Peninsula skiers compete at Besh Cup

Peninsula skiers compete at Besh Cup

The first weekend of Besh Cup racing was held Saturday and Sunday at Kincaid Park in Anchorage.

Besh Cup racing is used to choose Alaska’s teams for Junior Nationals and for the Arctic Winter Games. It is also a chance for some of the top racers in Alaska who have advanced beyond the junior level to stay sharp.

For example, the 1.7-kilometer men’s classic sprint for Under-18 and over Saturday was won by Erik Bjornsen, who has spent time skiing on the World Cup for the United States and also has skied in two Olympics. From the Kenai Peninsula, Soldotna High School senior Bradley Walters was 45th.

In the .9-kilometer women’s classic sprint for Under-16 and over, Mariel Merlii Pulles took the victory. Soldotna’s Erika Arthur was 42nd, Soldotna graduate Kellie Arthur was 58th and Homer High School’s Zoe Stonorov was 62nd.

In the .9-kilometer boys classic sprint, Aaron Power took the victory while Tyler Hippchen of Kenai Central was 20th.

Sunday, racers switched to a freestyle interval start. In the Under-16 and over 5-kilometer race, Kendall Kramer of Fairbanks took the victory in 12 minutes, 55 seconds. Erika Arthur was 46th in 16:28, Stonorov was 53rd in 17:24 and Kellie Arthur was 61st in 18:19.

The men’s 10-kilometer race was won by Gus Schumacher in 21:22. Walters was 61st in 34:05.

In the Under-16 boys 5-kilometer race, Hippchen was 14th in 14:37.

More in Sports

tease
Sunday: Twins sweep Dimond

Post 20’s Harper throws shutout in league game

Post 20's Jayden Stuyvesant flies out to left field against West on Friday, June 13, 2025, at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Friday: Twins lose league game, win nonleague game vs. West

The American Legion Post 20 Twins split a doubleheader against West Post… Continue reading

tease
Thursday: Twins split with Service

The American Legion Post 20 Twins split with Service on Thursday at… Continue reading

tease
Brown Bears select 7 in NAHL Entry Draft

The Kenai River Brown Bears selected seven players in the North American… Continue reading

tease
Monday: Twins open season with victory over Bartlett

The American Legion Post 20 Twins opened their season in Anchorage with… Continue reading

tease
Area track and field athletes compete at Brian Young Invitational

The 400-meter relay of William Klein, Brenden Jones, Lokeni Wong and Tyce… Continue reading

Nick Varney
Reeling ‘Em In: Tourism season shifts into overdrive on packed Spit

On weekends, keeping your head on a swivel is a must.

Soldotna's Kristin Davis and Ruby Davis lead Kenai's Rustin Hitchcock at the Tsalteshi Backyard Ultra on Friday, June 6, 2025, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Dickerson outlasts competition at Tsalteshi Backyard Ultra

Anchorage’s Julianne Dickerson won the fourth Tsalteshi Backyard Ultra on Friday and… Continue reading

tease
SoHi 2nd, Kenai 3rd at Division II state softball

The Soldotna and Kenai Central softball teams both had the best finishes… Continue reading

Most Read