Sun Valley's Alexa Turzian, 17, got her Junior National gold in the Older Junior relay last March at Truckee, Ca. But this year, Turzian has a Junior National gold all to herself.
Turzian won Friday's J1 girls (ages 16-17) freestyle race at the 5-kilometer distance to highlight the effort of Sun Valley Junior Nordic ski team racers at the 2006 U.S. Junior National Nordic Ski Championships in Houghton, Mich.
She emerged as Sun Valley's only two-time All-American based on high finishing places at the six-day competition for 409 skiers ages 14-19. Sprints, classic and freestyle races and relays comprised the test.
And Turzian was the only gold medalist all week for Sun Valley, part of the Intermountain Division squad.
Out of 10 nominees at Junior Nationals, Turzian also won the prestigious Dave Quinn Memorial Award given for academics, athletics and perseverance. Sun Valley's only previous Dave Quinn winner was Abi Holt back in 1994 in Alaska.
For head coach Rick Kapala, who has guided Sun Valley skiers since 1988, the week on the Michigan Tech trails was a homecoming. Kapala is a MTU graduate who changed his focus from wrestling to Nordic skiing while an undergraduate student at Houghton.
He was delighted that Turzian added her name to the list of 13 Sun Valley national champions that includes Morgan Arritola, Luke Pletcher, Mike Sinnott, Kaelin Kiesel, Lars Flora, Jedd Young, Jess Kiesel, Heidi Poehling, Morgan Hogue, Pat Casey, Michael Lloyd and three-time national queen Abi Holt.
"It was a great finish to the season for Alexa," he said.
Turzian, Luke Pletcher (7th OJ boys 10k skate) and Taylor Sundali (10th J1 boys 10k skate) were Sun Valley's All-Americans in freestyle.
All-Americans in Wednesday's classic races were Robbie Hamlin in the Older Junior (18-19) class; Reid Pletcher, Mike Matteson, Turzian and Mali Noyes in J1; and Julia Bowman in J2 girls (14-15).
Keeping the Alaska Cup emblematic of the top division in total Junior National points was the New England squad by a wide margin. Intermountain, in fourth of 10 teams before the relays, did its best in Wednesday's mass start classic races and also in the J1 category.
"We didn't do as well as we have in past years but we're excited about the future with a lot of talented kids coming back next year," said Kapala.
Here are local results from the final two events of last week's Junior Nationals at Michigan Tech:
OJ (18-19) boys—10k freestyle: 1—Russell Currier (Maine) 27:15. 7—Luke Pletcher 27:50 (0:35 back), All-American. 28—Jack Harris 29:50 (2:35 back). 40—Robbie Hamlin 31:12 (3:57 back)—46 racers. 3x5k relays (top result and top local results): 1—Alaska 37:44. 5—Intermountain (Luke Pletcher, Wyatt Fereday, Ian Mallams) 38:42. 11—Intermountain (Luke Studebaker, Robbie Hamlin, Jack Harris) 39:42—22 teams.
OJ girls—5k freestyle: 1—Morgan Smyth (Vernon, Vt. and Northern Michigan) 14:16. 28—Margii Driscoll 16:34 (2:18 back)—39 racers. 3x5k relays (top result and top local results): 1—New England 43:23. 4—Intermountain (Melina Park, Mali Noyes, Erika Flowers) 44:53. 11—Intermountain (Margii Driscoll, Chelsea Vanderpool, Erin Eppler) 48:17—19 teams.
J1 (16-17) boys—10k freestyle: 1—Matt Gelso (Truckee, Ca.) 26:24. 10—Taylor Sundali 27:55 (1:31 back), All-American. 62—Artie Livingston 30:36 (4:12 back). 64—Scott Krankkala 30:43 (4:19 back)—91 racers. DNF—Mike Matteson. 3x5k relays (top result and top local results): 1—New England 38:08. 8—Intermountain (Taylor Sundali, Erik Anderson, Willie Neak) 39:15. 9—Intermountain (Bryan Dillon, Ben Page, Reid Pletcher) 39:39—26 teams.
J1 girls—5k freestyle: 1—Alexa Turzian 14:10, All-American. 20—Mali Noyes 15:20 (1:10 back). 40—Devyn Parnes 16:14 (2:04 back). 64—Chelsea Vanderpool 17:08 (2:52 back). 73—Tess Dahlgren 17:32 (3:22 back)—83 racers. 3x5k relays (top result and top local results): 1—New England 44:07. 6—Intermountain (Ase Carlson, Rosie Brennan, Alexa Turzian) 45:03. 14—Intermountain (Devyn Parnes, Stray-Gundersen, Claire Rydell) 48:07—23 teams.
J2 (14-15) boys—5k freestyle: 1—Lex Treinen (Alaska) 13:32. 18—Travis Job 14:40 (1:08 back). 21—Max Durtschi 14:46 (1:14 back)—71 racers. 3x3k relays (top result and top local results): 1—Alaska 19:11.
J2 girls—5k freestyle: 1—Kate Dolan (Montana) 15:06. 43—Julia Bowman 16:58 (1:52 back)—67 racers. 3x3k relays (top result and top local result): 1—New England 21:26. 15—Intermountain (Julia Bowman, Rose Kemp, Rebecca Koniezcny) 23:19—21 teams.
Alexa Turzian
