Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Arritola skates to Super Tour win in Utah

Nordic skier from Fairfield takes 10k free race


Community School graduate Morgan Arritola of Fairfield returned to the Soldier Hollow (Utah) scene of her greatest U.S. Nordic Ski Championships achievements and turned it up another notch last weekend.

Arritola, 21, a two-time Junior Worlds performer and two-time Junior National queen, won Sunday's women's 10-kilometer mass start race that was part of the 12th-year, 22-race USSA Cross Country SuperTour stop at Soldier Hollow.

The 5-4, 108-pound hill climbing wizard and U.S. Nordic "B" team racer was timed in 29 minutes and 55 seconds. Soldier Hollow was where Arritola was the top American junior and women's silver medalist in the 2006 national 15k skate and 10k classic races.

She is currently training with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation's Olympic Development Team. Her Sun Valley coach Abi Holt was proud of her effort, indeed of all the SVSEF ODT racers in Utah.

"We were climbing well and gliding well. It was a standout day for our women," Holt said.

Finishing behind Arritola in the 48-racer women's field but giving Sun Valley four skiers in the top 10 Sunday were Kate Whitcomb fifth in 30:09, Nicole DeYong ninth in 30:33 and Mali Noyes 10th in 30:47. Kate Underwood placed 12th in 31:47.

DeYong and Noyes placed 6th and 8th in Saturday's SuperTour classic sprint.

Coach Holt was also pleased with Reid Pletcher's second-place finish in Saturday's men's classic sprint. Colin Rodgers was ninth and Taylor Sundali finished as the silver medalist among the juniors.

In Sunday's men's 15k freestyle race, Sun Valley's Noah Hoffman was the winning junior and fifth of 76 men in 38:33.

Other locals were Colin Rodgers seventh in 39:02, Reid Pletcher (2nd junior) 13th in 39:41, Mike Sinnott 14th in 39:43, Ben True 30th in 41:26, Taylor Sundali 31st in 41:27, Scott Krankkala 47th in 44:54 and Ben Page 64th in 47:50.

Next SuperTour events are the U.S. Nordic Championships Jan. 1-6 at Houghton, Mich.

Holiday pursuit on Saturday

The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation's Junior Nordic ski team will usher in the holiday season Saturday, Dec. 22 with the annual Holiday Pursuit and Classic races at Lake Creek north of Ketchum.

Citizen racers and juniors are invited to sign up at Lake Creek Saturday from 9-10:30 a.m. Racing on 5 kilometer, 10k and 15k courses begins Saturday at 11 a.m. Entry is $10.

To cap a fun day, the SVSEF program will have its annual bonfire and family social gathering Saturday evening from 5-8 p.m. at Lake Creek.




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