FasterSkier’s coverage of the 2014 U.S. Cross Country Championships is brought to you through the generous support of The Memory Clinic in Bennington, Vt.
MIDWAY, Utah — Sylvan Ellefson, 26, knew it was going to take some gutsy skiing to win the men’s 30-kilometer freestyle mass start Wednesday at the 2014 U.S. Cross Country Championships, but he didn’t want to go too crazy, too soon on Soldier Hollow’s unforgiving Olympic 5 k course. Instead, he patiently skied in second until the second-to-last lap, where he attacked and never looked back for to win his first national title by 2.8 seconds.
Start of the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start on Wednesday at U.S. Cross Country Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah.
Patrick Johnson (Far West) leads the first of six times up Hermod’s in the mens’ 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.
Brian Gregg of Team Gregg/Madshus (second from r) holding his own in the main pack up Hermod’s for the first of six times on the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.
Johnson leading the mass start race at U.S. Nationals in January.
Patrick Johnson leading the second lap
The chase pack in the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start on the second of six laps at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.
Sylvan Ellefson (r) and Tad Elliott of Ski & Snowboard Club Vail/Team HomeGrown make their way up Hermod’s early in the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.
University of Vermont junior Scott Patterson glances back at Lukas Ebner (University of Alaska-Anchorage) while leading early in the third of six laps in the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.
(Photo: Bert Boyer – http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com) All proceeds from photo sales will be directly donated to NNF.
Ellefson (8) gets a feed on the high point of the course at Soldier Hollow on the third of six laps in the 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals.
Scott Patterson (University of Vermont) gets ahead up Hermod’s on the third of six laps in the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.
Lukas Ebner (21) leads Mats Resaland of the University of New Mexico (11) and Kris Freeman (1) up Hermod’s on the third of six laps in the 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.
Tad Elliott (l) and Sylvan Ellefson (8) of SSCV/Team HomeGrown make their way up the last hill on the third of six laps with Mats Resaland (11) in the 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.
(Photo: Bert Boyer – http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com) All proceeds from photo sales will be directly donated to NNF.
(Photo: Bert Boyer – http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com) All proceeds from photo sales will be directly donated to NNF.
Scott Patterson (UVM) alone in the lead of the U.S. nationals 30 k freestyle mass start, early in the fourth of six laps at Soldier Hollow.
(Photo: Bert Boyer – http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com) All proceeds from photo sales will be directly donated to NNF.
Sylvan Ellefson (SSCV/Team HomeGrown) follows in second early in the fourth of six laps at the U.S. nationals 30 k freestyle mass start at Soldier Hollow.
(Photo: Bert Boyer – http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com) All proceeds from photo sales will be directly donated to NNF.
Mikey Sinnott (l), of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF), climbs up and over a hill in the 30 k freestyle mass start at 2014 U.S. nationals. (Photo: Bert Boer – http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com) All proceeds from photo sales will be directly donated to NNF.
Sinnott’s former Sun Valley teammate Miles Havlick (5) leads the chase pack during the U.S. Nationals 30 k freestyle mass start while Sinnott (second from l) gets tangled on the way up. (Photo: Bert Boyer/All proceeds from photo sales donated to NNF)
Scott Patterson (UVM) on his own up front up Hermod’s for the fourth of six times in the 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.
Sun Valley’s Miles Havlick (5) and Oscar Ivars of the University of Utah (36) lead the chase pack up Hermod’s on the fourth of six laps in the U.S. nationals 30 k freestyle mass start at Soldier Hollow.
Erik Bjornsen (APU/U.S. Ski Team) just ahead of Kris Freeman (1) of the Maine Winter Sports Center up Hermod’s on the fourth of six laps in the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.
Scott Patterson (UVM) on his way down Whale’s Tale on the fourth of six laps in the U.S. nationals 30 k freestyle mass start at Soldier Hollow.
