Andy Liebner still owns Tsalteshi Trails.
The 2001 graduate of Soldotna High School returned to his high school stomping grounds on Saturday to win the Cross Country Alaska Championship Race.
Liebner was the top overall finisher in the 30-kilometer freestyle, while Homer's Megan Corazza was the top 30-kilometer women's finisher. SoHi sophomore Kailey Mucha won the 15-kilometer freestyle race.
With a total of 19 skiers, the race was short on quantity. With Liebner, Germany's Raphael Wunderle and Norway's Thomas Oyberg heading up the 30-kilometer race, though, the race was long on quality.
Liebner, a sophomore, skis for the University of Alaska Anchorage and earned second-team All-America honors for the second consecutive season by placing ninth at the men's 10-kilometer freestyle at the NCAA Ski Championships in Montana in early March.
Wunderle, a junior, also skis for UAA and has been Liebner's roommate for the past two years. Wunderle did not perform well at the NCAA meet due to an illness sustained shortly before the competition. He did earn Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association Men's Nordic MVP this season by finishing in the top 10 of his first 10 races, though.
Oyberg will ski for UAA next season, but he has quickly been earning a reputation in the cross-country skiing community this winter. He won the 30-kilometer division at PIA's Classic at Kincaid Park in Anchorage in late January, then finished second in the 50-kilometer event at the Tour of Anchorage in early March.
Liebner said each of the three skiers took turns leading in the two laps around the roller coaster that is Tsalteshi Trails. Liebner had a slight lead as the skiers emerged from the woods and set about the 300-yard sprint to the finish on flat, level ground. Liebner was able to hold off both skiers and threw his arm in the air and let out a "Yeah!" as he crossed the finish line.
"I had to win," Liebner told the crowd. "I'm local."
Liebner finished at 1 hour, 8 minutes and 44.2 seconds. Wunderle was second at 1:04:46.5, while Oyberg was third at 1:04:47.9.
"I had some wicked fast skis, compared to those guys," Liebner said.
Tsalteshi was the training ground for Liebner for his senior year, when he authored one of the most impressive seasons in the history of peninsula prep endurance athletics.
In 2000, he became the first Kenai Peninsula runner to win a state cross country title in a race including Anchorage's big schools. That race, which also saw the Soldotna boys win their second straight Class 4A state crown, was at Tsalteshi Trails.
In 2001, Liebner became the first skier from the peninsula to win the Besh Cup. The cup is awarded to the skier that accumulates the most points over the course of Alaska's six Junior Olympic Qualifying Series races. The Besh Cup winner is commonly recognized as one of the best high school skiers in the country.
He followed that up by winning Male Skier of the Year honors at the Region III cross-country meet at Tsalteshi Trails. The SoHi boys also won a second-straight region crown at that meet.
Liebner said his past success on the trails was fresh in his mind Saturday.
"I think about it all the time," he said. "Coming down this homestretch, I have a lot of memories. I laid it all out."
Liebner said the race had added importance because this was his last race of the season. In a few days, Liebner will have knee surgery that will keep him from full-bore training for four months.
While recovering from surgery, Liebner will move to Lake Placid, N.Y., to join the U.S. Biathlon development team. Liebner said he already has two years of biathlon experience.
"It's a great opportunity for a career," he said. "I want to take a break from school. I'll take two years off from college and train for the Olympics in 2010."
Pat King, the race organizer, said he would like to make the race an annual event. It will be held the week after the Kachemak Marathon Ski, so skiers can do the Tour of Anchorage, then the Homer event, then the Tsalteshi event.
"We'd like to advertise more so the local people can put in on their calendar," King said.
CCAK Championship Race
Saturday
at Tsalteshi Trails
15-kilometer freestyle
Junior 5 female „ 1. Mia Alexson, 1 hour, 28 minutes, 6.2 seconds.
Senior female „ 1. Jenny Neyman, 52:16.3.
Master male „ 1. Jeff Helminiak, 52:35.2; 2. Tom Kobylarz, 1:06:21.5; 3. Manferd Marsh.
Junior 1 female „ 1. Kailey Mucha, 44:37.7.
30-kilometer freestyle
Junior 2 male „ 1. Branden Fontana, 1:38:44.1.
Junior 1 male „ 1. TJ Earll, 2:03:41.9.
Older junior male „ 1. Erick Romig, 1:12.27.9.
Senior female „ 1. Megan Corazza, 1:33:15.3.
Senior male „ 1. Andy Liebner, 1:08:44.2; 2. Raphael Wunderle, 1:08:46.5; 3. Thomas Oyberg, 1:08:47.9.
Master female „ 1. Bonnie Dupree, 2:00:11.9.
Master male „ 1. Benoit Pin, 1:24:21.3; 2. Karl Romig, 1:26:21.1; 3. Atz Kilcher, 1:27:29.9; 4. Pete Alexson, 1:28:06.7; 5. Steve Milliron, 1:33:14.0; 6. James Danielson, 1:47:55.3.
Sports