JACKSON, Wyo. — Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club’s (JHSC) student Nordic team placed fifth overall in the Junior National Cross-Country Ski Championships last week.
JHSC sent a record 14 racers to the competition, held in Minneapolis, MN from March 7-12. The athletes competed in four races: a freestyle individual start, a classic sprint, a classic mass start, and a freestyle mixed relay.
Memorable performances include U16 athletes Lena Poduska and Lucas Wilmot, who both skied to three top-10 finished in the individual events and a top-10 finish in the relay. U18 student-athlete Kate Brigham earned a 2nd place finish in the Classic Sprint and 10th in the Classic Mass Start. JHSC Alum and University of Denver student-athlete Elijah Weenig had three consecutive top-10 finishes, including 4th in the Freestyle Individual Start, while also pacing his team to 3rd in the Freestyle Mixed Relay.
In addition to these outstanding performances, six other JHSC student-athletes placed in the top 30 over the course of the week and therefore scored points for the club standings. Altogether, the results of all 14 athletes propelled JHSC into 5th place.
“We are extremely proud of all the JHSC Nordic student-athletes who competed in Junior Nationals this week. These performances are the culmination of countless hours of training and preparation over many years,” says Nordic Program Director and Head Coach Will Wicherski. “Being one of the top five Nordic club programs in the country is a fantastic achievement and is proof of the growth and progress JHSC has made from top to bottom. These great performances by JHSC student-athletes were made possible by the support of teammates, coaches, Club staff, volunteers, and the entire Jackson Hole community.”
The JHSC Nordic program continues with practice this week but will soon enter the off-season and give student-athletes and coaches some well-deserved rest before starting back up in May.
