From left, Saranac Lake’s girls Nordic team of Pepper Laxson, Lila Zobel, Kaylee Holmes, Kelsi Burth, Tyler Burth, Cadence Kennedy and Amelia Evans smile at the high school gymnasium on Wednesday after being honored for winning the state championship. (Enterprise photo – Parker O’Brien)

SARANAC LAKE – The state champion Saranac Lake girls Nordic ski team was honored on Wednesday in front of a packed gymnasium at the high school.

A little more than a week ago, the Red Storm girls dominated the NYSPHSAA Skiing Championship at the Bristol Mountain Ski Resort – a few miles outside Canandaigua – winning the school’s first-ever girls Nordic state title.

The team, which finished as the state runner-ups in 2025 and placed third in 2024, crushed the two days of racing, earning a team score of 18 points — the lowest overall score wins the event. Honeoye Falls-Lima recorded 37 points, which gave them second place, while Adirondack was third with 53.

The girls squad, which includes Kaylee Holmes, Kelsi Burth, Tyler Burth, Cadence Kennedy, Pepper Laxson, Lila Zobel and alternate Amelia Evans, was introduced and recognized at the start of Saranac Lake’s spring sports meeting. The team is coached by Keith Kogut.

Along with the entire team, the trio of Holmes, Laxson and Tyler Burth, who won the girls 3×3 team relay state title on Feb. 26, which essentially secured the crown, was also honored.

For the girls Nordic ski team, the state championship and being recognized in front of a packed gym were the culmination of years of hard work.

“We’ve worked really hard for a lot of years, and it just kind of felt like all the hard work finally paid off,” Tyler Burth told the Enterprise on Feb. 24. “As a senior, it was kind of the perfect way to end my Nordic skiing career.”

To read more about the team winning the state title, visit tinyurl.com/4nhbkyz6.