JHSC Club and Community Nordic Update
Happenings of the JHSC Nordic Program, Trail Creek Nordic Center, and Local Nordic Community
Welcome to the April Edition of “What’s Going On” for the 2021-2022 season!
Lollipoppers
Lolli's finished the season with a couple of weeks of fun and games, like Leprechaun Hunts, trips out to Sam the Truck, piñatas, costumes, and laps on Nordic X. We had a couple of days of shirt-sleeve weather, and a couple of days of snow-storms and near zero temperatures—typical March weather!
Roughly half of our Loli's (26 or so) will be moving up to Teewinots next year! We will be sad not to have them in our group, but look forward to fist-bumps and high five's when we see them out on the track. We had an end-of-season taco and awards party that saw multiple kiddos receiving Skier of the Year, Most Improved, or Nordic Spirit awards.
As the program has grown in size, it brings the need for more coaching help, so if you are interested in helping out with the Lolli's next year, please make sure to get your name to the office so we can contact you next fall! It's rewarding, it's fun, and it will get you committed to getting outside in the winter! Registrations will open in August, and since the program filled up VERY quickly this year (in fact, that's why we added the extra day this season) be sure you are ON TOP OF THE DATE when it opens!
Coach Kathy and the Lollipopper Gang
Teewinots
The end of March is always bittersweet—a mix of longing for our time together on the Nordic trails, and anticipation for the warmer months and our time in the dirt, rivers and mountains. It was our distinct pleasure to work with your amazing kids this winter. They are an amazing group of kids and showed up week after week with so much spirit, grit, determination and kindness. Nordic skiing helps kids learn they can do hard things in sport and in life, and they showed us they did just that! We are grateful for the support parents provide in preparing snacks, providing transportation and shuttling gear, volunteering at JHSC events, and showing up at Trail Creek with your happy little Nordies on even the worst weather days.
It was a challenge to choose the end of season awards for the Teewinot Team, as so many were deserving. Fun, teamwork, commitment, sportsmanship, and competition are the guiding values of JHSC, and we saw daily examples of these values over the course of our season. This year's award recipients are:
Tough Cookie: Cassius Musser, Mia Scharnhorst
Most Improved: Owen Lawless, Maysie Bell
Nordic Spirit: Anderson Everett, Ainsley Schwertfeger
If you still have JHSC lease gear in your possession, please reach out this week for return instructions. Our junior equipment fleet sees a ton of use and needs some love at the end of each season.
Every second year athlete (rising 4th graders) on the Teewinot Team is ready for the next level in our program, the Devo Team. Our rising 3rd graders will be welcomed back for another Teewinot season.
Thanks to your great kids, parents and volunteers for a fantastic season. Please enjoy these fun photos with your families and see you on the trails this summer!
With Gratitude,
Libby, Laurie, Lauren, Calvin, Kirsys, Charlie, Chloe, LIzzie and Phil
Ositos
We finished up an amazing Ositos season in style, with lots of Nordic X laps, increased confidence and versatility in all the different snow conditions this season had to offer; we had a super fun St. Patrick’s day with kids costumed to the 9's and bidding adieu to a fantastic winter of cross country skiing! Here's a video of highlights from our season. As the big bears start emerging from hibernation, our Ositos (little bears) hang up their skis for the season and look forward to next year!
Coaches both frequent and occasional: Miles, Sahir, Connor, Vanessa, Maggie and Laura.
Devo Team
The Development Team finished the season with lots of fun and great skiing—lots of off-trail adventure skiing combined with on-trail skate games and relays. Off-trail adventures took us up and down lower Black Canyon and through wooded areas surrounding Trail Creek.
Close to home, the Devos participated in the famous donut relay which, this year, was combined with an obstacle course that took the athletes on and off-trail with twists and turns. After climbing over, under, and around obstacles, each athlete received a mini donut (contact-free) that had to be fully consumed before tagging a teammate in the relay. Multiple Nordic X trips filled out each training session whether the athletes were on skate or classic skis.
