UW Nordic Ski Teams Turn in Personal Top Performances at World Games

Being selected to carry the U.S. flag in the opening ceremonies at the Universiade World University Games (WUG) this week in Almaty, Kazakhstan, was big for Casper’s Elise Sulser. She turned that honor into a personal best on the Nordic ski trails later in the day.

Sulser was chosen as the U.S. team’s flag-bearer in a voting among her 73 teammates. Competing Monday and Tuesday in two separate races with one overall combined time, the UW athletes performed well, according to coaches Christi Boggs and Rachel Watson.

UW Nordic ski club team members and coaches are part of the USA team that is competing in the games, known as the Winter Universiade, an international sporting and cultural festival staged every two years in a different city. It is said to be second in importance only to the Winter Olympic Games. More than 50 countries are competing.

UW’s teams will compete against some world-class athletes who have competed in past Winter Olympics. This is the fourth time UW’s contingent has been invited to the WUG, having previously competed in Turkey, Italy and Slovakia.

The race on the first day -- the classic race -- is scored separately from the race that was held Tuesday -- the skate race. However, the second race is scored as a pursuit, meaning that Tuesday’s competition is like a chase, beginning from where each of the competitors left off the day before.

Sulser placed 23rd on the first day of the 5k classic, tying her best-ever Team USA finish, matching her 2015 performance.

“We also had some other good finishes, with all three UW women in the top 50 in the race,” Boggs says.

Laramie’s Meghan Kent was 48th, and Yara Thomas, of Jackson, was one place behind her Cowgirl teammate.

For the men, Mason Vincent, of Laramie, had what the UW coaches believe is the best-ever Cowboy men’s individual finish in 44th place. Will Timmons, from Anchorage, Alaska, placed 73rd and, despite a crash, Sam Wiswell, of Jackson, placed 80th.

“The race Tuesday was equally successful,” Watson says.

Sulser held her place and was 24th in the overall pursuit. Her Cowgirl teammates gained places. Kent skied up to 47th, and Thomas moved up one position. Former UW Cowgirl Sierra Jech, of Cody, who is now a Syracuse University graduate student, moved up 10 places on the second day.

All of the men, except for Vincent, also gained places. Timmons and Wiswell both caught 10 racers, while Vincent was overcome by about 10 skiers.