U.S. XC Champs: Babikov, Compton win freestyle races

HOUGHTON, Mich. — Ivan Babikov, who spent the last year-and-a-half racing in the Olympics and with the Russian national team, won the 10-kilometer men's freestyle at the U.S. Cross Country Championships on Tuesday.

HOUGHTON, Mich. — Ivan Babikov, who spent the last year-and-a-half racing in the Olympics and with the Russian national team, won the 10-kilometer men's freestyle at the U.S. Cross Country Championships on Tuesday.
    Babikov, who is a Russian citizen but makes his home in Canada, skis for the Factory Team and hopes to earn a spot on the Canadian Olympic Team. His time in the 10 km was 24 minutes, 23.7 seconds.
    Caitlin Compton, a Nordic skiing standout who now skis for both the Central Cross Country team and U.S. Biathlon Team, covered the 5 km course in 13:47.1.
    Babikov earned a nine-second victory over Leif Zimmerman, a member of the U.S. Ski Team and Bridger Ski Foundation team. Zimmerman was a member of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team. Fellow Olympian and defending champion Kris Freeman took third place, 22 seconds off the lead.
    Babikov has a World Cup fourth-place to his credit, numerous top 20s, and a World Cup relay victory. He has also earned fourth- and sixth-place finishes at the American Birkebeiner.
    In the women's race, U.S. Ski Team member and 2006 Olympic team member Liz Stephen finished second, 24 seconds off the pace. Karin Camenisch, skiing for Team Rossignol was third, some six seconds behind Stephen.
    Last year's women's freestyle champ, Alexis Turzian, who won as a high schooler, finished 14th and is now skiing for Middlebury College.
    The women's race started the day with light snow and 17 degree (F) temperatures. Conditions deteriorated after lunch, with the men facing a strong headwind on the 100-meter uphill finish and, at times, heavy lake-effect snow.
    The U.S. Championships continue on Thursday with the classic competition. Men will cover a 15 km course in the morning and the women will ski 10 km in the afternoon. The individual sprints are Saturday and team sprints are Sunday.
    For complete results and schedules, go to www.seniornationals.org.