Always keen to improve their spelling (ha-ha), one afternoon saw the Devos searching out letters hidden in trees throughout the Trail Creek system. The letters spelled out the words "Skis" and "Poles," which were successfully found by all the teams of three athletes. All the kids happily received a candy reward. It was not all fun and games this year. Following the USSA training system and working on technique drills when we weren't goofing around, every Development Team member showed significant improvement in both skate and classic skills. These athletes are all ready to continue their development as Nordic skiers, and many will move on to the Junior Team next season, while others will continue as Devos.
As always, the help of parents is crucial to the team's growth. Driving, waxing, cleaning, and organizing gear are just part of what parents do to support the Devo Team. Thank you to all. This great group made choosing season award honorees difficult, as each athlete deserved recognition. Here are the winners:
Most Improved – Addison Masselink, Micah Weening
Nordic Spirit – Liv Bosch, Tommy Johnson
Skier of the Year – Callie Cavallaro, Olin Hugo
Thanks for a great season! Let's hope for a short summer.
Rob, Mark, Conner, Andy, Matt
Junior Team
Junior athletes had a strong finish to the 2022 Nordic season. We enjoyed some fresh snow, sunny days, and lots of laps on the Nordic X course! Zach Baker, Callum Kuszak, Karsten Bessonette, Charlie Von Maur Newcomb, and Ryan Murphy represented JHSC at Western Club Championships in Boise! The team rallied for Faceplant relays, and sleuthed their way around Trail Creek for a few epic games of spy vs spy. Athletes tested their balance and agility on the Nordic X, and celebrated the end of the season and warm weather with a ski all the way from the top of Teton Pass down to Trail Creek!
Awards:
Skier of the Year: Anna Baxter and Charlie Von Maur
Most Improved: Sara Martinez and Otto Remlinger
Nordic Spirit: Ellie Wheeler and Karston Bessonette
We teamed up with Comp/Prep Team for diminishing relays and intense games of snoccer and basketball. It was amazing to see so much growth and commitment from these young athletes this season, and we’re looking forward to the next!
JT Wynn
Junior Nordic Team Coach
Comp/Prep Team
JHSC Places 5th in Junior National Cross-Country Ski Championships Club Standings
Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club (JHSC) Nordic student-athletes competed at the 2022 Junior National Cross-Country Ski Championships in Minneapolis, MN from March 7-12, 2022. JHSC sent a club record with 14 student-athletes competing in four races: a Freestyle Individual Start distance, a Classic Sprint, a Classic Mass Start, and a Freestyle Mixed Relay.
Memorable performances included U16 student-athletes Lena Poduska and Lucas Wilmot, who both skied to three top-10 finishes in the individual events and a top-10 finish in the relay. U18 student-athlete, Kate Brigham earned a 2nd place finish in the Classic Sprint and 10th in the Classic Mass Start. JHSC Alum and University of Denver student-athlete Elijah Weenig had three consecutive top-10 finishes, including 4th in the Freestyle Individual Start, while also pacing his team to 3rd in the Freestyle Mixed Relay.
In addition to these outstanding performances, six other JHSC student-athletes placed in the top 30 over the course of the week and therefore scored points for the club standings. Altogether the results of all 14 student-athletes propelled JHSC to 5th place in the Junior National Cross-Country Ski Championships Club standings.
"We are extremely proud of all the JHSC Nordic student-athletes who competed in Junior Nationals this week. These performances are the culmination of countless hours of training and preparation over many years," said Nordic Program Director and Head Coach, Will Wicherski. "Being one of the top five Nordic club programs in the country is a fantastic achievement, and is proof of the growth and progress JHSC has made from top to bottom. These great performances by JHSC student-athletes were made possible by the support of teammates, coaches, club staff, volunteers, and the entire Jackson Hole community."
Student-athletes and coaches will have some well-deserved rest before starting back up in early June with dryland training.
