After putting in weeks of mostly uninterrupted training, the Summit High School Nordic ski team finally got its chance to race, traveling to Aspen for the first ski race of the season on Friday, Jan. 10.

While the first race usually serves as an opportunity for skiers to see where their fitness level is at, the Summit High School boys Nordic ski team wasted no time in posting results at the top of the individual rankings.

In the boys 5-kilometer classic race Summit High School senior James Sowers and junior Carter Niemkiewicz squared off against one another. Knowing that the two athletes were at similar fitness levels, Sowers and Niemkiewicz cruised their way through the course and powered their bodies all the way to the finish line.

In the end it was Niemkiewicz who got the better of Sowers, winning his first race of the high school season in a time of 15 minutes, 34.7 seconds.

“I think it definitely boosted my confidence,” Niemkiewicz said. “I think I knew I was in the same type of range as (James) and that I was capable of doing that. I think being able to actually go out and beat him was a big boost to my confidence. I think that is going to help me in my races going forward.”

The performance earned Niemkiewicz 60 points towards the team’s final score while Sowers scored 59 points by taking second in 16:01.0. Steamboat Springs High School’s Charlie Wiedel took third (17:35.9) before three additional Summit athletes rounded out the top 10.

Sophomore Johnny Ryan finished right off the podium in fourth (17:41.5) while senior Brody Henning took ninth (18:41.5) and senior Josh Shriver finished in 10th (18:20.5).

With five athletes finishing within the top 10, the Summit boys team continued to show its depth by qualifying more athletes to state. Freshman Levi Ryan took 12th overall in 18:23.3, senior Bryce Oppito took 15th (18:33.8), junior Cain Steinweg took 16th (18:49.4) and freshman Bodhi Adnan finished in 17th (18:51.6). 

Four more Summit skiers nabbed state qualifiers in the classic discipline. Freshman Danny Butler took 23rd (19:34.3), junior Griffin Heins finished in 33rd (20:09.3), sophomore Malachi Love took 39th (20:31.2) and sophomore Owen Fallon finished in 40th (20:37.2). 

Due to the team’s depth and stellar racing, Summit handily won the team race with a total of 228 points. Poudre took second with 208 points while Eagle Valley took third with 181 points. 

“I think it is good to see that our depth is still here and may be even better with some kids improving or some new people showing that they are pretty strong,” Niemkiewicz said. “I think our chances to win state are just as high as they have been in years past. I think it is really cool to see.”

Although the Summit girls Nordic ski team does not have the same level of depth as the boys, the team has improved its roster significantly from last year. The addition of several athletes is not only expected to give the team more stability, but also lead to higher finishes within the team rankings at state.

Summit claimed its first second-place finish of the season on Friday by getting five athletes under the state-qualifying mark.

Leading the girls team was senior Ella Hagen. In her first race of her senior season, Hagen competed well against the rest of the field, taking third overall in a time of 20:28.0. Vail Mountain School’s Isla Elton took first in 19:12.0 while Lake County High School’s Ella Bullock took second in 19:35.0.

Hagen was soon followed by freshman Elsie Robinson who took sixth overall (21:19.0) and added 55 points to the team’s total score. 

“The first high school race environment was so fun, and it was a great chance to trust in the work I’ve been putting in all summer and fall,” Robinson said. “I feel proud of my performance as well as the whole team. It was a great first race.”

Freshman Marin Little rounded out the top 10 in 10th with a time of 22:25.0 before sophomore Heidi Frey took 15th in 23:09.0. Senior Katherine Williams was the final Summit athlete to earn a state-qualifying spot, taking 32nd overall in a time of 25:15.0.

Sophomore June Baniewicz took 58th (29:24.0), sophomore Charlotte Wolf finished in 70th (31:53.0) and freshman Eva Johnson took 81st (38:04.0).

With a total of 211 points, Summit took second behind Lake County (221). Battle Mountain took third with 176 points. 

“It was a fun day as a team putting in our individual efforts, then coming back as a team for second place,” Robinson said. “There’s a great group of girls, and I think this race gave us the positive start we needed to keep racing hard.”

Summit will now prepare for its first skate race of the season on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at the Spring Gulch Nordic Center in Carbondale.