UW Nordic Ski Teams Expect to Challenge at National Competition |  
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Feb. 28, 2007 -- The University of Wyoming Nordic ski teams are preparing to reign again.
In last weekend's season finale at Snow Mountain Ranch near Winter Park, Colo., the men's and women's teams both captured first place. Both teams are preparing for post-season competition at the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) Nationals, which begin Sunday, March 4, at Snow Mountain.
The Cowboys had 27 team points to defeat the runner-up club from the United States Air Force Academy, which had 18. The Cowgirls also had 27 points, while Air Force placed second with 12.
The UW men swept the top three positions. John Kirlin, Casper freshman, had a time of 43:50, followed by Justin Kinner, Casper sophomore, in 45.54. Jacob Peterson, Lander sophomore, was third in 46:26. The Cowgirls also had the top three places during their race. Kari Boroff, Daniel junior, was first in 54:31; Melissa Gangl, Casper senior, was next in 54:32; and third went to Casper freshman Kelsie Speiser at 54:33.
Both teams also swept the 8.5 classic race the next day. Kirlin was first in 29:46; Brian Sebade, Lander junior, placed second at 30:33; and Peterson recorded a 31:03. Boroff won the race in 35:18, followed by Speiser in 36:16. Pinedale sophomore Mae Peterson took third at 38:09.
With the regular season wrapped up, the UW Nordic ski teams are preparing for the national competition, where the Cowgirls and Cowboys have traditionally done well.
Since 1998 when the Nordic ski program came back as a club team, the Cowgirls have won two USCSA national championships in 2003 and 2004 while the Cowboys won the national title last season. Additionally, the women's program has recorded three runner-up trophies and the men, two, in the last eight years.
UW Coach Christi Boggs, assistant lecturer in the UW College of Education, says her teams should be contenders once again, especially the women who graduated only one skier from last year's national runner-up team.
The team goes into the national competition with five All-Americans, including Gangl, who has been a three-time All-American, Boroff and the Turner sisters, Liz and Katie, both juniors from Chugiak, Alaska, and Erin Hammer, a sophomore from Lander.
The team added depth this season with the addition of Gywnn Barrows, Laramie sophomore, Speiser and Mae Peterson, Boggs says.
"The women are poised to compete for another national championship against extremely tough teams," Boggs says. "All eight of our women have a shot of a top 10 finish in one of the races and we are looking for Kari, Melissa and Erin to possibly place in the top six overall with all of them looking at a possible top five finish in any given race."
The team will vie for the national title with defending champion St. Olaf College of Northfield, Minn., and the third place team from a year ago, Clarkson University of Potsdam, N.Y.
The UW men's team graduated four of the seven athletes on last season's national champion team, making this a rebuilding year, Boggs says.
"However, the men returning from last season's team are much stronger than they were a year ago," she says.
The Lander trio of Josh Peterson, Sebade and Collin McRann have added depth with Kirlin, a transfer, who won every USCSA race he entered. They will be joined by Jacob Peterson, Lander sophomore, and Nicholai Smith, a sophomore from Chugiak.
"We're hoping for top five finishes from John, top 10 finishes from Josh and Brian and a top three finish for the men's team overall," Boggs says. "That would be a huge accomplishment, but we think it's possible."
She adds that Cornell University of Ithaca, N.Y., is the squad to beat because they return their entire team -- a club that finished second to the Cowboys a year ago by just a single point in the final national standings. Also expected to challenge are Clarkson University and the University of Maine-Presque Isle.
Combined, the UW Nordic program produced nine overall individual All-Americans last season, 17 individual All-American finishes and six Academic All-Americans. Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007
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