Chevrolet nordic JOs: Park, Flowers win FR

Mellie Park and Erika Flowers gave Montana’s Bridger Ski Foundation two victories Wednesday in mass start 10-kilometer freestyle races at the Chevrolet Nordic Junior Olympics at Soldier Hollow, Utah.
MELLIE PARK AND ERIKA FLOWERS gave Montana’s Bridger Ski Foundation two victories Wednesday in mass-start 10-kilometer freestyle races at the Chevrolet Nordic Junior Olympics at Soldier Hollow, Utah.
    Park, racing in the open juniors division for 18- and 19-year-olds, skated to a time of 30 minutes, 59.8 seconds to edge Robyn Steitz of Middlebury College in second place with a time of 31:12.4. Korie Steitz of Montana State finished third in 31:38.7, Ida Sargent of Burke Mountain Academy was fourth in 31:44.9 and Christina Gillis of Northern Michigan finished fifth in 31:53.1.
    Flowers topped the J1 race in 30:38.7, with Jaime Bronga of Alaska Nordic Racing finishing second in 30:41.1. Burke Mountain Academy’s Elise Moody-Roberts finished third (30:45.7), Dayna Stimson of California’s Auburn Ski Club was fourth (30:49.5) and Ellery Leeds of the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club finished fifth (30:49.8).
    The boys open juniors 15 km race was a heated battle, with the top four finishers separated by just 14 seconds. Mike Matteson of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation won in 38:44.4, nipping Marty Smith of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club by 1.7 seconds. Max Treinen of Alaska Winter Stars was third (38:47.6), Ben Fick of Minnesota’s Marine on the St. Croix fourth (38:51.1) and Ian Havlick of the Sun Valley SEF fifth (39:06.9.
    Lex Treinen of Alaska Winter Stars won the J1 boys 15 km race by nearly two seconds over Noah Hoffman of the Aspen Valley Ski Club. Treinen’s time was 38:49.6, while Hoffman skated across in 38:51.5. Treinen’s teammate Patrick Johnson finished third in 38:58.5, Miles Havlick of the Boulder Nordic Junior Race Team was fourth (39:47.9) and Carl Reid of the Auburn Ski Club was fifth (40:09.0).
    George Cartwright of the Lander (Wyoming) Nordic Ski Association won the boys J2 5 km race in 12:45.0. Finishing 10 seconds back in second place was Erik Bjornsen of the Methow Valley Nordic Team. Rogan Brown of the Durango Nordic Ski Club finished third in 13:00.0, Travis Job of the Sun Valley SEF fourth in 13:04.1 and Ethan Dreissigacker of Craftsbury Nordic fifth in 13:04.6.
    Finn Sisu Juniors racer Jessie Diggins won the girls J2 5 km race in 15:06.9, with Elizabeth Guiney of the Park City Nordic Ski Team second in 15:15.0. Steamboat WSC racer Katherine Ingalls finished third (15:22.3), Joanne Reid of Auburn Ski Club fourth (15:25.0) and Katie Gill of the Bridger Ski Foundation fifth (15:30.4).
    The Chevrolet Nordic Junior Olympics continue Friday with the 5 km and 10 km classic races.

Click here for full race results.