HOUGHTON, Mich. — Day 2 of the U.S. Cross Country Championships took place Monday with the 1.5-kilometer freestyle sprint on the Michigan Tech Trails. Past national sprint champs Jennie Bender and Reese Hanneman racked up another title each after dominating all day, from the qualifier to the finals.
Racing resumes Thursday with the 20/30 k freestyle mass starts and ends Saturday with the classic sprint.
Left to right: Chelsea Holmes of Alaska Pacific University goes head-to-head with Jennie Bender of the Bridger Ski Foundation, Mary Rose of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation and Liz Guiney of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project in the final uphill push of their quarterfinal during the women’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton Mich.
Andrea Dupont of Rocky Mountain Racers leads Deedra Irwin of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, Sarah Bezdicek of Northern Michigan University, Becca Rorabaug of Alaska Pacific University, Heather Mooney of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project, and Taryn Hunt-Smith of Dartmouth College during their quarterfinal of the women’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton Mich. Rorabaugh went on to place eighth overall. (Photo: Christopher Schmidt)
Left to right: Sarah Bezdicek of Northern Michigan University heading into the last stretch with Heather Mooney of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project, Deedra Irwin of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, Andrea Dupont of Rocky Mountain Racers, Becca Rorabaug of Alaska Pacific University, and Taryn Hunt-Smith of Dartmouth College during their quarterfinal of the women’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton Mich. Rorabaugh went on to place eighth overall.
Front, left to right: Craftsbury Green Racing Project skier Caitlin Patterson and Stratton Mountain School racer Anne Hart lead (second row, left to right) Rosie Frankowski of Alaska Pacific University, CanadianTeam Hardwood athlete Jennifer Jackson, PCNSC/Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation racer Leah Lange, and University of Northern Michigan’s Felicia Gesior during their quarterfinal of the women’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton Mich. Hart went on to place second overall, Patterson third. (Photo: Christopher Schmidt)
Craftsbury Green Racing Project Kaitlynn Miller takes charge, ahead of Northern Michigan University’s Vivian Hett, and Dartmouth College skier Emily Hannah during their quarterfinal of the women’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton Mich. (Photo: Christopher Schmidt)
Left to right: Canadian Jennifer Jackson of Team Hardwood, Craftsbury Green Racing Project skier Liz Guiney, Alaska Pacific University racer Becca Rorabaugh, Northern Michigan University’s Sarah Bezdicek, Stratton Mountain School’s Anne Hart, and Bridger Ski Foundation’s Jennie Bender coming into the first downhill of the women’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton Mich. Bender ultimately took first overall, Hart second, Guiney seventh overall, Rorabaugh ninth, Jackson tenth, and Bezdicek in eleventh overall.
Front, left to right: Erika Flowers of Stratton Mountain School and Jessica Yeaton of Alaska Pacific University pacing the downhill ahead of Sugar Bowl Academy skier Hannah Halvorsen and Boulder Nordic Junior Racing Teams Eliska Hajkova during their quarterfinal of the women’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton Mich. Flowers went on to finish sixth overall and Halvorsen took fifth. (Photo: Christopher Schmidt)
Right to left: Craftsbury Green Racing Project racer Caitlin Patterson corners ahead of teammate Kaitlynn Miller, Sugar Bowl Academy ski racer Hannah Halvorsen, and Stratton Mountain School skier Erika Flowers during their semi-final of the women’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton Mich. (Photo: Christopher Schmidt)
Craftsbury Green Racing Project skier Caitlin Patterson (Bib No. 6) pushes into the final climb while teammate Kaitlynn Miller (Bib No. 13) and Sugar Bowl Academy skier Hannah Halvorsen (Bid No. 12), as well as Rocky Mountain Racer’s Andrea Dupont during the semi-final of the women’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton Mich. Patterson went on to place third overall, Halvorsen fifth, Miller fourth, and Dupont in twelfth.
Left to right: Caitlin Patterson of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project, Jennie Bender of the Bridger Ski Foundation, Anne Hart of the Stratton Mountain School, Erika Flowers, also of the Stratton Mountain School, Hannah Halvorsen of Sugar Bowl Academy, and Kaitlynn Miller of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project off the starting line of the final for the women’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton Mich.
