The University of Wyoming (UW) Nordic ski team showcased a dominant performance at the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) Collegiate Championships in Bend, Oregon, securing a national championship title for the men’s team and a runner-up finish for the women’s team, WyoToday Media reports.
The Cowboys claimed their first national championship since 2017, marking their eighth overall title. The Cowgirls also delivered an impressive performance, finishing second in the nation, narrowly missing their seventh championship title.
The event took place at Mount Bachelor, a location where UW’s men last won a national championship in 2017. This year, the Pokes dominated from start to finish, ultimately securing a 20-point victory over conference rival Colorado Mesa University (CMU) with a final team score of 60 points to CMU’s 80.
“This was the culmination of an entire year of training coming together perfectly,” UW co-head Coach Rachel Watson said. “Watching them execute was incredible.”
The Cowgirls also exceeded expectations, finishing as national runners-up. St. Olaf College (SOC) took the women’s title with 21 points, while the Cowgirls finished with 76 points.
“While the men executed their plan, the women blew the roof off,” Watson said. “We really shocked people, even the teams we had been competing with all season.”
After securing their top finishes in the third race on Friday, both teams looked to cement their success in the mixed relay race on Saturday. However, meet officials canceled the final event due to hazardous road conditions leading up to Mount Bachelor.
“We would have liked to finish the last race, but we really couldn’t be prouder of our teams,” Watson added.
Beyond the team success, several UW skiers earned All-American honors for their performances across all three individual races.
For the Cowboys, the top finishers were:
- Kaleb Simonson (Lander) – 4th overall
- Diego Labatos (Lander) – 5th overall
- Austin Quillinan (Laramie) – 9th overall
- Jack Jendro (Minneapolis, Minn.) – 15th overall
The Cowgirls’ All-Americans included:
- Sammy Veauthier (Casper) – 6th overall
- Shayla Babits (Lander) – 7th overall
- Eleanor Veauthier (Casper) – 13th overall
- Wren Hybertson (Boulder, Colo.) – tied for 14th overall
In total, UW’s Nordic teams earned 20 All-American finishes—10 for the men and 10 for the women.
UW competes in the USCSA, which includes teams from across the US This year’s event featured a record-breaking 685 athletes from 75 universities across six regions.
