U.S. natural luge Junior Team member Torrey Cookman of Marquette competes in a Federation of International Luge World Cup race at Latzfons, Italy, during January 2022. (Photo courtesy @photolove Miriam Jennewein)

NEGAUNEE — The four-person USA Natural Track Luge Team that includes three Marquette residents is coming down to the home stretch of its winter World Cup competition in central mountainous areas of Europe.

The four lugers are Marquette residents Katie Cookman, 15, Torrey Cookman, 18, and Zane Farnsworth, 21, along with Jacob Sterk, 16, of St. Michael, Minnesota.

They have competed in six meets and have two more remaining, one later this week and another next week.

This week’s meet will be held in Deutchnofen, Italy, from Thursday through Sunday. They were supposed to compete in Romania, but a lack of ice and snow forced cancellation there, according to a USA Natural Track Luge Team news release from Laura Farnsworth of Marquette.

Next week’s meet, the final one of the season, will be a double World Cup competition in Umhausen, Austria, from Feb. 16-19.

Last week, the team was training both on and off the ice at the competitive track at Winterleiten, Austria.

The release noted that the U.S. quartet is creating lifelong friendships with athletes from around the world and “have created a family of sorts with those sharing this experience.”

It also noted that several of the athletes will return to Marquette County after next week’s event to participate in a pair of races at Negaunee’s Lucy Hill track.

Those races are scheduled to also include competitors from Canada, Japan, Austria and Argentina and are scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, and 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 4.

In their most recent meet held in Deutchnofen on Jan. 29, Katie Cookman ranked 10th in the women’s division with a two-run time of 2 minutes, 10.13 seconds.

Torrey Cookman was 12th in the men’s division in 1:59.02, Zane Farnsworth 13th in the men’s in 2:02.97 and Sterk 19th in the men’s in 2:23.82.

The U.S. group earlier competed in these five meets — World Cup Juniors at Winterleiten, Austria, Dec. 31; World Cup Juniors at Passeiertal, Italy, Jan. 5; World Cup Seniors, Jaufental, Italy, Jan. 14 and 15; and World Cup Juniors, Seisser Alm, Italy, Jan. 22.

To follow the team on Facebook, visit upluge.org and for dates, times and live broadcasts of upcoming events, go to fil-luge.org.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.