The University of Wyoming’s Nordic skiing teams had a remarkable performance at the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) championships held last weekend at Mount Bachelor in Bend, Oregon. The Cowboys claimed the national title, while the Cowgirls finished as national runners-up.
The Cowboys secured their first national championship since 2017, marking their eighth overall in program history. Notably, this victory came in the same location where the Cowboys last won the title in 2017.
The Cowgirls came close to capturing their seventh national championship but fell just short, finishing second.
“We knew going in that if each skier did their part, the men would win,” said coach Rachel Watson. “It was amazing to see all the training from the past year come together so perfectly. Watching them execute the plan was truly beautiful.”
Watson was equally impressed by the Cowgirls’ performance, noting that they exceeded all expectations. “While the men executed the plan, the women truly surprised everyone,” she said. “We took a team with one athlete, Sammy Veauthier, who had never been All-American, two sophomores who had skied well last year but hadn’t reached this level, and a brand-new freshman. We really shocked people.”
Even teams who had competed alongside the Cowboys and Cowgirls throughout the winter season were impressed by their determination and results.
After securing strong positions at the end of the third race on Friday, all that remained for the teams was to perform well in the final team relay on Saturday. This relay would have involved a mix of men’s and women’s skiers. However, due to hazardous road conditions leading up to the ski trails, the race was canceled.
“While we would have liked to finish the last race, we couldn’t be prouder of our teams,” Watson said.
In the men’s competition, the Cowboys clinched the title with 60 points, edging out their conference rivals, Colorado Mesa University, by a comfortable 20-point margin. Paul Smith’s College and St. Olaf College tied for third place with 82 points each, while Western Colorado University finished fifth with 121 points.
In the women’s competition, St. Olaf College dominated, securing a low team score of just 21 points. The Cowgirls finished second with 76 points, while Western Colorado University came third with 138 points. The University of Wisconsin-Madison and Paul Smith’s College rounded out the top five with 149 and 156 points, respectively.
Both the Cowboys and Cowgirls earned recognition for their individual performances, with four team members from each squad receiving All-American honors. All-American status is awarded based on performance in the three individual races, which is considered the highest individual honor in the competition.
For the Cowboys, Kaleb Simonson and Diego Labatos, both from Lander, earned fourth and fifth place overall, respectively, in individual points across all three races. Laramie’s Austin Quillinan secured ninth place, and Jack Jendro finished in 15th.
On the Cowgirls’ side, Sammy Veauthier and Shayla Babits from Lander led the team, finishing sixth and seventh overall, respectively. Eleanor Veauthier, from Casper, placed 13th, while teammate Wren Hybertson tied for 14th.
Both teams showed exceptional skill and determination throughout the competition, cementing their status as top contenders in collegiate Nordic skiing.