Freeman, Randall win Alaska sprints

Freeman, Randall win Alaska sprints{mosimage}Kris Freeman and Kikkan Randall battled their way through more sub-zero cold Monday, Nov. 7 to win the first sprints of the new cross-country SuperTour schedule.

Freeman, who won the 20-kilometer pursuit (10+10) Sunday at Birch Hill, edged local favorite Lars Flora with Canadian Drew Goldsack and Brayton Osgood completing the final foursome in the 1.4km freestyle sprint.

In the women’s finale, Randall defeated Karin Camenisch of Germany with Brooke Hovey third and Dartmouth College racer Ali Crocker fourth in the women’s 900-meter race.

Sprint specialists Torin Koos and Andy Newell finished first and third in the men’s prologue while Canadian Olympic champion Beckie Scott, who won Sunday’s women’s pursuit, led the women’s prologue — but all three, among others, decided not to race because of the cold.

Temperatures of minus-25 Celsius (minus-13 F) Saturday forced postponement of the sprints; the pursuits Sunday were run in minus-20 C. weather but it dropped back Monday. ‘It was back down around minus-10 Fahrenheit’ U.S. head coach Trond Nystad said, ‘and a lot of skiers didn’t want to take any chances with a second day of racing … and you can’t blame them.

‘Torin and Andy had a good prologue, showed they’re ready to go, and didn’t want to take a chance. There are a few athletes with nasty coughs, so Torin and Andy skipped the race. Kris won with Lars right in there, and that was good … and Kikkan skied well, too. I’ve seen some good things, especially considering the cold’ Nystad said.

2006 Cross-Country SuperTour
Birch Hill Recreation Area
Fairbanks, Alaska – Nov. 7, 2005
(8 make semifinals)

Men’s 1.4km freestyle sprint
1. Kris Freeman, Andover, N.H.
2. Lars Flora, Anchorage, Alaska/Subaru Factory Team
3. Drew Goldsack, Canada
4. Brayton Osgood, Putney, Vt./Team Alpina
5. Chris Cook, Rhinelander, Wis./Team Atomic
6. Steve Scott, Fort Kent, Maine
7. Dave Chamberlain, Bethel, Maine/Team Atomic
8. Kevin Hochtl, Vail, Colo.

Women’s 900m freestyle sprint
1. Kikkan Randall, Anchorage, Alaska/APU Nordic
2. Karin Camenisch, Germany/Bridge Ski Foundation
3. Brooke Hovey, Ketchum, Idaho/Team Rossignol
4. Alison Crocker, Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Dartmouth College
5. Wendy Wagner, Park City, Utah/Team Atomic
6. Liz Stephen, Montpelier, Vt./Burke Mountain Academy
7. Ida Sargent, Orleans, Vt./Burke Mountain Academy
8. Aubrey Smith, Seward, Alaska/Team Atomic

For complete results:
www.sportalaska.com/noramskiraces/2005-2006

Courtesy USSA News Bureau