The US SuperTour kicked off the first races of the new year at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center with a classic sprint. The event, dubbed the 2020 Lost Nation Cup, brings together senior athletes, EISA carnival teams, developing NENSA skiers, and citizen racers for a weekend of racing in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.
“Retired” Craftsbury native Ida Sargent won the women’s race in a time of 3:55.47, followed by fellow CGRP athlete Kaitlynn Miller (+0.21), and Dartmouth Ski Team’s Katherine Ogden (+2.09). Erika Flowers posted the fastest qualifying time of 3:56.03; she finished fifth in the final (+6.67).
On the mens’ side, Ben Saxton (SMST2) took the final in 3:19.0. He was followed by Canada’s Julien Smith of NTDC Thunderbay (+2.04) with Forrest Mahlen of APU in third (+2.25). University of Vermont athlete Ben Ogden was the fastest qualifier of the day in 3:18.62. Ogden was eliminated in the first heat of the semifinal, finishing 11th overall.
Racing continues tomorrow with interval start freestyle distance races Saturday and mass start classic distance races Sunday.
Rachel Perkins
Rachel is an endurance sport enthusiast based in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado. You can find her cruising around on skinny skis, running in the mountains with her pup, or chasing her toddler (born Oct. 2018). Instagram: @bachrunner4646
