On a beautiful day for skiing, Soldotna’s Sadie Fox had a beautiful day of skiing.
Fox finished second at the girls five-kilometer race at the State Nordic Ski Championships at a freshly blanketed Kincaid Park in Anchorage.
“The conditions were awesome,” Skyview coach Kent Peterson said. “It was fresh snow groomed up and it stayed pretty firm. It wasn’t sugary at all.”
Fox finished in 15 minutes, 5 seconds, while Chugiak’s Sarissa Lammers won the event in 14:43.
Laura Pillifant, SoHi’s assistant coach and also Fox’s mother, said her daughter’s result comes from hard work.
She said Fox did summer training and summer camps for skiing, and also trains with Alaska Nordic Racing when the opportunity arises.
“Sarissa and her are good buddies,” she said. “They both ski the Besh Cups with Alaska Nordic Racing.”
If Fox can make up that 22-second deficit in today’s 7.5-kilometer mass start, she will become the first skimeister from the Peninsula. The boys 10-kilometer classical mass start begins at 11 a.m.
“Sadie’s plan is just to hang with Sarissa,” Pillifant said. “I don’t think Sarissa will let herself get outsprinted by 22 seconds, but weird things can happen.”
Pillifant said classic used to be Fox’s weaker technique, but she has improved on it. She won the classic race at the invite at Chugiak, and also took the classic Besh Cup race in Homer.
Hannah Pothast, like Fox a Junior Nationals skier, also had a solid race for the Stars, taking 12th in 16:16. Those were the lone Peninsula skiers in the top 20 in either race.
“Hannah’s been skiing really well,” Pillifant said. “She’s hoping tomorrow in the classic that she can get into the top 10.”
Fox and Pothast led the Stars to a fifth-place finish in the race. SoHi was 21 seconds behind fourth-place Chugiak and four seconds in front of sixth-place East. South has the overall lead by over a minute.
“The SoHi girls team did really well today,” Pillifant said.
That order will have plenty of chance to change in today’s mass start and Saturday’s relays, which begins at 11 a.m. for the girls and 12:30 p.m. for the boys.
Also scoring for Soldotna was Dani McCormick in 31st place and Emily Werner in 50th. Pillifant said McCormick had a big race for the Stars.
Kenai’s top girl was Alex Bergholtz in 29th place. Bergholtz helped put the Kardinals in 12th place after the first day.
Skyview’s Mika Morton was 38th as the Panthers finished 16th in the skate race.
Homer’s Aspen Daigle finished 34th to lead the Mariners to 13th, while Brooke Estes in 83rd was the top skier for Seward.
On the boys side, West Valley had a great day, winning the team race and the individual title with Max Donaldson.
Donaldson skied 7.5 kilometers in 19:14 to top South’s Seiji Takagi by 15 seconds. West Valley had the top overall team time by seven seconds.
Travis Cooper led the Peninsula by finishing 29th in 21:48. The Kards were the top Peninsula team, taking 10th.
Also scoring for Kenai were Jordan Theisen in 36th, Fox Michaud in 46th and James Butler in 53rd.
Homer’s Brian Rowe finished 30th to lead the Mariners to 15th, while Soldotna’s Levi Michael was 40th to lead the Stars to 13th.
Brenner Musgrave finished 47th to lead Skyview to 14th, while Daniel Shuler was 79th.
“Daniel Shuler had a great day for us,” Peterson said. “We talked about how he’s been kind of picking it up lately, so it was good to see.”
Nick Zweifel, in 97th, led Seward.
State Nordic Ski Championships
Thursday at Kincaid Park, Anchorage
BOYS
Team times: 1. West Valley, 1 hour, 20 minutes, 58 seconds; 2. South, 1:21:05; 3. West, 1:24:42; 4. Service, 1:26:54; 5. Grace, 1:27:00; 6. Chugiak, 1:28:19; 7. East, 1:28:20; 8. Dimond, 1:29:10; 9. Colony, 1:29:38; 10. Kenai, 1:30:19; 11. Lathrop, 1:32:18; 12. Palmer, 1:32:28; 13. Soldotna, 1:34:04; 14. Skyview, 1:38:01; 15. Homer, 1:40:18; 16. Eagle River, 1:41:46; 17. Wasilla, 1:47:39; 18. Bartlett, 1:56:58; 19. North Pole, 2:15:36.
