(Lander, WY) – By late afternoon on Saturday, the Lander Middle School Nordic team showed its dominance, with both boys and girls teams winning the overall points of the Lander Middle School Nordic Invitational. Six teams from around the state attended the event on the golf course ski trails. Two teams, Laramie and Sheridan, were unable to attend due to weather and mechanical issues.
Originally scheduled to take place at Beaver Creek Nordic Ski Trails, the venue was changed at the last minute to avoid the predicted -20F temperatures. While warmer in Lander, it was still a true winter event.
Race Director Emily Tilden expressed gratitude for the ability to make a last-minute switch: “Lander is a very special ski community because we have the flexibility and support to have two different ski venues. We made the switch on Thursday to host nearly 400 athletes at the golf course, which provided a significantly more positive experience for all skiers, volunteers and spectators. Without the infrastructure provided by the Lander Nordic Ski Association, this would not be possible.”
Skiers tested their metal on one of 2 routes. The longer route was 3.6km, sweeping down the front nine course and then a long steady climb back up to the finish. A shorter-route 1.5km option with less climbing was available for skiers with less experience.
All Lander skiers skied the longer distance, showing a strong learning curve. Coach Morgan Schubring noted, “The amount of growth that we see in our skiers in less than three weeks is incredible. Getting to see them put their skills to the test is amazing. Seeing them cross the finish line with a giant smile on their faces, and then sticking around to cheer on all of the other skiers makes coaching so worth it!”
Overall for the longer course, Lander boys claimed 8 of the top 10 times overall, missing only 1st and 6th places. The Lander girls nabbed 5 of the top 10, which is especially impressive with only 11 girls on the Lander team this year. Two of the top 10 finishers were new to the team this year: Kambri Simonson (8th) and Abigail Jubber (9th).
Coach Ashly Kraenzel said of the Sabers, “The team is a group of optimistic, highly motivated, and all around good kids. They have been working hard and supporting each other for weeks and it paid off Saturday. Watching them find their grit was AWESOME!!!” Coach Missy White chimed in, “The Lander team is known not only for great skiing, but also for great sportsmanship. We’re the team that makes noise! We cheer for teammates, and we cheer for all skiers. Everyone knows when Lander is present. We have a terrific group of kids on the team. ”
Middle School Nordic skiing has evolved in the last few years, now offering advanced skills development and opportunities to test those skills at multiple events during the season. Jan Babits noted trailside that, “As a parent of middle school skiers from the past, I commend the coaches for successfully transforming the Lander Middle School ski program into a fun and competitive sport. Thanks to their dedication, the skiers now race with confidence and style, wearing official race uniforms, and enjoy the opportunity to participate in multiple races each season.”
Winter sports can be challenging to train for and support. Race Director Tilden reiterated her gratitude for the support of Lander Nordic, and the school district. “I am also grateful for the continued support from the school district as we continually navigate what it means to support a sport like Nordic skiing, which has many unique variables. It is an honor to be able to pay it forward to future generations of skiers, as many did for me, when I was skiing competitively. It is exciting to see our upcoming athletes push themselves and I love being a part of that opportunity for self discovery.”
Lander will attend two events in Casper in February, before once again inviting all teams to the State Championships on February 22nd, to be held at the Beaver Creek Nordic Ski Area. The first skier starts at 1 pm, and the public is welcome to attend.
The results are below.
BOYS
- Landen Parker 2nd
- Rohan Sundaresan 3rd
- Neko Sandall 4th
- Charlie Lock 5th
- Nolan George 7th
- Alex Wise 8th
- Zeke White 9th
- Theo Zimmer 10th
- Ryan Tschida 14th
- Benny Gribowskas 15th
- Carson MacLeod 19th
- Sether Rickbeil 24th
- Wyatt Juarez 28th
- Christian Jensen 29th
- John Butler 30th
- Morey More 33rd
- Jackson McDonald 34th
- Ethan Artery 35th
- Wyatt Scott 36th
- Cormac Norton 38th
- Paxton Hopkin 44th
- Cache Hammond 48th
- Caelum McCann 51st
- Miles Vail 60th
- Taran Rangitsch 61st
- Cayman Page 66th
- Xavier Binns 68th
- Easton Freese 76th
- Bannen Reisig 77th
GIRLS
- Nora Strike 1st
- Ella Joyes 3rd
- Abby Conner 6th
- Kambri Simonson 8th
- Abi Jubber 9th
- Cora Kemp 15th
- Asa Kozlowski 16th
- Anabel Bechtel 17th
- Lili Hopkin 23rd
- Betha Olsson 25th
- Addi Robinson 33rd
The above information was provided by Missy White and the Saber Nordic Ski Team.