Palmer skier makes history with runner-up finish

Katey Houser made history over the weekend.

The Palmer High senior standout finished second overall in the girls class during the ASAA/First National Bank Nordic Ski State Championships at Birch Hill in Fairbanks.

Houser had a two-day total time of 40 minutes, 27.9 seconds.

Houser was the runner-up in the 5-kilometer freestyle with a time of 15:35. She was also third in the 7.5-K classic race with a time of 24:52.

Houser made school history again during the weekend. She is the first Palmer skier to finish second overall at state. She also matched her school record with her second-place finish in the freestyle. Houser also finished second in that event in 2021.

Houser also has the highest overall state championships finish of any Valley skier in the girls class.

Houser is now the third Valley skier to finish in the top two of the overall standings at the state meet. Former Colony skiing star Eric Strabel was the state’s skimeister three times, from 1998 to 2000. Strabel’s teammate, Ryan Quinn, was second in 2000.

Houser is the third Valley skier since 2017 to post a top 10 overall finish at state. Palmer’s Alia Berrigan was fifth overall in 2021. Colony’s Annika Hanestad was fifth overall in 2019, seventh in 2018 and 10th in 2017.

Houser was also 10th in 2019.

Palmer’s Rosie Whittington-Evans also placed sixth in the girls freestyle with a time of 15:50.

Nicole Ritz led the Colony girls, finishing 27th overall. Jayden Rice also finished 27th to lead the Colony boys.

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