Sheridan Nordic Invitational February 13-14, 2026 Race Information

Fri, Feb-13: 8.0k Varsity Classic team relay / 4.0k JV Classic team relay

Start Time: 1:00pm

Order of start: Varsity Boys, Varsity Girls, JV Boys, JV Girls

Elevation gain over race course: 180ft

Sat.,Feb-14: 7.1k Skate, 5.3k JV, Mass Start

Start Time: 10:00am

Order of Start: Varsity Girls, Varsity Boys, JV Girls, JV Boys

Elevation gain Varsity race course: 550-ft

Elevation gain JV race: 455-ft

Location: Cutler Hill Nordic Trails

Athlete Drop Off Location:

44°46’33”N 107°26’24”W

Remote parking ALL vehicles:

44°47’24”N 107°23’44”W

Heading north-west on I-90 from Sheridan, take exit 9 onto Highway 14. Head west on Highway 14, through the towns of Ranchester and Dayton and into the mountains. You will arrive at the remote parking lot to your left (south), which is 15.3 miles from Dayton (or 34 miles from the Common Cents Exxon gas station on the North End of Sheridan at I-90 Exit 20). Please stop there briefly, ask your athletes to get dressed and gather everything they will need to take with them out of the bus before you drive from that large parking lot to the small Cutler Nordic Area trail head parking lot to drop off athletes. It is located on the right (north) side of the road, approximately 3 miles further west on highway 14. The top of Cutler Hill is marked with a “Cutler Hill Elevation 8347ft” sign. The parking lot for athlete drop off is another 0.4 miles down the mountain and marked by a sign “Cutler Nordic Ski Trails.” Note: The last 8 miles before Cutler are mostly without cell reception - make sure you have these instructions available offline. The trip from Sheridan will take the school bus 50-60 minutes with normal road conditions.

IMPORTANT: read transportation instructions CAREFULLY as we do not have on-site parking. We ask you to stop at the remote parking lot first, get the athletes ready, then drop the athletes off at the race site, and return to the remote parking lot.

WEATHER :

Look up “Burgess Junction WY” - it’s the closest weather station. Please keep in mind there is no cell service at the race location.

Detailed Schedule

Fri 2/13 :

10:30am First Shuttle from remote parking lot

Race course open for athletes (do your best to only ski in the direction of the course!)

11:45pm Bibs available at warming hut

12:30pm National Anthem

1:00pm Varsity Boys Classic Relay, 8 teams every 30s, 4 laps total

2:00pm Varsity Girls Classic Relay, 8 teams every 30s, 4 laps total

3:00pm JV Boys Classic Relay, 8 teams every 30s, 2 laps total

3:30pm JV Girls Classic Relay, 8 teams every 30s, 2 laps total

4:30pm Last shuttle to remote parking lot, immediately following the awards ceremony

Sat 3/14:

8:30am First Shuttle from remote parking lot

Race course open for athletes (only ski in direction of the course!)

8:45am Bibs available at warming hut

10:00am Varsity Girls 7k skate mass start

10:50am Varsity Boys 7k skate mass start

11:40am JV Girls 5.3k skate mass start

12:30pm JV Boys 5.3k skate mass start

1:30pm Awards

2:30pm Last shuttle to remote parking lot

Race Entries, Athlete Selection, & Start Order:

The Classic relay race on Friday requires an even number of Varsity skiers for each team. Coaches will determine which two athletes they want to put into each relay. We ask the coaches to sort their relay teams by anticipated performance, so that the fastest teams from each school race each other. For details about the Friday race format and team rankings, see the Appendix. The Saturday Skate race begins with a mass start. We will not use coaches seeding or Friday results for the Varsity races. Instead, we will determine the start order by the athlete’s 4 highest All-State Points. If two or more athletes have the same number of All-State points, we will look at their 5th highest All-State result. If they are also identical, we will determine their race order by a random draw. The Saturday race includes one section of the course where athletes ski up and later back down a relatively steep hill. To ensure athlete’s safety, it is very important that the slowest racer is able to pass through this section before the fastest racers return to this section. We would like to ask coaches to only place athletes into the Varsity race who belong there and move reasonably well. If an athlete is too slow to make it up the two-way section before the first racers return racing downhill, we ask that this athlete moves over to the side of the trail in order to let the race leaders pass safely. Please also ask your athletes to be careful on this section during their course inspection.

Race Entries & Timing:

Matt Herr Timing will provide race timing. The Registration form will be sent to you by Matt Herr (matt.herr@gmail.com). If you have questions regarding the registration process please contact Matt.

Results / Awards:

Friday and Saturday unofficial results will be posted as soon as possible. Thirty minutes after unofficial results are posted, official results will be posted. Please do not disturb the timers or people in the timing shed for any results. Awards will be done after the conclusion of the last race each day.

Protests:

Protests must be made within 30 minutes of the posting of the unofficial results. Protests are to be filed with the Race Secretary, who will notify the jury, which will adjudicate all protests. The jury will consist of the Chief of Competition, and 2 other coaches named that morning at the race.