Front, left to right: Anne Hart of Stratton Mountain School and Bridger Ski Foundation’s Jennie Bender duke it out towards the finish line while (back, left to right Kaitlynn Miller of Craftsbury Green Racing Project, Caitlin Patterson also of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project, Stratton Mountain School ski racer Erika Flowers, and Sugar Bowl Academy skier Hannah Halvorsen race to the finish during the final of the women’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton Mich. (Photo: Christopher Schmidt)
Left to right: University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Isaac Lammers skis in front of Alaska Pacific University’s Reese Hanneman, Michigan Tech University’s Didrik Elset, Loppet Nordic Racer Zak Ketterson, Bridger Ski Foundation’s Akeo Maifeld-Carrucci, and Skinouk Quebec Ski Team’s Alexis Turgeon during their quarterfinal of the men’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton, Mich. (Photo: Christopher Schmidt)
Left to right: Alaska Pacific University’s Reese Hanneman races in front of Skinouk Quebec Ski Team’s Alexis Turgeon, Bridger Ski Foundation’s Akeo Maifeld-Carrucci, Loppet Nordic Racer Zak Ketterson, and Michigan Tech University’s Didrik Elset during their quarterfinal of the men’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton, Mich.
Right to left: David Norris of Alaska Pacific University leads Brian Gregg of Team Gregg/Madshus, Canadian Kevin Sandau of the Alberta World Cup Academy, Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess of the Bend Endurance Academy, and teammate Thomas O’Harra of Alaska Pacific University during their quarterfinal of the men’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton, Mich. Blackhorse von-Jess advanced through the rounds to place second overall, and Gregg also advanced to the semi, ultimately finishing the day in eighth overall.
Left to right: Overall third place finisher Julien Locke of Team Black Jack, leads Stratton Mountain School skier Paddy Caldwell and two Canadian NDC Thunder Bay athletes Evan Palmer-Charrette and Michael Somppi around the final corner of their quarterfinal heat during the men’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton Mich. Somppi went on to place eighth overall and Palmer-Charrette placed sixth overall.
Right to left: Alaska Pacific University’s Logan Hanneman in front of Ski and Snowboard Club Vail’s Tad Elliot, Bridger Ski Foundation’s Nick Michaud, Alaska Winter Stars’ Silas Talbot, and Michigan Tech’s Gaspard Cuenot during their quarterfinal of the men’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton Mich. Logan Hanneman went on to finish ninth overall and Talbot finished in an overall tenth. (Photo: Christopher Schmidt)
Fredrick Schwencke of Northern Michigan University (l) leads Miles havlick of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, Haakon Hjjelstuen of Lyn Ski, Scott Patterson of Alaska Pacific University, and Canadian Patrick Stewart-Jones during their quarterfinal of the men’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton, Mich. Schwencke finished in a career best fourth overall, while Havlick took the overall fifth place spot.
Left to right: NDC Thunder Bay athlete Michael Somppi in front of Alaska Pacific University’s Reese Hanneman, Bend Endurance Academy’s Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess, Team Gregg/Madshus Brian Gregg, Alaska Winter Stars’ Silas Talbot, and Michigan Tech skier Didrik Elset during their semi-final of the men’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton, Mich. (Photo: Christopher Schmidt)
Left to right: Northern Michigan University’s Fredrick Schwencke, Alaska Pacific University racer Eric Packer, NDC Thunder Bay’s Evan Palmer-Charrette, Team Black Jack’s Julien Locke head into the final stretch of their semi-final during the men’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton Mich.
Eric Packer of Alaska Pacific University (center) leads two Canadian skiers, Evan Palmer Charrette of NDC Thunder Bay (l) and Julien Locke of Team Black Jack during the their semi-final of the men’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton, Mich. Packer placed eleventh overall, while Palmer-Charrette took sixth and Locke claimed his first U.S. national’s podium in third.
APU’s Reese Hanneman (Bib No. 101) leads Bend Endurance Academy’s Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess (Bib No. 104) as well as (back: left to right) Miles Havlick (SVSEF), Evan Palmer-Charrette (NDC Thunder Bay), Fredrick Schwencke (NMU), and Julien Locke (Team Black Jack) during the final of the men’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton, Mich.
Left to right: Alaska Pacific University Reese Hanneman bests Team Black Jack’s Julien Locke and Bend Endurance Academy’s Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess during the final of the men’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on Monday at U.S. nationals in Houghton, Mich. (Photo: Christopher Schmidt)