Lander 2025 Jan 24

SPRINT RACE FESTIVAL FOR EVERYONE!

Lander hosted Skate Sprint races without the usual qualifier, allowing for more race time and giving every athlete the opportunity to participate in four sprint races. The event was incredibly fun to watch, and the athletes loved it! Groups of six athletes started every 2.5 minutes, allowing each athlete to race again in roughly 70 minutes. In each heat, the top two athletes moved up one heat, while the bottom two moved down for the next race. The goal was for each athlete to advance to the highest heat possible and then, in their final fourth race, aim to place as high as possible within that heat.

Girls' Races

Kayley Alicke raced perfectly. Starting in the highest heat, her goal was to maintain her position in the first three races and then give maximum effort in her final race. Keeping her energy expenditure minimal, she finished 3rd and 4th in her first three heats, effectively conserving strength. In her fourth and final race, she started in 3rd position. About two-thirds into the race, she attacked the field and won by a few feet, ahead of Olivia Tolson from Pinedale in 2nd and Raina Wachob in 3rd.

Brynn Kirol had an outstanding day, placing second on the Sheridan team and finishing 22nd overall. She worked her way from 21st to 15th during her second race but dropped a heat in her third race. Leading the field in her final race, she ultimately finished 4th in her heat due to fatigue. We trained hard this past week, and many of the athletes felt the effects of that in their final races.

Boys' Races

Several athletes stood out in the boys' races.

Henry Phillips began the day in the 5th heat. By placing 1st or 2nd in each of his first three heats, he worked his way up to the 2nd heat, ultimately finishing 12th overall—a personal best for Henry.

Justin McDowell also had an incredible race day. Starting in heat 4, he won his first two heats but dropped back to heat 3 in his third race. In his final race, he took charge again and finished 1st in his heat, securing 13th overall. Justin has never raced with such confidence and power!

Another athlete worth mentioning is Kade Shideman. As a freshman racing against juniors and seniors, Kade showed no fear. Like Henry, he moved up one heat every round. In his final race, he finished last in his heat, appearing to have been blocked by other skiers. However, Kade smiled afterward, sharing that all six boys decided to mess with each other rather than race strictly for victory. Oh, Kade! 😉

And then there’s Andre. He started skiing just last year in middle school, and now, as a freshman in high school, he has already proven himself to be one of the kindest and hardest-working athletes we’ve ever had on the team. Despite being sick over the past few days, we had no expectations for him—but Andre worked hard in every race, advancing in his 2nd and 3rd heats to finish 34th overall. That is a very respectable result!

Start Positions and Final Rank:

Kayley: 5 —> 1

Brynn: 21 —> 22

Livie: 12 —> 24

Kindell: 28 —> 35

Ella: 36 —> 53

Mary: 43 —> 54

Isabelle: 59 —> 72

Henry: 25 —> 12

Justin: 18 —> 13

SeanKyle: 11 —> 17

Gabe: 4 —> 18