UW Nordic Ski Teams Among Favorites at National Meet in Lake Placid

It seems things have come easily for both University of Wyoming Nordic ski teams this season. The competition will be much harder next week.

The Cowboys and Cowgirls will compete at the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSSA) national championships March 11-15 at Lake Placid, N.Y., home of the 1980 Winter Games. UW team members will compete on the Olympic trails and awards will be presented at Olympic Plaza.

Both teams will be in contention once again for national titles after easily winning each of the weekly conference meets this past season.

“Our men’s team is the defending national champions and the women were runner-up last year, but are looking to win it all this year,” says UW co-head Coach Christi Boggs. “I think that if they all ski to their ability, a double win is possible. Anything can happen, but the possibility is there.”

UW’s Nordic ski club has been a national power the past decade.

The Cowboys have won four overall team titles, bringing home championships in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2013. The Cowgirls have won five overall team titles in 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2010. During that stretch, UW’s teams also have combined nearly a dozen times to place as the national runner-up.

And the Cowboys and Cowgirls have accomplished all of that mainly with student-athletes from the Equality State.

Representing the Cowgirls at the USCSSA meet will be Sierra Jech, Cody; Elise Sulser and Bridget Weiner, both from Casper; Britta Schroeter of Ironwood, Mich.; and Yara Thomas of Jackson.

The men’s team will be Kyle Bochanski, Fairfax, Vt.; Kyle Carpenter from Anchorage, Alaska; Wil Chapple of Littleton, Colo.; Andrew Hill, Nathan Hough, Patrick Rodgers and Taylor Vignaroli, all of Casper; Ben Noren of Ironwood, Mich.; Sindre Solvang, from Cheyenne; and Sam Wiswell of Jackson.

Competition begins Tuesday, March 11, with an 8.5km skate race, followed by a 1.5km classic sprint Wednesday, March 12; a 15km mass start race Friday, March 14; and the week caps off with a team sprint Saturday, March 15.