Freeman, Compton lead money series

Two-time Olympian Kris Freeman swept a pair of races during the weekend to take over the men's lead in the $130,000 USSA Cross Country SuperTour standings while Caitlin Compton retained her women's overall lead and Laura Valaas stayed unbeaten after five sprints.
TWO-TIME OLYMPIAN KRIS FREEMAN swept a pair of races during the weekend to take over the men's lead in the $130,000 USSA Cross Country SuperTour standings while Caitlin Compton retained her women's overall lead and Laura Valaas stayed unbeaten after five sprints.
    It was another perfect weekend for Freeman, who made it four straight victories since returning from snow-troubled Europe and the uncertainty of World Cup races being held. Saturday, he won the men's 15-kilometer freestyle race, topping Canadian Dan Roycroft by 39.3 seconds in 36:04.8 and Sunday he held off Andy Newell for the classic technique sprint win; a week earlier, he won both races in Sun Valley, Idaho.
    His victories lifted Freeman into second place on the alltime SuperTour wins list, two back of Olympic teammate — and current law student — Carl Swenson, who won 21 times (as did Canadian great Beckie Scott). Freeman will have a chance to pad his total of 19 during the U.S. Short Distance Championships Jan. 3-7 at Michigan Tech in Houghton, Michigan, when nationals races double as SuperTour events.
    On the women's side, it was a familiar story — Compton won the distance race in 26:36, seven seconds ahead of Canadian Tasha Betcherman while Valaas rolled to the sprint win, this time by more than 10 seconds.