SOUTH PASS – Athletes on the Pinedale High School Nordic ski team tested the limits of their endurance at the Lander Invite at Beaver Creek Nordic Trails near South Pass on Feb. 9-10.

Pinedale’s relatively young team stepped up to the challenge over the weekend, competing in a 5-kilometer freestyle race on Friday followed by a 7.5-kilometer classic course on Saturday. Skiers totaled nearly eight miles of grueling racing over the course of two short days.

Fortunately, South Pass contained plenty of snow and head coach Holly Thayne described the weather as “great” with “nice conditions” on the course.

“At the start of the season, it was pretty bleak with snow, but things are starting to pick up,” Thayne said. “It’s been a challenge this year.”

Sophomore Olivia Tolson broke into the top 10 in a field of more than 70 athletes in the girls’ varsity 5-kilometer freestyle on Friday, capturing fifth place with a time of 18 minutes, 30.84 seconds.

“This was the highest Olivia has ever placed,” Thayne noted. “We are very excited and she is doing really well.”

Overall, Pinedale athletes – primarily freshmen and sophomores – continued to drop times and improve at the Lander Invite.

“The kids are all starting to go up in placings and their hard work is paying off,” Thayne said. “Their techniques are starting to come together, making them glide better and have more power on the racecourse.”

In the girls’ varsity 5-kilometer race on Friday, sophomore Bryn Arne took 43rd place, clocking in at 23:50.40.

Sophomore Alyce Hayward came in 45th place at 24:18.91, with junior Marley Lance in 57th at 27:43.83, sophomore Evalyn Smith in 58th at 27:55.04, sophomore Libby Olson in 61st at 28:31.94 and junior Katherine Belka in 70th at 36:06.60.

Freshman Nyle Swenson led the pack in the boys’ varsity 5K classic, finishing 31st and posting a time of 19:20.64. Sophomore Kaden Bingham placed 47th at 21:22.35 with freshman Henry Wendt in 65th at 28:05.37.

On Saturday, Tolson picked up 14th place on the girls’ varsity 7.5-kilometer course, posting a time of 34:11.20. Hayward took 51st place at 45:15.62, with Smith in 52nd at 45:39.02, Arne in 54th at 46:09.79, Olson in 57th at 47:24.25, Lance in 67th at 59:32.74 and Belka in 68th at 1:00:29.16.

In the boys’ 7.5-kilometer classic, Swenson led the pack with a 37th-place finish and a time of 35:28.51. Bingham placed 50th at 38:39.29 with Wendt in 58th at 44:48.25.

The Nordic ski team travels to Pahaska Teepee this weekend for the Cody Invitational, an opportunity to ski on a “beautiful and unique” course near Yellowstone National Park, Thayne said.