Grace Zumwinkle, Breck School alum and forward for the Minnesota Frost, qualifies for her second Winter Olympic Games. Zumwinkle is a one-time Olympic medalist. Photos: Chris Emeott
Meet those from the West Metro who have gold medal dreams.
The Opening Ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games arrives on February 6, and the North Star State will be well represented in Italy. Minnesota is set to send the second-most amount of athletes to compete in sports such as alpine, cross-country and Nordic skiing, curling, ice hockey and speed skating. Learn more about those who hail from the West Metro, and be sure to follow the Games through February 22.
Maple Grove Senior High School alum Brock Faber, a defenseman for the Minnesota Wild, qualifies for his second consecutive Olympic Winter Games for ice hockey. Faber is also active with the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minneapolis, where his sister, Paige, plays for the Minnesota Wild sponsored team, Minnesota Special Hockey.
Grace Zumwinkle of Excelsior qualifies for her second Winter Olympic Games for ice hockey. The Minnesota Frost forward began playing hockey in kindergarten and has excelled in additional sports including golf and tennis. Zumwinkle is a one-time Olympic medalist, receiving silver at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games for Team USA ice hockey alongside Kelly Pannek, and has won back-to-back Walter Cups for the Minnesota Frost.
Lakeville’s Jake Oettinger, goaltender for the Dallas Stars, qualifies for his Winter Olympic Games debut in ice hockey. Oettinger, a Lakeville North High School alum, began playing hockey at age 9 and joined USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program in 2014.
Kelly Pannek, Benilde-St. Margaret’s alum and center for the Minnesota Frost, returns for her third consecutive Winter Olympic Games. Pannek is a two-time Olympic medalist.
Plymouth’s Kelly Pannek returns for her third consecutive Winter Olympic Games, competing in ice hockey. The two-time Olympic medalist (She received gold at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games and silver at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, both for Team USA ice hockey.) plays professionally for the Minnesota Frost, winning back-to-back Walter Cups the last two years alongside Grace Zumwinkle.
Two-time world medalist Paula Moltzan of Prior Lake qualifies for her second consecutive Olympic Winter Games for alpine skiing. Moltzan began skiing at Buck Hill, similarly to Olympian Lindsey Vonn, and became the first U.S. woman to win the junior world slalom title at age 20. At the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Moltzan debuted as the oldest Olympic U.S. women’s alpine skier at age 27.
