Highlights of last week's Yellowstone Ski Festival for some of the country's best cross-country skiers included NorAm Super Tour classic and sprint races staged Friday and Saturday, Nov. 25-26.
This year's turnout of 250 racers was a big increase over the 2004 event. World-class skiers filled the field. Sun Valley Junior Nordic ski team racers took part, and so did collegiate skiers who came up through the Sun Valley program.
Atomic racer Wendy Wagner won the women's 12-kilometer classic and the sprint events, while the top men were Justin Freeman of Fischer/Salomon on the men's 12k course and Leif Zimmermann sprints.
Top results for skiers with Sun Valley connections included:
Women's 12k classic: 10—Rebecca Dussault 43:34. 29—Hilary Patzer (Rossignol) 46:00. 35—Fraiser Opel (Montana State) 46:33. 70—Ruth Anderson (Univ. Nevada) 50:19. 73—Ashley McQueen (Univ. of Utah) 50:56.
Women's sprints: 8—Brooke Hovey (Rossignol). 9—Dussault. 16—Patzer. 26—McQueen.
Men's 12k classic: 19—Zack Simons (SV) 37:43. 28—Chris Cook (SV) 38:27. 40—Jedd Young (New Mexico) 39:34. 45—Matt DeCarufel (Univ. Nevada) 39:54. 48—Lucas Pletcher (SV) 40:06. 56—Mike Sinnott (Dartmouth) 40:31. 90—David Vanderpool (Univ. Nevada) 43:10. 111—Jackson Harris (SV) 45:17. 116—Robert Slough (Univ. Nevada) 46:06.
Men's sprints: 11—Zack Simons. 12—Lars Flora (Subaru Factory). 25—Sinnott. 39—Young. 43—Pletcher. 45—Harris. 62—Slough. 96—Vanderpool.
