The University of Wyoming’s Nordic skiing teams delivered impressive performances at the Western Colorado University Invitational in Crested Butte, Colorado, this past weekend, claiming top honors in both the men’s and women’s team competitions, Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports.
The Cowboys triumphed in Saturday’s 21K Alley Loop race, earning eight points to secure the team win. Leading the charge were Lander natives Kaleb Simonton and Diego Lobatos, who placed first and second, respectively, while Austin Quillinan from Laramie secured fifth.
Additional top-15 finishes came from Eliot Kramer (9th) and Jack Jendro (12th), both from Minneapolis, and Sean Kraemer (15th) of Evergreen, Colorado. Western Colorado University took second place with 15 points.
On the women’s side, the Cowgirls earned a commanding victory with 12 points, defeating the University of Colorado’s 20 points. Casper’s Sammy Veauthier finished third despite recent jet lag from her return from the World University Games. Her sister, Eleanor Veauthier, placed fourth, followed by Lander’s Shayla Babits (fifth) and Boulder native Wren Hyberston (sixth).
Sunday’s competition presented technical challenges on the International Ski and Snowboard Federation homologated course, with rising temperatures complicating both downhill sections and wax selection. Despite these conditions, the Cowboys secured another team victory.
Lobatos finished in second place, propelling him to the lead in the overall season standings. Quillinan and Jendro followed with fourth and seventh-place finishes, respectively, clinching a narrow one-point win over Colorado Mesa.
The Cowgirls narrowly missed the top spot, placing second to WCU. Babits delivered an outstanding performance, surging from sixth at the halfway mark to finish second. Eleanor Veauthier claimed fifth, while Sammy Veauthier secured seventh.
UW co-head coach Rachel Watson praised the team’s resilience and highlighted Sammy Veauthier’s strong showing despite jet lag. Co-head coach Christi Boggs commended the athletes’ technical skill in navigating the difficult course and their strategic wax choices.
