Coaches Rick Kapala and Abi Holt are leaving today with 18 Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation skiers for the 2008 U.S. Cross Country Championships/USSA Super Tour races Jan. 1-6, at Houghton, Mich.
This year's national short-distance championships will be staged on the trails of Michigan Tech Nordic Training Center, same site as the 2007 national cross-country ski finals.
Competing from Sun Valley's Olympic Development Team are:
Women—Morgan Arritola, Nicole DeYong, Kate Underwood, Kate Whitcomb and Mali Noyes. Men—Mike Sinnott, Ben True, Colin Rodgers, Noah Hoffman, Ben Page, Reid Pletcher, Taylor Sundali and Scott Krankkala.
Current Sun Valley Competition Team racers due to compete at Michigan Tech are Scott Phelan, Max Durtschi, Julia Bowman, Bronwen Raff and Makayla Cappel.
Here is the race schedule:
On Tuesday, Jan. 1, freestyle 5 kilometer and 10k races; Thursday, Jan. 3, classic 10k and 15k; on Saturday, Jan. 5, freestyle sprints; and Sunday, Jan. 6, classic team sprints.