LA CROSSE — Snowboarding took center stage at Mt. La Crosse for the first day of the WIARA state ski and snowboard meet on Saturday, and local entrants found some success against an expanded field of competition.
The Western co-op — a roster of boarders from the Coulee Region — finished second in two team events and third in another against a field of five other teams.
The best individual finish belonged to Luther senior Jacee Erickson, who placed third in the Girls Boardercross with a time of 35.27 seconds. Slinger junior Kennady Wiedmeyer won at 33.7, and senior teammate Olivia Strupp followed at 34.03.
West Salem senior London VanderHorst was also 10th in that race for Western with a time of 38.47 and Central sophomore Avah Connaughty 16th in 40.21.
Those times helped Western place third with 64 points and behind Slinger (24) and Middleton (62).
Western was second in both the Girls Boarder Giant Slalom and Girls Boarder Slalom with respective scores of 63 and 51. Slinger won the Giant Slalom with a 12 and the Slalom with an 18.
Western had two of the top six finishers in he Slalom with VanderHorst fourth in 31.6 and Connaughty sixth at 32.7. Erickson also had a top-20 finish when her 38.96 placed her 18th.
Connaughty and Erickson were both among the top 10 in the Giant Slalom. Connaughty was eighth in 54.69 and Erickson 10th in 55.3. VanderHorst was 11th (57.9).
The Western co-op boys had their best finish in the Giant Slalom with a fifth-place score of 95. The top four Western boarders placed between 20th and 28th with Aquinas sophomore Braxton Wiczek 20th in 55.55.
Central senior Charles Head was 21st (55.88), Logan junior Maxwell Wills 26th (56.85) and Onalaska junior Ryan Nummerdor Robles 28th (57.47).
Western was sixth in the Slalom with a 92 and led by Central sophomore Wesley Olson’s 18th-place time of 34.01 in that one. Wills was 23rd (36.1), Nummerdor Robles 24th (37.34) and Wiczek 27th (38.29).
Western’s boys were ninth in the Boardercross and led by Wiczik’s tie for 31st place (37.73), a 35th-place showing from Olson (37.89) with Wills (37th, 38.67) and Nummerdor Robles (39th, 39.64) not far behind.
The tournament continues with ski competition on Sunday and Monday.