Officials:

Chief of Competition:    Falk Alicke

Chief of Timing:               Matt Herr (Matt Herr Timing)

Chief of Stadium:            Libby Alicke

Race Secretary:                Ginnette Aasby

Chief of Course:               Nick Flores

Chief of Start:                   Adam Benson

Athletic Director:             Kasey Garhardt represented by Lexi Raichel and Casey O'Connor

Head of Medical:            Jessica Garden (Athletic Trainer)

Safety / Medical Plan:

In the event of a natural disaster/road closure/safety issue: teams and coaches will be notified ASAP in order to keep all safe. The Nordic area does NOT have cell reception. In the event of an emergency seek out the nearest race official, who will have a radio to contact the medical team as well as the Sheridan team bus who has the ability to set off an emergency call. Spotters will be out on course in the event of an injury with radios to call the athletic trainer / first responder who will then locate the injured and assess their needs. A snowmobile and operator is on standby for this purpose should athlete retrieval be required. There is an AED on site with the Athletic trainer.

Keeping Athletes Warm:

There is no fully enclosed structure in the Cutler Nordic area. The mobile warming hut is the only place to escape cold wind fully. In case of cold weather we will keep a fire in the wood burning stove. The space inside the warming hut is very limited. To allow athletes to stay warm especially during longer periods of downtime, they can go to the trailhead parking lot. The Sheridan team bus will remain parked there and is open to all athletes.

Race Warnings:

Racers; please do your best to ski the course in the direction of the race. For our walking fans, we ask that you stay on the WALKING TRAIL paralleling the course as much as possible to keep the course in good condition.

Warm up area:

All trails around the warming hut (start & finish) are used for racing. We are using an open course, meaning athletes are allowed to be on the course during racing but need to be mindful of the race and stay out of the path of racers. Bowser Hill on the East side of the meadow loop can be used for extended warmup - just ensure athletes are careful skiing in the meadow while the race is ongoing.

Wax Tents:

An area will be available for you to set up your wax tents in the stadium area.

Bathrooms:

Three porta potties will be available at the stadium, and 2 porta potties will be available near the parking lot entrance.

Waxing Protocol:

Fluoro kick waxes are allowed in all WY HS/HP/USSS races.

NO fluoro glide waxes of any kind (LF, HF, Pure fluoro powders, liquids, blocks, sprays, etc.) are allowed in WY HS/HP Classic, Freestyle, or Sprint races.

WY HS Coaches agreement to use base level non-fluoro glide wax. (For example Swix PS line or equivalent)

Refreshments / Hospitality:

Racers are advised to Bring Your Own Snacks and Water! Lunch will be provided for all volunteers, coaches, and bus drivers. Drinks warm and cold will be on hand. Chocolate milk will be available for athletes at the finish line.

Parking:

All buses, spectators, volunteers, and any others should park at the remote parking lot located 3 miles East of the Cutler Nordic area trail head. A shuttle will bring spectators and others from that parking lot to the Cutler Nordic area trail head. The parking lot will have a porta-pottie available as well to accommodate the bus drivers.

Unloading / Loading athletes

The athletes and equipment can be unloaded and loaded at the Cutler Nordic Area trail head parking lot. IMPORTANT: The trail head parking lot can only hold two travel buses at once! That’s why we ask you to stop at the large remote parking lot first and get your athletes ready before you proceed to the small lot for unloading of your athletes. That lot is very narrow and does not leave much space between the halted bus and the highway. For this reason, it is absolutely essential to educate all athletes to:

·      Always remain on the right side of the bus. When you unload equipment from underneath the bus, do that from the right side - so athletes don’t accidentally get too close to the highway and end up in an accident.

·      Ask your athletes to exit the bus swiftly so that other busses can pull in and unload their athletes.

·      Remind athletes to bring EVERYTHING that they might need for the next few hours as the bus will be parked remotely and will not be accessible by athletes. Remind them to bring all necessary clothes, extra warm clothes or blankets, their boots, skis, poles, drinks, foot, etc.

·      If an athlete ends up forgetting an item on a bus, someone on your team will need to take the shuttle to pick the item up from the bus. It will take an estimated 20 min round-trip, and that assumes the shuttle driver is willing to wait for you as you extract an item from your team bus.

BUS DRIVERS coming from Sheridan going West:

You need to drive the bus first to the large remote parking lot on your left (south side) of HWY-14. Stop there and ensure all athletes are fully clothed and ready to leave the bus and have all items they need for the race ready. Now proceed to the Cutler Nordic Area parking lot. There we have space for TWO busses to unload your athletes and equipment. You will then leave the parking lot and continue driving West down the mountain. At around 1.3 miles you have the Sibley Lake parking lot on your left (South). Pass the first parking lot entrance and turn into the end of the parking lot. Turn around driving through the parking lot and go back East on HWY-14. You will pass by the Cutler Trail head. Continue going east for 3 miles until you arrive at the remote parking lot on your right (South). Park your bus there following the parking instructions of the parking lot attendant. When it is time to pick up your athletes, we will alert you (e.g. we send someone with a walkie talkie to the parking lot who will give you exact instructions when to pick up your team).. You will leave the parking lot turning left (West) on HWY-14 and pick your athletes and equipment up at the Cutler Trail head parking lot. Again, ONLY TWO BUSSES can load or unload at the same time.