Individual 7.5-kilometer results
1. Max Donaldson, WV, 19:14; 2. Seiji Takagi, Sou, 19:29; 3. Thomas O’Harra, Eas, 19:57; 4. Hunter Wonders, Sou, 20:05; 5. Daniel Serventi, Gra, 20:08.
Peninsula finishers — 29. Travis Cooper, Ken, 21:48; 30. Brian Rowe, Hom, 22:03; 36. Jordan Theisen, Ken, 22:14; 40. Levi Michael, Sol, 22:27; 44. Colton Diehl, Sol, 22:39; 46. Fox Michaud, Ken, 22:54; 47. Brenner Musgrave, Sky, 22:55; 53. James Butler, Ken, 23:21; 59. Tanner Best, Sol, 23:35; 67. Olen Danielson, Ken, 24:11; 73. Josh Vantrease, Hom, 24:31; 78. Nate Mole, Ken, 24:41; 79. Daniel Shuler, Sky, 24:52; 81. Jeremiah Hudson, Sky, 24:55; 85. Sky Schlung, Sky, 25:18; 86. Addison Downing, Sol, 25:21; 87. Aaron Swedberg, Sol, 25:41; 88. Logan Hemphill, Sky, 25:43; 94. Drew Kant, Sol, 25:56; 96. Hoxie Parks, Hom, 26:13; 97. Nick Zweifel, Sew, 26:14; 98. Sterling Stasak, Sky, 26:22; 101. Jerry Swanson, Sew, 26:54; 102. Tian-en Liu, Hom, 27:29; 103. Dylan Gillespie, Sew, 27:30; 104. Ryan Navrot, Hom, 27:33.
GIRLS
Team times: 1. South, 1:03:19; 2. West, 1:04:29; 3. Service, 1:05:35; 4. Chugiak, 1:06:05; 5. Soldotna, 1:06:26; 6. East, 1:06:30; 7. Palmer, 1:09:05; 8. Dimond, 1:09:28; 9. West Valley, 1:09:58; 10. Grace, 1:10:47; 11. Colony, 1:11:17; 12. Kenai, 1:11:25; 13. Homer, 1:11:55; 14. Lathrop, 1:16:04; 15. Eagle River, 1:18:10; 16. Skyview, 1:19:31.
Individual five-kilometer results
1. Sarissa Lammers, Chu, 14:43; 2. Sadie Fox, Sol, 15:05; 3. Anna Darnell, Sou, 15:20; 4. Annika Flynn, Sou, 15:34; 5. Emma Tarbath, Ser, 15:35.
Other peninsula finishers — 12. Hannah Pothast, Sol, 16:16; 29. Alex Bergholtz, Ken, 17:01; 31. Dani McCormick, Sol, 17:10; 34. Aspen Daigle, Hom, 17:13; 35. Kirsten Nyquist, Ken, 17:15; 38. Mika Morton, Sky, 17:21; 43. Cassidy Soistman, Hom, 17:36; 50. Emily Werner, Sol, 17:54; 54. Rachel Ellert, Hom, 18:03; 56. Olivia Hutchings, Sol, 18:12; 60. Mikaela Salzetti, Ken, 18:21; 67. Mieka Chythlook, Sky, 18:43; 69. Katie Cooper, Ken, 18:47; 71. Mariah Vantrease, Hom, 19:02; 74. Audrey Russell, Hom, 19:12; 78. Xochi Harbison, Sol, 19:38; 80. Maddie Michaud, Ken, 19:46; 83. Brooke Estes, Sew, 19:47; 87. Isabel Beach, Hom, 19:58; 96. Brittany Hollers, Sky, 21:07; 98. Beverly Schindler, Ken, 21:57; 99. Abby Cook, Sky, 22:19; 100. Sage Link, Sky, 22:21.