As last month was wrapping up, the Jackson team was sweeping the Wyoming High School Championships in Pinedale. Winning both the men’s and women’s categories, our very own Kate Brigham and Mason Wheeler were the individual winners in their respective divisions. The Wyopreps website has a detailed article here.
State championships quickly led into Junior Nationals which were detailed above. Results from Junior Nationals are available on this webpage.
Finally, the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club sponsored another great Pole, Pedal, Paddle on March 26th; full results for that race are available on the event website.
It was nip and tuck, but we made it to the end of the month with just enough snow to finish the season. One of the highlights of March for the teams was laps on the Nordic X course. While not as big as some years, it still had plenty of thrills to keep our skiers happy, pumping up and down the close field.
Recreational skier numbers kept up through the month, capping off what was probably a record year for numbers. Thanks to our new Husky, we were able to keep quality skiing in conditions ranging from subzero champagne to 60º corn snow. A deal was worked out for our Husky to migrate back to Utah for the summer for annual maintenance and storage, scheduled to return to work as soon as the snow flies.
The critters were especially busy in March. As the snow was melting under the trees, the resident elk herd was moving around throughout the day and throughout the trail network, looking for tasty green morsels popping up in sunny spots. Our moose, while looking a little ragged from the tick burden they were carrying, kept enjoying our trails. The squirrels were very active with the promise of spring, and a resident red fox had no fear of skiers or snow cats as he prowled the fields day and night, sniffing out tasty rodent morsels.
A huge thanks to all who helped to secure our new Husky snow cat this year, and thanks to all supporters, JHSC staff, and skiers who make Trail Creek possible!
Nordic racing is pretty much done for the season; however, things will be happening. The Prep Team does have a little time off, but will be back with dryland training June 1; the Junior Team has dryland training beginning June 28. Look for a Trail Creek work day in October and, with full programs the norm, be ready to sign up when registration opens August 1st.
Thanks so much to the skiers and sponsors who make this all possible, with an extra special thanks to our season pass holders!
Dave Adams, Alimanestianu Family, Bitzer Family, Brigham Family, Lachlan Brown, Lorie Cahn, Callaghan Family, Chereskin Family, Broughton Coburn, Curtis-Adams Family, Arielle D’Arge, June Darin, Davis-Abraham Family, Jennifer Durning, Gingery Family, Caroline Girling, Bob TC Gordon, Gross Family, Ann Harvey, Hatcher Family, Doug Henderson, Cynthia Hogan, Alexander Hong, Maggie Hunt, Jackson Hole High School, Johnson Family, Klomparens Family, Koch/Nyrop Family, Kohlhardt Family, Gordon Lange, Lee-Clegg Family, Nancy Leon, Lovett Family, Mason Lynch, Ellison Mackay, MacLeod Family, MacWilliams Family, Jerome Mage, Maria Mahood, Ann Makley, Clara McGhee, Kelly Milligan, Lars Moller, Moss Family, Mullholland Family, O’Brien Family, Olsson Family, Peck Family, Wayne Petsch, Pruzan Family, Chris Sebald, Sehnert Family, Sheafor Family, Springer Family, Carson Stanwood, Jensey Stitt, Streubal Family, Avery Sullivan, Brian Van Hatten, Randall Wade, Jocelyn Wasson, Boden Welch, Marylee White, Henry Williams, Chris Wimberg, Wiswell Family, Axel Wogoman, Wolf Family, and the Yeo Family.
Thanks to our amazing staff!
Will Wicherski, Jon Filardo, Luna Wasson, Ben Morley, George Cartwright, Johnny Springer, Tyra (JT) Wynn, Rob Murphy, Andy Cavallaro, Connor Phillips, Matt Wiseman, Mark Newcomb, Libby Hall, Lizzie Johnson, Lauri Harris, Kirsys Campbell, Kathy Neiley, Miles Yazzalino, Ann Makley, and Rody Hagen.
Thank you to the multitude of youth athletes, for whom this program is designed and would be impossible without their dedication and support!
A special thanks to Jackson Hole Nordic for being a strong supporter of our programs.