BUS DRIVERS coming from Greybull going East:

You need to drive the bus first beyond the Cutler Nordic Trail head to the remote parking lot and stop there. Directions to that parking lot: after you pass Burgess Junction you will pass by Sibley Lake on your right 5.6 miles later; (sign says “Sibley Lake Recreation Area”). After another 1.3 miles you will see the Cutler Nordic area trailhead to your left. Continue another 3 miles and turn into the remote parking lot on your right. From here follow the instructions as provided for Bus Drivers coming from Sheridan going West.

WY High School All State Points and Team Scoring

Only the Saturday race will allow awarding All-State points as the Friday race is a relay.

On Saturday, the top 30 skiers, regardless of the number of athletes from each respective team, receive All-State points as follows: 1st place earns 30 points, … 30th place earns 1 point. For team scoring: starting from 1st place (30 points), only the first 5 skiers from each team score points for their team. If more than 5 skiers from a single team are in scoring positions, team points for the 6th skier (and subsequent skiers) from that team then skip to the next team. This format continues until the last point is received.

We are EXCITED to host our second high school ski race in Sheridan, and to show off our challenging skate course as last year’s skate race was cancelled due to weather! We will do our best to make these two race days special and enjoyable for everyone. Please forgive us if a few things end up lacking the high standard each of you have set when hosting a Nordic race. Safe travels to everyone!

Falk Alicke & Sara Kirol

Cell Falk: 307-752-9383

Cell Sara: 307-752-7560

Friday’s Relay Race Format & Team Rankings:

Friday’s race uses a 2-person relay format.

Each relay team consists of 2 athletes. Each HS team can appoint up to 5 Varsity relay teams. Your Varsity team must consist of an even number of skiers for the day. Friday’s Varsity team selection and placement will not impact the athlete’s start position on Saturday.

When a team ends up with an odd number of JV skiers, one of their skiers will be paired with another skier from a different HS team who also has an odd number of JV skiers. There will be no HS team mixing for the Varsity race.

All Varsity racers complete two laps in an alternating order: Athlete A starts the race, Athlete B goes, Athlete A goes again, Athlete B goes and finishes the race.

For a transition between the two athletes to count, the athletes must tap each other off in the transition zone. It is required that the hand of the arriving athlete touches the body of the starting athlete. The athlete’s poles do not count as a body part – so touching the other athlete with one’s pole is considered an incomplete transition and the athlete would need to return to the transition area to repeat the transition correctly.

JV racers complete only one lap each.

Coaches must submit each team’s athlete order to Matt Herr prior to the race. The lower athlete bib number will start the race, the higher athlete bib number will finish the race.

Awards:

The fastest teams will be recognized during the awards as well as the best HS teams. The HS team ranking will be determined by the following: The fastest team earns 20 points for their HS, the 2nd fastest team 19 points, and so on. Only the fastest 3 teams of each HS earn points. However, their 4th and 5th team can still impact the overall standing because whatever points they would earn is being eliminated. For example, assume HS A places 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 9th. They would earn 20+18+17=55pts. Their 4th team is in the position where they would earn 12 pts. These 12 pts will not be awarded to anyone. In that sense HS B placing 10th would not benefit from HS A passing a point down. This system accommodates for smaller HS teams with fewer athletes, yet also makes all Varsity relay teams able to impact the overall HS rankings.

The start is a mini mass start format. One skier from each of the HS teams will line up in an 8-lane stadium. If we are unable to set 8 tracks in parallel at the start, we will determine by best out of 4 races All-State points which skiers get to start in the front row.

Friday Start times:

Varsity Boys

1:00:00 PM        Varsity teams 1-8

1:00:30 PM        Varsity teams 9-16

1:01:00 PM        Varsity teams 17-24

1:01:30 PM        Varsity teams 25-32

1:02:00 PM        Varsity teams 33-40 (if needed)

Varsity girls

2:00 :00 PM        Varsity teams 1- 8

2:00:30 PM        Varsity teams 9-16

2:01:00 PM        Varsity teams 17-24

2:01:30 PM        Varsity teams 25-32

2:02:00 PM        Varsity teams 33-40 (if needed)

JV Boys

3:00:00 PM        JV teams 1-8

3:00:30 PM        JV teams 9-16

3:01:00 PM        JV teams 17-24

3:01:30 PM        JV teams 25-32

3:02:00 PM        JV teams 33-40

3:02:30 PM        JV teams 41-48

JV Girls

3:30:00 PM        JV teams 1-8

3:30:30 PM        JV teams 9-16

3:31:00 PM        JV teams 17-24

3:31:30 PM        JV teams 25-32

3:32:00 PM        JV teams 33-40

3:32:30 PM        JV teams 41-48