After trading in his hockey skates to competitively cross country ski his sophomore year of high school, Ian Torchia has quickly climbed the ranks of the sport in just a few years.

Since he has began his competitive ski career, Torchia has claimed a Junior National Championship title, joined the Northern Michigan University Ski Team and became one of the top American distance skiers at both the 2015 World Juniors in Almaty, Kazakhstan and the 2016 World Juniors in Rasnov, Romania. Torchia also had several top results at U.S. Nationals and was named to the 2016 All-CCSA first team and earned first team All-American titles in the 10k freestyle and 20k classic events at the 2016 NCAAs in Steamboat Springs, CO. These outstanding efforts have landed Torchia on the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team Development Team for the 2016-17 season.  

FIRST TRACKS
Torchia was in his mom's backpack while she cross country skied just weeks after birth, but first started skiing a day before he turned two, chasing his five siblings down the hill. He skied with the Rochester Nordic Ski Team since he was five and stopped playing hockey to start cross country skiing competitively when he was a sophomore in high school. As a junior in high school, Torchia competed at his first Junior National Championships in Fairbanks, AK, where he won his first and only Junior National title. Torchia will be a junior in the fall of 2016 at Northern Michigan University, studying Exercise Science. 

OFF THE SNOW
Torchia enjoys mountain biking, climbing, and camping in Marquette with his teammates. He is always down for a good game of ping-pong, foosball or basketball. He can also make a mean chicken masala from his mom's secret recipe.