UW Nordic Ski Team to Take Part in Laramie Nordic Festival Feb. 12

Fresh off another successful outing on the ski trails, the University of Wyoming Nordic ski club turns its attention to its only home meet of the season Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 13 and 14, at the Pole Mountain Nordic ski trails.

This weekend’s competition is part of the Laramie Nordic Festival Feb. 12-14, which will feature ski waxing clinics; high school, junior high school and citizen races; a benefit dinner and UW’s home meet for regional teams. Events are open to the public.

For a complete list of Laramie Nordic Festival events, visit the website at http://laramieloppet.weebly.com/laramie-nordic-festival.html.

Last weekend, the UW Nordic teams dominated the Western State Colorado University (WSCU) Invitational at Crested Butte. Both teams “crushed it” with perfect team scores in the 21km freestyle competition, UW co-head Coach Christi Boggs says.

The UW men have won all the United States Collegiate Ski Association (USCSA) races this season, but each race has had a different first place finisher. Will Timmons, Anchorage, Alaska, was UW’s top finisher last Saturday, and was followed closely by Jackson’s Sam Wiswell. Mason Vincent, of Laramie, followed closely in third place. Ben Noren, of Ironwood, Mich., and Casper’s Taylor Vignaroli were 10th and 13th, respectively.

A number of Division 1 racers competed (their scores were separate than the USCSA’s participants), and the UW members did well. Timmons and Wiswell finished fifth and sixth overall among the Division 1 racers.

The UW men scored a perfect score with a team-low six points. The Pokes were followed by the host WSCU team’s 20 points; the United State Air Force Academy (USAFA) had 34; Colorado Mesa University (CMU) scored 35; Colorado College (CC) had 58; and both Oregon State University-Cascades (OSU-C) and the University of Colorado (CU) scored 60 points.

The UW women matched their teammates’ perfect score when the Cowgirls also scored six points to finish ahead of CMU, which had 22 points. They were followed by CC with 35; WSCU scored 46 points; the USAFA had 53; and OSU-C scored 60.

Elise Sulser, of Casper, won the women’s USCSA-sanctioned race, and placed third overall behind a pair of Division 1 skiers. Laramie’s Meghan Kent was the runner-up to Sulser, while three other Cowgirls took the third through fifth positions: Sierra Jech, of Cody; Bridget Weiner, from Casper, and Yara Thomas, from Jackson. Kristy Palmer and Leann Bentley, both from Laramie, were seventh and ninth, respectively. Britta Schroeter, from Ironwood, Mich., took 10th.

The UW men also won Sunday’s 5km classic race with 10 points, followed by WSCU with 23; CMU 29; USAFA 39; CU 45; and both OSU-C and CC scored 60 points.

On the women’s side, the Cowgirls scored eight points; CMU 23; CC 36; WSCU 42; USAFA 57; and OSU-C 60.

Sulser and Jech went one-two in the 5km classic, while Kent, Weiner and Thomas took the fourth through sixth positions. Schroeter and Bentley were among the top 10 finishers, placing ninth and 10th, respectively.

Vincent and Timmons swept the top two positions in the 5km race. Casper’s Trevor Willoughby scored for the first time for the Pokes, finishing ninth.