A series to share #smiles across our community through the achievements of our local youth, brought to you by Olsen Orthodontics.
The 2023 Wyoming High School Nordic Skiing State Championships were held in Jackson on February 24 & 25. The Lady Tigers brought home the 1st place finish with 213 points, and the Tigers tied Laramie for 2nd place with 198 points.
The girls took the state title after five consecutive runner-up finishes, shared head coach Norm Cessna.
“They earned the lead on Friday’s 5K Classic race with Ameya Eddy’s 3rd place finish, Anni Wilmot’s 6th, Emily Anderson’s 7th, and Divya Forbis’s 10th place finishes. They were able to hold off Jackson in the 10K Freestyle, with Eddy again leading the way with a 3rd place finish and Anni Wilmot’s 10th place finish. Their victory ended a 12 year championship reign for Jackson.”
Individual seasonal honors went to Ameya Eddy, the overall All-State point champion. Also, Emily Anderson, Shayla Babits, and Divya Forbis earned All-State honors.
“The Lander boys also enjoyed great success at the State Meet,” Cessna continued. “They led the field by a single point after the Friday 5K classic with Otus Beason leading the way with a 2nd place finish, Diego Lobatos 3rd, and Bennett Hutchison 10th. Jackson was able to overtake Lander with their deep field of skiers in the 10K Freestyle Mass Start on the challenging course. Bennett Hutchison, however, provided the highlight of the day by passing Jackson’s Sam Sinclair on the final turn to become the 2023 State Freestyle Champion. Diego Lobatos was also in the lead group, placing 3rd.”
Individually, Diego Lobatos was the overall All-State point champion by virtue of his two 3rd place finishes. Bennett Hutchison and Otus Beason also earned All-State honors.
Check out the full results from the Championships here.
Next up is Junior Nationals, where 10 Lander skiers are headed to Fairbanks, Alaska on March 11-16. They are currently fundraising for their trip. Click here to donate.