Alaska skiers continued to find success on the third day of the U.S. Cross Country Championships at Kincaid Park in Anchorage.
Anchorage’s Tyler Kornfield, who skis for Alaska Pacific University’s program, won the 30-kilometer, mass-start classic race to give the state five victories in the six races contested so far. Kornfield now has three national titles and eight medals in national championships for his career. Kornfield won at 1 hour, 21 minutes, 43.6 seconds, while Eric Packer, another APU skier, was second at 1:21:44.4.
The one victory by a non-Alaskan came in the women’s race, with Sweden’s Hedda Baangman, who skis for the University of Colorado, winning the women’s 20K classic in 1:00:55.3. South High graduate Caitlin Patterson, who now lives in Vermont, was second at 1:01:11.2, but still earned her third title at these championships because foreign skiers can’t win national titles. APU skiers Rosie Frankowski and Jessica Yeaton were third and fourth, respectively.
The men’s junior 10-kilometer classic race was won by Hunter Wonders of APU at 27:06.1. Kenai Central’s Karl Danielson was 43rd at 29:33.9, Soldotna’s Koby Vinson was 86th at 31:53.0 and Soldotna’s Jeremy Kupferschmid was 103rd at 34:29.9.
The women’s junior five-kilometer classic title went to Hannah Halvorsen of APU. Kenai Central’s Addison Gibson was 52nd in 17:02.9.
