Vail Mountain School nordic skier repeats as state champion

All three Eagle County ski teams had something to celebrate after the final CHSAA Nordic ski events of the 2026 season wrapped up earlier this week.

Battle Mountain continued its state skimeister streak, Vail Mountain’s Isla Elton repeated as skate state champ and the Eagle Valley boys posted Eagle County’s top team finish with a runner-up result.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the girls and boys coming into state week,” Eagle Valley coach Paul Steiner state. “Both teams dug deep due to getting hit with gnarly illness, flu and more late in the week. The crew is tough and that’s been our theme since freshmen year: make new normals and see black floaties.”

Isla Elton — who won both skate and classic titles in 2025 — won the skate race on the first day of this year’s state festivities by 25 seconds. She covered the 5-kilometer course at Snow Mountain Ranch last Friday in 17 minutes, 30.08 seconds as Kajsa Wik of Nederland took the runner-up spot and Summit’s Lucy Greenwood rounded out the podium.

“We’re just really proud of Isla,” Vail Mountain coach Shawn Ellenbaum stated. “I know she had other fish to fry that weekend but we’re just so happy and proud she came to ski for VMS and got it done again.”

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After racing on Friday, Elton bolted to Aspen to compete in the back half of the final Rocky Mountain Nordic event for Ski and Snowboard Club Vail. The same was true of teammate Teddy Brunner, who took the silver medal behind Summit’s John Ryan. Brunner won the final race of the regular season but the long, aerobically demanding climbs at Snow Mountain Ranch seemed to suit Ryan particularly well.

“He was pretty confident after his win that he had a shot,” Ellenbaum said of Brunner. “He had a great race. He got beat by John and I think the course was just better for him.”

Ellenbaum tore his meniscus after twisting awkwardly trying to readjust a pair of skis in the back of a Vail Mountain bus earlier this year. Brunner’s dad drove the coach to state; Ellenbaum elevated his leg on ice in the back so he could surprise his kids at the race while interim wax tech Dan Weiland took care of the on-site ski prep and grind selections for the Rangers.

“What I really wanted was to be pulled out on the course somewhere in the middle without them knowing, shaking my crutch at them to go faster,” Ellenbaum said with a laugh. While he had to settle for watching from the nordic center deck, the coach had the privilege of allowing each athlete to swing the team’s lucky golden hammer. The Vail Mountain tradition stems from Ellenbaum’s habit of yelling, “Hammer!” as his athletes double-pole down the finishing stretch.

“I was happy to be there,” the coach said.

The Summit boys and Lake County girls won both the relay event and the overall Nordic ski team titles. It was the second-straight team championship for both schools.

Wik took the classic title on Saturday and Summit’s Carter Niemkiewicz and Ryan went 1-2 on the boys side. Eagle Valley senior Jonah Barber finished third overall while teammate Chris Marsh snuck into the top-10 in eighth. Considering most of the team fought through what Steiner described as “less-than-stellar” health all weekend, the coach was impressed with the Devils’ grit and full-send attitude.

“Knowing that this was it for them in regards to high school nordic and their choices being few, they came out blazing. It was really great to see each of them ski with courage and heart — they skied with pure emotion. Positive emotion,” he stated. “I know that the end results weren’t what we trained for, but in the end, our training got us through. Hats off to Summit and Lake County as well as all other teams. The vibe in the Nordic world is really unlike any other, the competition is strong but so is the support.”

“I’m proud of the boys, for they didn’t roll over when the chips were down during state week,” the coach continued. “Quite the contrary — they doubled down and went for it.”

Eva Klesner led the Eagle Valley girls contingent with a pair of top-20 finishes.

“She continues to climb the ranks with her strong focus to her technique,” Steiner said.

On Tuesday, the state skimeister championships took place at Howelson Hill in Steamboat Springs. The one-day event included a 3K skate race, 3K classic race, slalom and giant slalom. Skimeister points are accrued throughout the season, with double points offered at the state event.

“It was so fun to see our amazing athletes alpine race after seeing them on skinny skis all season. This is an incredibly talented and organized group of skiers,” Huskies Nordic coach Lisa Isom stated in an email to the Vail Daily.

After placing sixth in the classic race individually on Saturday, Eden DeMino captured the overall girls skimeister title, edging out her sister and 2025 champion, Ruthie DeMino. On the boys side, Gabe Dozois won three out of four races, but wasn’t able to catch Lake County’s Wilson Anderson. Anderson brought home the trophy, with Dozois taking runner-up honors.

Three of the top-5 boys and four of the top-5 girls were Battle Mountain athletes. Lucy Holleman and Lily Linton finished fourth and fifth, respectively as Simone Dozois and Savannah Thomas finished ninth and tenth. Wyatt Hooker, Tristan Williams, Riley Parish and Hawkins Blair were third, fourth, ninth and 10th, respectively for the Huskies. A Battle Mountain athlete has won the last five skimeister state titles on the girls side.

Looking ahead to next winter, Ellenbaum is excited about Vail Mountain’s strong returning core. The Rangers brings back Brunner along with Tyler Ciluzzi and Tyler Moore. The latter two athletes’ younger brothers are coming up from the middle school, too. On the girls side, Elton will be back for a three-peat attempt.

Ellenbaum also hopes CHSAA and Rocky Mountain Nordic can form a more symbiotic relationship so kids aren’t torn between both circuits like they were this year.

“That’s the way I would like to see the league go, if it’s possible,” he said.

Steiner is also optimistic about Eagle Valley’s future and believes his returners are “hungry and willing to improve.”

“The vibes are strong for next season,” he added. “We have our team equipment in a better place than it’s ever been and are hopeful that we can get some new kids to swallow the pill.”