LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — A University of Wyoming student clinched a national title in Nordic skiing on Wednesday in Lake Placid, NY.
With the title, skier John Henry Paluszek helped the Cowboys move into third place at the U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association’s Collegiate National Championships.
Paluszek of Farmington N.H. is the overall individual points leader in the Rocky Mountain Conference. He topped the field in the classic sprint competition after taking third in Tuesday’s 7.5km interval start skate race.
“John Henry was in a class of his own, easily winning every heat all the way through to the final,” University of Wyoming co-head Coach Christi Boggs said. “He simply was never challenged in any meaningful way. He raged up the long uphill and was uncatchable all the way to the finish.
It was Paluszek’s third sprint national championship, after winning two with his previous school, Vermont’s Castleton University.
“It was a hard race, but our wax techs did a nice job with both kick and glide,”said Paluszek. “The course had one big hill, so I knew I had to make my move there. I made the top of that hill my finish line and then let my glide take over. I had to hope for the best, because there was a slip stream that could benefit anyone close enough to catch it. Fortunately, I had broken the slip stream and was able to cruise home.”
