Harmeyer, Kern Tally J2 Sprint Victories for New England

Henry Harmeyer, Mansfield — Henry Harmeyer of Mansfield Nordic and New England leads the J2 boys A-final down the last descent of the 1.3 k classic sprint at the 2012 Cross Country Junior Nationals at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah, on Monday. Harmeyer won the sprint ahead of Mansfield teammate Ben Hegman (c) and Cully Brown of RM/Durango (r).

All 2012 Cross Country Junior Nationals coverage is brought to you through the generous support of The Memory Clinic, in Bennington, Vt., committed to caring for the mind since 1987. Currently conducting clinical research on the Alzheimer’s disease vaccine.

MIDWAY, Utah – Amid more than 400 racers at Soldier Hollow on Monday, Henry Harmeyer and Ben Hegman stood as the lone representatives of Mansfield Nordic.

Fourteen and 15 years old, respectively, the two did about all the northern Vermont club could have asked for at the 2012 Cross Country Junior Nationals. They likely pleased their New England team as well.

Junior Nationals J2 sprint podium — New England and Mansfield Nordic racer Henry Harmeyer in bib No. 1 celebrates winning the J2 classic sprint at Junior Nationals at Soldier Hollow on Monday. Ben Hegman (l) of NE/Mansfield was second and Cully Brown (r) of Rocky Mountain/Durango finished third.

Harmeyer won the J2 classic sprint in 3:54.99, more than a second ahead of his closest competitor: Hegmen.

“That was amazing,” Harmeyer said, smiling.

He had found the 1.3-kilometer course challenging and exciting, using his strong double pole to his advantage.

“I was in front, got passed on the hills and then, on the double pole at the end [I] brought it in, in front,” Harmeyer said.

He couldn’t stop smiling. His teammate finished just 1.12 seconds behind, and Cully Brown of Rocky Mountain/Durango Nordic placed third (+3.91).

The win contributed to New England’s 5-for-5 sweep on the day. In every A-final in which it had a competitor, the region topped the podium.

There were six races total, the last of which included five Midwest skiers and a Great Lakes racer in the OJ girls A-final. Paige Schember of F.A.S.T. claimed the MW victory.

In the J2 boys A-final, Koby Gordon (NE/Stratton) pulled off fourth, Karston Hokanson (Intermountain/Wasatch) was fifth and Matthew Muffoletto (AK/Alaska Winter Stars) finished sixth.

On a balmy afternoon with the sun beating down on the open course, fast skis mattered, and New England evidently had them.

After qualifying for the heats in seventh, Harmeyer won his quarterfinal and semifinal. Hegman was second in his semifinal, and Brown made the A-final in third. Gordon won the other semifinal by nearly six seconds over Hokanson and Muffoletto, respectively.

Thomas O’Harra (Alaska/APU) won the morning qualifier and later placed fourth in Harmeyer’s semifinal. In the B-final, O’Harra finished second to Steve Hokanson (Midwest/Sisu SC), putting them eighth and seventh overall.

J2 boys sprint brackets

J2 boys qualifier results

Overall results

Kern Claims Championship Upon Return

Just over a week ago, Julia Kern was racing in Estonia at the J1 Scando Cup and led the American women in the 5 k classic, placing 14^th. If that wasn’t impressive enough, consider she’s a J2.

Julia Kern, Brooke Mooney, Alayna Sonnesyn — Julia Kern (center) on the podium after winning the J2 classic sprint crown at Junior Nationals at Soldier Hollow on Monday. New England teammate Brooke Mooney of Stratton (l) was second, and Alayna Sonnesyn of Midwest/Sisu SC (r) was third.

The Cambridge Sports Union skier from Massachusetts returned to the states to race at Junior Nationals, nearly 5,500 feet above sea level at Soldier Hollow. She overcame the elevation as well.

Third in Monday’s 1.3 k classic sprint qualifier, Kern was second in her quarterfinal and third in her semi. Skiing in third on the last downhill of the A-final, she figured it was time to aim for first.

Kern won the J2 girls sprint title in 4:19.03 after passing New England teammate Brooke Mooney (Stratton) on the final stretch. Mooney was second (+3.33) and Alayna Sonnesyn (MW/Sisu SC) placed third (+5.98).

“I was in the back to start, and then I realized, ‘Oh shoot, I need to catch up,’ ” Kern said after the A-final. “I went pretty hard and our skis were really, really fast and then I tucked behind Brook … We pulled it in and fought it out at the end.”

Kern said the sprint racing with several heats was a little tough on the body, making her sick at one point. But she pulled it together and gave the A-final her best effort.

“I feel pretty good,” she said. “I had expectations to maybe make the finals but I wasn’t thinking I was gonna win, but it was my goal.”

Her Cambridge teammate, Zoe Snow was fourth, and New England took four of the top five spots with Katharine Ogden (Stratton) in fifth. Canadian Marte Haakenstad-Braaten (Rocky Mountain Racers) finished sixth.

The fastest J2 girls qualifier, Mooney won her quarterfinal and placed second in her semifinal to Ogden. Sonnesyn won the other semi, 0.79 seconds ahead of Snow.

Both Sonnesyn and Snow won their preceding quarterfinals.

J2 girls sprint brackets

J2 girls qualifying results

Overall results

Audrey Mangan contributed reporting.

Alex Kochon

Alex Kochon (alexkochon@gmail.com) is a former FasterSkier editor and roving reporter who never really lost touch with the nordic scene. A freelance writer, editor, and outdoor-loving mom of two, she lives in northeastern New York and enjoys adventuring in the Adirondacks. She shares her passion for sports and recreation as the co-founder of "Ride On! Mountain Bike Trail Guide" and a sales and content contributor at Curated.com. When she's not skiing or chasing her kids around, Alex assists authors as a production and marketing coordinator for iPub Global Connection.