Masson said of his junior athletes.

“It will allow them to attend a training camp with the national team this summer which should be beneficial for them.”