Some of the best photos from last weekend’s NorAm at the Black Jack Ski Club in Rossland, B.C, with freestyle sprints on Dec. 14 followed by 10- and 15-kilometre classic individual starts on Dec. 15. All photos by Shelley Peachell/Peachell Photography.
Heidi Widmer (AWCA/NST) racing in the women’s 1.4 k freestyle sprint at the Black Jack NorAm on Dec. 14 in Rossland, B.C. Widmer went on to place second overall.
Anne-Marie Comeau of the Pierre-Harvey Training Centre/Canadian National Junior Team racing to second in the junior women’s qualifier.
Graham Nishikawa (NST) on his way to qualifying in 14th at the Black Jack NorAm 1.6 k skate sprint on Dec. 14 in Rossland, B.C.
Knute Johnsgaard (Yukon Elite) in the men’s 1.6 k freestyle sprint qualifier at the Black Jack NorAm on Dec. 14 in Rossland, B.C. Johnsgaard qualified in seventh and went on to place sixth overall.
Heidi Widmer (second from r) goes head-to-head with Caitlin Patterson of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project (l) and Emily Nishikawa (r). Jennie Bender (not shown) won the heat.
Emily Nishikawa (313) leads Heidi Widmer and Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (301) in the senior women’s A-final 1.4 k skate sprint on Dec. 14 at the Black Jack NorAm in Rossland, B.C.
Emily Nishikawa (l) edges Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (c) and Heidi Widmer (r) in the women’s 1.4 k skate sprint final at the Black Jack NorAm on Dec. 14 in Rossland, B.C. Widmer was second and Bouffard-Nesbitt placed third. (Photo: Shelley Peachell/Peachell Photography, http://peachellphotography.com/)
NorAm action in Rossland, B.C., last winter: with Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess of the Bend Endurance Academy (101) rounding a corner with Sun Valley’s Miles Havlik (110) and Graeme Killick (121) of the Alberta World Cup Academy/CNST in the Black Jack NorAm 1.6 k skate sprint semifinals on Dec. 15. Blackhorse-von Jess won the semifinal and went on to place fifth in the A-final. Fourth in the semi, Havlick ended up second overall, and Killick placed 12th. (Photo: Shelley Peachell/Peachell Photography, http://peachellphotography.com/)
Peter Kling (APU), Phil Widmer of the AWCA/Canadian National Sr. Team (r) and Ryan Scott of SSCV/Team HomeGrown (l) racing in the quarterfinals of the Black Jack NorAm skate sprint on Dec. 14 in Rossland, B.C.
Peter Kling (APU), Phil Widmer of the AWCA/Canadian National Sr. Team (r) and Ryan Scott of SSCV/Team HomeGrown (l) racing in the quarterfinals of the Black Jack NorAm skate sprint on Dec. 14 in Rossland, B.C.
Erik Bjornsen (APU/USST) leads fellow American Sylvan Ellefson of SSCV/Team HomeGrown (r) in the semifinal of the Black Jack NorAm 1.6 k skate sprint on Dec. 14 in Rossland, B.C. Both advanced to the A-final, where Bjornsen won and Ellefson took fourth.
Junior women’s 1.4 k freestyle sprint at the Black Jack NorAm in Rossland, B.C.
The Black Jack NorAm junior men’s 1.6 k freestyle sprint, including Evan Palmer-Charrette of NDC Thunder Bay (6).
The Black Jack NorAm junior men’s A-final, including Colin Foley of Callaghan Valley and (4) Benjamin Wilkinson-Zan of NDC Thunder Bay (2). Foley ended up fifth behind winner Matthew Saurette (not shown) and Wilkinson-Zan finished sixth.
Emily Nishikawa (c), Heidi Widmer (l) and Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (r) placed first, second and third, respectively, in the Black Jack NorAm 1.4 k freestyle sprint on Dec. 14 in Rossland, B.C.
Erik Bjornsen (c), Miles Havlik (second from l), and Graham Nishikawa (second from r) atop the podium in first, second and third, respectively, at the Black Jack NorAm freestyle sprints on Dec. 14 in Rossland, B.C.
The junior 1.4 women’s podium at the Black Jack NorAm 1 k skate sprint on Dec. 14 in Rossland, B.C.: (from left to right) runner-up Dahria Beatty (AWCA), winner Katherine Stewart-Jones (Nakkertok), and Anne-Marie Comeau (CNEPH).
U23 podium, with Heidi Widmer (AWCA/CNST) and Erik Bjornsen (APU/USST) after the Black Jack NorAm freestyle sprints on Dec. 14 in Rossland, B.C.
Kate Fitzgerald (APU) striding to a victory in the Black Jack NorAm 10 k classic individual start on Dec. 15 in Rossland, B.C.
Kevin Sandau (AWCA/NST) racing to victory in the NorAm 15 k classic individual start on Dec. 15 in Rossland, B.C.
KateFitzgerald (APU) leads Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) in the Black Jack NorAm 10 k classic individual start on Dec. 15 in Rossland, B.C. )
Russell Kennedy of the AWCA (177) and Knute Johnsgaard (l) racing in the NorAm 15 k classic on Dec. 15 in Rossland, B.C. Johnsgaard finished 14th and Kennedy placed 31st.
Kevin Sandau (AWCA/NST), racing to a winning time of 42:08.4 in the NorAm 15 k classic individual start on Dec. 15 in Rossland, B.C.
Amanda Ammar (Team Ninja) racing to third in the Black Jack NorAm 10 k classic individual start on Dec. 15 in Rossland, B.C. (Photo: Shelley Peachell/Peachell Photography, http://peachellphotography.com/)
Zoe Roy (Team Ninja) on her way to a fifth-place finish in the Black Jack NorAm 10 k classic on Dec. 15.
Heidi Widmer (AWCA/NST) racing to ninth in the Black Jack NorAm 10 k classic on Dec. 15.
Men’s 15 k classic individual start podium at Black Jack NorAm on Dec. 15 (from l to r): Runner-up Sylvan Ellefson (SSCV/Team HomeGrown), winner Kevin Sandau (AWCA/CNST), Graham Nishikawa (CNST) in third, Erik Bjornsen (APU/USST) in fourth, and Andy Shields (NDC Thunder Bay) in fifth.
Women’s 10 k classic individual start podium at Black Jack NorAm on Dec. 15 (from l to r): Runner-up Emily Nishikawa (AWCA/CNST), winner Kate Fitzgerald (APU), Amanda Ammar (Team Ninja) in third, Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) in fourth), and Zoe Roy (Team Ninja) in fifth.
Frederique Vezina (CNEPH) was the second junior woman and 11th overall in the Black Jack NorAm 10 k classic on Dec. 15.