Mammoth Nordic Teams Conquer State Championships and Gear Up for Junior Nationals
Mammoth Nordic Teams Conquer State Championships and Gear Up for Junior Nationals!
Written by Kathi Kirkeby
Mammoth Middle School and Mammoth High School Nordic Ski teams skied to impressive results at the recent CNISSF State Championships, originally scheduled for March 2nd but moved to February 28th due to the impending blizzard forecast.
Mammoth Middle School Success: Although not all middle schoolers on the team were able to compete, 7th grader Reed Higerd skied to a strong 15th place finish, while 6th grader Waylon Knecht finished 68th out of 90 competitors.
Mammoth High School Dominates: Dane Karch took home the title of State Champion for the second year in a row, followed by MHS teammates Jack Leonard (7th) and Davin Wolter (13th). On the MHS girls’ side, athletes Olivia Karch (11th), Ella Walker (15th), Pearl Johnson (17th), Makenna Smith (21st), and Kylie Wolter (29th) all skied great races. Both the MHS Boys and Girls teams earned third place overall in league standings.
Other local athletes that raced included Cabot Godoy (5th), Raegan Czeschin (10th), Nat Parker (15th), and Jude Higerd (31st). This concludes the school racing season for the Mammoth Nordic teams.
Junior Nationals Bound: The excitement continues as a select group of Mammoth athletes head to the prestigious Junior Nationals competition, the season finale. Dane Karch, Cabot Godoy, Olivia Karch, Pearl Johnson, and Ella Walker qualified, with Raegan Czeschin also qualifying but declining to attend. Wax Tech Extraordinaire Mike Karch and Coach Kathi Kirkeby will travel with the Far West Regional Team to Lake Placid, New York to support the local athletes. We wish the Junior Nationals qualifiers the very best as they take on the national stage!
Special thanks to ESNSA, Meaghan Thompson, John Simeon, Mike Karch, Tony Bright, and Kathi Kirkeby for dedicating their time and passion to fostering a love for the sport in Mammoth’s next generation of skiers.
