FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Off to the Cross Country Junior National Races at Soldier Hollow!

MIDWAY, Utah.  Picture this ... a perfectly groomed cross country ski track against a brilliant bright blue sky …photographers scrambling into position then click, click, click …streaks of color every 15 seconds …wild cheering and cow bells clanging.  This was the scene earlier today at Soldier Hollow Cross Country Ski Resort as 439 high ranking junior competitors literally kicked-off the 2012 USSA Marriott Junior Championships.

The competition began with the 1.3km Classic Sprint race.  Sprints are fast and exciting involving lots of tactics and sometimes crashes and broken skis and poles.  Fortunately crashes and breaks were limited today. 

Three classes of racers participated – J2 boys and girls ages 13-15, J1 boys and girls ages 16-17, and OJ boys and girls ages 18-19.  Skiers were launched individually every 15 seconds for the qualifying round.  For each class, those with the 30 fastest times advanced to five quarterfinal heats of six skiers.  The fastest twelve quarterfinal skiers from each class moved on to the semifinals which started immediately.  This time there were two heats of six skiers for each class.  Six skiers from each class with the fastest times advanced to the finals.  Each final was an exciting head to head race where tactics played as large a role as flat out speed. 

When it was all said and done the following six skiers in each class were winners.

J2 boys ages 13-15

1          Henry Harmeyer, New England Division -- GOLD

2          Ben Hegman, New England Division -- SILVER

3          Cully Brown Rocky Mountain Division -- BRONZE

4          Koby Gordon, New England Division

5          Karston Hokanson, Intermountain Division  = Wasatch Nordic Ski Club

6          Matthew Muffoletto Alaska Division

 

J2 girls ages 13-15

1                 Julia Kern, New England Division -- GOLD

2                 Brooke Mooney, New England Division -- SILVER

3                 Alayna Sonnesyn Midwest Division -- BRONZE

4                 Zoe Snow New England Division

5                 Katharine Ogden New England Division

6                 Braate Haakenstad Rocky Mountain Division

 

J1 boys ages 16-17

1                 Eli Hoenig, New England Division -- GOLD

2                 Patriack Caldwell, New England Division -- SILVER

3                 Cole Morgan, Intermountain Division -- BRONZE

4                 Nick St. Clair Pacific Northwest Division

5                 Zach Goldberg, Midwest Division

6                 Harris Dirnberger, Midwest Division

 

J1 girls ages 16-17

1                 Corey Stock, New England Division -- GOLD

2                 Jesse Knori, Intermountain Division -- SILVER

3                 Mary O’Connell Rocky Mountain Division -- BRONZE

4                 Heather Mooney New England Division

5                 Lucy Newman Rocky Mountain Division

6                 Emily Hannah Rocky Mountain Division

OJ boys ages 18-19

1                 Eric Lustgarten New England Division -- GOLD

2                 Austin Cobb, New England Division – SILVER

3                 Nick Michaud New England Division -- BRONZE

4                 Silas Talbot, New England Division

5                 Hans Halvorsen New England Division

6                 Sawyer Kesselheim Intermountain Division

 

OJ girls ages 18-19

1                 Paige Schember, Midwest Division -- GOLD

2                 Rachel Mason, Great Lakes Division – SILVER

3                 Sharmila Ahmed, Midwest Division -- BRONZE

4                 Elizabeth Simak, Midwest Division

5                 Claire Galvin, Midwest Division

6                 Alice Flanders, Midwest Division

 

The 2012 USSA Marriott Junior Championships is organized by the Soldier Hollow Legacy Foundation.  This is a premier event for developing top national class athletes ages 13-19.  Four more races are scheduled:

March 6th        Nordic Combined Team Relay 2:30pm-4:00pm

March 7th        Freestyle Mass Start -- 8:00am-12:00pm
March 9th        Classic Interval Start – 8:00am-2:00pm
March 10th       Sprint Freestyle Relay – 8:00am-12:00pm

Admission to all of the races is free.  For more information visit www.soldierhollow.com.