Boys Nordic Skiing: Summit, Sowers Celebrate at Inaugural Team State Championships
Photo: Rob White
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STEAMBOAT SPRINGS – Summit started a new skiing era in style Friday, winning the inaugural CHSAA Nordic Boys State Championship by easily outdistancing all competitors.
Summit had won the last three state championships when both the Alpine and Nordic events combined determined one state champion.
“It’s pretty special,” Summit coach Eva Hagen said. “It means a lot to be the first Nordic team champion. They’ve been working super hard. We have really good team dynamics – the boys all really get along and I think that’s part of it – and they have a good work ethic.
“Looking back at the season, we obviously knew that we were favored to win, but you never know. In Nordic ski racing, there are many aspects to it, so you never take it for granted. We were hoping, and the boys wanted to win, but you’re never guaranteed to win. So (you) go into it with joy and appreciation and race your best.”
Summit’s James Sowers won the 5-kilometer Nordic skate individual boys state championship for the second time while earning a third straight top-two finish in the event.
“I never seem to sweep the two,” Sowers said, laughing. “That’s part of skiing.”
Sowers, who won skate in 2023 and classic last year, completed the skate course in 13 minutes, 7.28 seconds, just under four seconds better than second-place Charlie Wiedel of host Steamboat Springs (13:11.20), who barley edged Carter Niemkiewicz of Summit by .01. Niemkiewicz placed third in the skate for the second straight year.
Said Sowers: “I took a tumble out of the start, but oh well, got right back up with the top boys by the first hill, and we took it pretty chill – it was a fun race – until the top, when we all started sprinting up and over.
“We were flying down the downhill. I was behind Carter a little bit, and we got to that crazy 360 (degree) turn and I caught up and we were neck and neck. Then we started going to the finish and Carter hit some ice and spilled out, which was unfortunate … I think it would have been a photo finish.”
On Thursday, Niemkiewicz won the classic event, with Sowers taking second.
“We’re rivals when we’re racing, but we’re teammates,” Sowers said. “I’m happy he won yesterday. We’re buddies.”
Said Hagen: “James is a huge part of our team. I think he loves high school racing and loves the team. He and Carter are really good friends. … James is a good leader and we’ll be really sad next year not to have him.”
Also in skate, Teddy Brunner of Vail Mountain was fourth in 13:46.53, while Jonah Barber of Eagle Valley was fifth in 13:47.20.
Rounding out the top 10 were Keagen Oakes of Poudre School District, sixth in 13:56.50; Tyler Ciluzzi of Vail Mountain, seventh in 14:05.76; Bryce Oppito of Summit, eighth in 14:10.22; Mattis Kemp of Poudre School District, ninth in 14:10.22; and Tyler Blair of Eagle Valley, 10th in 14:12.24.
Summit also won the first-ever Nordic relay event, giving it a clean sweep of the three races, with Niemkiewicz, Oppito, Sowers and John Ryan skiing the legs on the 4 x 1.4K race.
The team state championship was convincing as the team rolled up 524 points. Eagle Valley was second with 483 and Poudre School District placed third with 480.
“It’s so fantastic,” Sowers said. “I’m so glad we won it all four years that I was in high school. It’s great to be part of something like that. It’ll be fun to tell my kids someday that I won all four years that I was in high school. It’s special to be part of a team that can perform that well.”
