This past weekend McCall, ID hosted the final weekend of races in Intermountain’s JNQ series. Bear Basin Nordic Trails, a new 30km network of trails just outside of McCall, was the site for Saturday’s 5/10/15km freestyle races and Sunday’s 5km classic races. With 170 inches of snow falling so far this winter in McCall, the banks were huge and the skiing was perfect. The sun was out both days and all the kids were really psyched to be on the new rolling, treed trails at Bear Basin. The pressure was on for many juniors as it was there last chance to try and pop some good races and get onto the Intermountain Junior National Team headed to Anchorage, Alaska for Junior Nationals in early March. Intermountain will be trying to defend last years Alaska Cup victory on AK’s home turf.
Racing started off Saturday with the men’s J1/OJ classes getting after it in the interval start 15km freestyle event. Sun Valley’s (SVSEF) Max Durtschi had his best performance of the season beating all other competitors by over a minute to finish with a time 37:06.1. Daniel Guiney from Park City also had one of his best races of the year to take the OJ class win in 38:10.4. Rounding out the top three in the J1 class was Park City’s Nick Henrickson in second, also a top Nordic Combined junior for the US program, and Travis Job (SVSEF) in third. In the OJ’s, Taylor Sundali (SVSEF) and Erik Anderson (Glacier) took second and third.
In the women’s 10km interval start race Sun Valley’s Mali Noyes, and OJ, whose had a break out season in skate races, won with a time of 27:46.9. Her top rival, Bridger Ski Foundation’s (BSF) Kate Dolan, just home from the J1 Scandinavian Trip, clocked the second fastest time of the day to win the J1 class in 28:27.9. Ellery Leeds from Jackson Hole (JHSSC), and Elizabeth Guiney of Park City took 2nd and 3rd in the J1’s, while BSF’s Ericka Flowers and Ase Carlson took the next two podium spots in the OJ class.
In the 5km J2 races, on the women’s side, one, two, three went to Katie Gill (BSF), Stella Holt (Glacier) and Betsy Neal (JHSSC). For the men, JHSSC’s Johnny Springer took 1st, Danny Sundali (SVSEF) second, and Tanner Wiegand (BSF) third.
Sunday’s classic races featured 5km interval starts for everybody. J1/OJ men got things rolling first again with some simple blue hardwax racing. Erik Anderson (Glacier) didn’t mess around taking the OJ and overall win by a twenty-five second margin (13:00.2) over 2nd place Taylor Sundali (SVSEF). Third in the OJ class was Saturday’s winner Daniel Guiney (Park City). Max Durtschi (SVSEF) maybe feeling the effects of the previous day’s effort, but having a successful weekend nonetheless, took third spot overall and won the J1 class in a time of 13:38.9. SVSEF swept the podium in the J1 class with Scotty Phelan taking second and Connor Brown earning his first podium of the season in third.
Kate Dolan (BSF), an excellent classic skier, evened the score with Noyes, taking the 5km classic win in 14:56.1. Finishing second overall and winning the OJ class, Mali Noyes (SVSEF) came in at 15:19.1. Rounding out the top three in the OJ’s were BSF’s Ase Carlson and Erika Flowers. In the J1’s, Elizabeth Guiney (Park City) took second and Monica Markvardsen (BJSC) third.
In the J2 boys race Charlie Fereday (Bogus Basin) finished first, Tanner Wiegand (BSF) second and Johnny Springer (JHSSC) third. On the women’s side Katie Gill (BSF) made it two for two, Stella Holt (Glacier) took second spot again and Kara Baldwin (BSF) finished third.
For complete results from the weekend you can got to www.mccallskiing.com. Congratulations to all the competitors for a great weekend of racing and big thanks to the McCall volunteers.