Sun Valley’s Miles Havlick (5) leads Sylvan Ellefson (8) in the pack in the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow. (Photo: Toko)
Sinnott’s former Sun Valley teammate Miles Havlick (5) leads the chase pack up the last hill on the fourth of six laps during the U.S. Nationals 30 k freestyle mass start while Sinnott (second from l) gets tangled on the way up. (Photo: Bert Boer – http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com) All proceeds from photo sales will be directly donated to NNF.
(Photo: Bert Boyer – http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com) All proceeds from photo sales will be directly donated to NNF.
Scott Patterson (UVM) up one of the early climbs in the fifth of six laps in Wednesday’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals. After breaking away on the second lap, Patterson came back to the group midway through the fifth lap and ended up 19th.
Sylvan Ellefson (SSCV/Team HomeGrown) gaining some speed with 1 1/2 laps remaining out of six in the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at 2014 U.S. Cross Country Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. Ellefson won by 2.8 seconds for his first national title.
Kris Freeman (Maine Winter Sports Center) heading into the lond descent down Whale’s Tail on the fifth of six laps in the U.S. nationals 30 k freestyle mass start
Kris Freeman leads Matt Liebsch across the top of the Olympic 5 k course at Soldier Hollow during the fifth of six laps in the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals on Wednesday. Freeman finished third and Bjornsen was fifth.
Miles Havlick (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation) tucking down the high point of the course on the fifth of six laps at U.S. nationals in the 30 k freestyle mass start at Soldier Hollow.
Erik Bjornsen (APU/U.S. Ski Team) on the fifth of six laps in the U.S. nationals 30 k freestyle mass start at Soldier Hollow.
Tyler Reinking (Bridger Ski Foundation) on his way to ninth in the 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.
David Sinclair (Dartmouth) leads a chase into Whale’s Tale on the fifth of six laps in the U.S. nationals 30 k freestyle mass start at Soldier Hollow.
Sylvan Ellefson (SSCV/Team HomeGrown) breaks away on the fifth of six laps in the U.S. nationals 30 k freestyle mass start at Soldier Hollow.
Sylvan Ellefson (SSCV/Team HomeGrown) breaks away on the fifth of six laps in the U.S. nationals 30 k freestyle mass start at Soldier Hollow.
Sylvan Ellefson (SSCV/Team HomeGrown) breaks away on the fifth of six laps in the U.S. nationals 30 k freestyle mass start at Soldier Hollow.
Kris Freeman (MWSC) leads Matt Liebsch (XC United/Team StrongHeart) on the fifth of six laps in the U.S. nationals men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at Soldier Hollow.
Kris Freeman leads Matt Liebsch and Miles Havlick (l) in a chase pack of the 30 k freestyle mass start at 2014 U.S. nationals.
Sylvan Ellefson (SSCV/Team HomeGrown) pushes off the front with just over 5 k remaining in the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah.
(Photo: http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com) All proceeds from photo sales will be directly donated to NNF.
Kris Freeman (1) leads Matt Liebsch (6) and Brian Gregg early in the last lap of the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.
Sylvan Ellefson’s mother-in-law holding one of many “Sylvan on a Stick” cardboard cutouts while cheering Ellefson on during the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals on Wednesday in Midway, Utah.
(Photo: http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com) All proceeds from photo sales will be directly donated to NNF.
Ellefson puts the hurt on up the last time Hermod’s in the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.
Brian Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) after passing Kris Freeman (MWSC) the last time up Hermod’s in the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.
Bjornsen makes his way up Hermod’s on the last lap of the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow.
(Photo: Bert Boyer – http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com) All proceeds from photo sales will be directly donated to NNF.
(Photo: http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com) All proceeds from photo sales will be directly donated to NNF.
Lex Treinen (APU) on his way down to the finish, where he placed sixth in the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals at Soldier Hollow. (Photo: Bert Boyer – http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com) All proceeds from photo sales will be directly donated to NNF.
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Sylvan Ellefson and his wife, Sarah, await the podium ceremony after Ellefson won the men’s 30 k freestyle mass start at U.S. nationals on Wednesday.
