Pinedale State 2026 Feb 27-28

🥇 State Championship Reflection: Four Years in the Making

This weekend, our Sheridan Nordic team accomplished something truly special: the boys are State Champions and the girls captured a 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 6th place across two races.

While the result itself is exciting, what makes this championship meaningful is the journey it represents. Four years ago, when we launched the program, none of us fully knew what it would take to build a competitive Nordic team. We were starting from scratch.

Our first season was entirely about learning. Only three athletes had ever competed in a high school ski race before. Equipment was difficult to obtain, training was experimental, and we leaned heavily on the generosity and guidance of the Wyoming ski community. They welcomed Sheridan with open arms. By the end of that first year, we were proud of our progress—but we were still very much beginners. The best result was a 27th place for our most competitive boy. I was still the fastest skier on the team.

Year two brought growth. Athletes began breaking into the top 20. Kayley consistently pushed toward the podium. A small group started roller skiing during the summer, building technique and fitness outside the winter season. For the first time, I was beaten in a race by one of our own athletes—a milestone that signaled real progress.

In year three, we took another step forward. We hosted our first race in Sheridan. Multiple boys consistently finished in the top 20. Kayley earned her first State Championship win. We finished the season with belief and set a bold goal: contend for runner up in 2026 and the State title in 2027.

Then we lost two key athletes we expected to be scoring on those future teams.

What could have been a setback instead became a turning point. A culture shift began to take shape. A core group of athletes chose Nordic as their primary sport and committed to year-round training. Summer roller ski sessions turned into group efforts. Athletes trained with purpose in the offseason. They invested not only time, but heart.

Behind the scenes, we continued learning. Nordic skiing is one of the most technique- and equipment-dependent endurance sports. Success requires a strong aerobic engine, refined technique, and the right equipment for specific snow conditions. Waxing—especially kick wax selection—can make the difference between finishing first or twentieth. While other programs have decades of experience and large wax collections, we have learned through trial, error, and teamwork. One of our greatest strengths this season has been that our athletes are deeply involved in the process. Our top boys help test, prepare, and think through waxing decisions. That shared ownership has built collective expertise.

This weekend, everything came together.

Our training balance was right. Our athletes were healthy. Equipment was dialed in. Most importantly, the mindset was steady and confident.

Abe Hughes (junior) and Kade Shideman (sophomore) delivered outstanding performances, finishing in the top four in both races. Gabe Aasby battling significant back pain, showed extraordinary grit by rebounding from a difficult first day to finish 7th in his final high school race. He as well as Abe and Kade earned All-State recognition, another first for Sheridan boys! Andre Wei (sophomore) worked relentlessly to become our dependable number four skier. Luke Schreiber (junior), only in his second year of skiing, committed fully to the sport and rounded out our scoring five. Eric Venn (junior) provided crucial depth as our sixth skier. Wyatt Balius and Sean Olson earned the remaining two State spots on the team. On the girls side, Kayley Alicke won her second State Champion title in the Skate race and finished 3rd in the Classic race. Macey Alicke earned an impressive 5th and 6th place as a freshman. She and Kayley both earned All-State recognition as well. Brynn Kirol scored both days for the team, securing the girls a 4th place finish ahead of Laramie, Natrona, Pinedale, and KW. Clara Murray and Ella Walton, both Seniors, completed the girls Varsity team.

What makes this championship so special is not just the placements—it is who these athletes are. This is not a team built on entitlement or shortcuts. It is a team built on steady commitment, humility, and trust in the process. These are ordinary student-athletes who chose to give extraordinary effort.

For the first time in program history, we placed three boys in the top 10 and two girls in the top 10 at State. That is not an accident. It is the result of four years of incremental progress.

Looking ahead, our greatest opportunity lies in early recruitment. The strongest Nordic communities in the country introduce children to skiing at a young age through vibrant ski clubs. Wyoming’s most established programs reflect that model. If Sheridan continues to grow youth participation and build a pipeline from junior high to high school, there is no telling what the next decade could hold.

We also dream big: expanding our trail system to host a true 10 km State Championship course in the future, improving parking space at the Cutler trail head to allow bus parking, and developing a site near Sheridan utilizing snow making machines to increase access to snow so younger athletes can train consistently.

This championship belongs to our athletes, their families, our volunteers, and the entire Sheridan community. Success at this level is never individual—it is collective. A special thanks to our assistant coach Sara Kirol for sacrificing so much of herself to serve the team, to Justin McDowell for helping us prepping skis, Ginette Aasby for booking all of our accommodations, Libby Alicke for heading our nutritional team, all the parents who helped feed us both at home and on the road and host our Sheridan meet, our sponsors for supporting us monetarily, and to BMN spearheaded by Nick Flores for grooming the trails in the Big Horns, hosting our race, and the countless encouragement.

Four years ago, we were learning how to ski race.

Today, we are State Champions.

And we are just getting started.

Race Results

Wyoming All State Skiers

Team Scores