The University of Wyoming Nordic skiing teams had another strong performance at the Western Colorado University Invitational in Crested Butte, Colorado, this past weekend.
On Saturday, both the Cowboys and Cowgirls took home team titles in the Alley Loop 21K race.
The Cowboys were led by Kaleb Simonton from Lander, who finished first, followed by teammate Diego Lobatos, also from Lander, in second, and Austin Quillinan from Laramie, who placed fifth. The team scored a total of eight points to claim the top spot.
Other Cowboys who competed were Eliot Kramer (ninth) from Minneapolis, Jack Jendro (12th) from Minneapolis, and Sean Kraemer (15th) from Evergreen, Colorado. Western Colorado University (WCU) placed second with 15 points.
The Cowgirls also secured the team win with 12 points, outpacing Colorado, which scored 20. Sammy Veauthier from Casper held strong throughout most of the race, battling top skiers from WCU and CU. She finished third after tiring on the final steep climb. UW co-head coach Rachel Watson praised Veauthier’s effort, especially considering her recent return from the World University Games and the jet lag she was dealing with. “We are elated with her finish,” Watson said, adding that Veauthier would only improve as the season progressed.
Veauthier’s sister, Eleanor, placed fourth, while the rest of the scoring team included Shayla Babits from Lander in fifth and Wren Hyberston from Boulder, Colorado, in sixth.
Sunday’s race was a 5K classic event on the International Ski and Snowboard Federation homologated course, which posed technical challenges due to the warm temperatures. “The high temperatures made the downhills trickier, and selecting the right kick wax was difficult,” said UW co-head coach Christi Boggs. “But the Pokes succeeded on both fronts, with only a few downhill crashes and wax that lasted the entire race, leading to several podium finishes and another team victory for the men.”
Lobatos earned a second-place finish again, which put him in the lead for the overall season standings. He was supported by Quillinan in fourth and Jendro in seventh. The Cowboys’ strong performances allowed them to edge out Colorado Mesa for the win by just one point. Kramer finished 10th, and Kraemer was 11th.
The Cowgirls finished second overall, losing only to WCU, with Babits earning a second-place individual finish. “At the halfway point, Shayla was in sixth, 21 seconds behind second place,” said Boggs. “She gained more than 30 seconds in the second half of the race, moving up to take second.”
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