Bellevue's Phil Puchner, 85, was the senior skier by about 11 years during Saturday's 29th annual Yellowstone Rendezvous cross-country ski races staged in ideal conditions at West Yellowstone, Mont.
Puchner finished the 10-kilometer race in 2:11.48. It was a family affair since Phil's son Chris Puchner, 54, of Fairbanks, Alaska ended up 52nd in the 25-kilometer classic event with a final time of 1.55:11.
In all, there were 437 racers in the six races that are run concurrently on the beautifully groomed, rolling terrain of the Rendezvous ski trails. The Rendezvous is part of the 2008 American Ski Marathon Series.
Twenty-three Wood River Valley racers participated and there were 14 on the podium, including class winners Kris Thoreson, Andy Andrews, Kelly Allison, Del Pletcher, Muffy Ritz and Phil Puchner.
Kris Thoreson, 50, finished eighth overall in the 50-kilometer race with a time of 2.40:36, three seconds 1and 19 places faster than last year. Andrews, 66, was 12th of 117 finishers in the 25k skate race with a time of 1.26:24, 13 places and 2:45 better than 2007.
Allison, 46, repeated as the winner of the Women's 45-49 class in the 25k skate race with a time of 1.28:34, good for 18th overall. Men's 60-64 winner Pletcher, 63, was sixth overall of 90 skiers in the 25k classic event at 1.33:14.
Women's 50-54 winner Ritz, 50, was second-fastest female in 25k classic race with a time of 1.39:54, good for 23rd place. Here are top results and local placers for each race Saturday:
50k men's freestyle (81 finishers): 1—Barry Makarewicz, 46, of Salt Lake City 2.28:19. 7—Kris Thoreson, 50, 2.40:36 (1st 50-54). 15—Jeff Ford, 42, 2.48:23 (3rd 40-44). 37—Jeremy Fryberger, 42, 3.05:58 (6th 40-44).
50k women's freestyle (23 finishers): 1—Shayla Swanson, 25, of Bozeman 2.40 (6th overall). 6—Tricia Swartling, 42, 3.08:25 (2nd 40-44, 47th overall of 104 finishers at 50k).
25k men's freestyle (77 finishers): 1—Chris Humbert, 40, of Salt Lake City 1.15:46. 11—Andy Andrews, 66, 1.26:24 (1st 65-69). 18—John Seiller, 41, 1.30:30 (4th 40-44). 22—John Tormey, 41, 1.31:06 (5th 40-44, 10 seconds faster than last year). 44—Chris O'Donnell, 37, 1.37:37 (7th 35-39). 54—Gary Shelton, 56, 1.44:20 (4th 55-59). 72—Nathan Fierman, 60, 2.06:27 (8th 60-64).
25k women's freestyle (40 finishers): 1—Tamzen Pruzan, 28, of Wilson, Wyo. 1.25:29 (9th overall). 4—Kelly Allison, 46, 1.28:34 (1st 45-49, 18th overall). 11—Colleen Hayes, 39, 1.38:17 (5th 35-39, 57th overall). 12—Katharine Sheldon, 50, 1.41:14 (2nd 50-54, 63rd overall). 29—Pru McDonald, 57, 1.53:22 (3rd 55-59, 92nd overall, 36 seconds faster than 2007).
25k men's classic (60 finishers): 1—Erik Anderson, 18, of Whitefish, Mt. 1.28:45. 6—Del Pletcher, 63, 1.33:14 (1st 60-64). 12—Bob Rosso, 60, 1.34:17 (2nd 60-64). 16—Mike Wolter, 42, 1.35:58 (4th 40-44).
25k women's classic (30 finishers): 1—Kelly Milligan, 46, of Park City, Utah 1.36:55 (19th overall). 2—Muffy Ritz, 50, 1.39:54 (1st 50-54, 23rd overall). 8—Karoline Droege, 37, 1.50:32 (2nd 35-39, 42nd overall). 9—Susan Thoreson, 46, 1.52:04 (2nd 45-49, 44th overall, 1:13 faster than last year). 12—Kim Nalen, 51, 1.54:06 (2nd 50-54, 48th overall).
10k men's freestyle (34 finishers): 1—Tanner Wiegand, 15, of Bozeman 33:24. 34—Phil Puchner, 85, 2.11:48 (1st 85-99).
Locals, BMT skiers finish high at Birkie
Russian-born Ivan Babikov, 27, now living in Alberta, Canada, and 2007 Boulder Mountain Ski Tour queen Evelyn Dong, 22, of Bend, Ore., skied to victory in the 35th anniversary Subaru American Birkebeiner 50.2-kilometer freestyle race at Hayward, Wisc. Saturday.
Sun Valley skiers also did well on the Birkebeiner trail. In particular, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Olympic Development skiers placed 4-6-7 in the Elite women's freestyle.
Babikov captured the championship title after skiing 50.2k to a Main Street finish in 2.07:08.9. Dong captured the women's skate title with a time of 2.23:43 for 90th place among all finishers. Top finishers agreed that conditions were fast and ideal.
Former SVSEF ODT racer Zack Simons of Park City, Utah skied to a second-place men's finish in 2.07:47.4. And former SVSEF racer Lars Flora of Alaska was fourth overall and winner of the Men's 30-34 group in 2.07:48.9.
Current SVSEF ODT racer Colin Rodgers, 26, was 22nd overall of 3,212 finishers in 2.09:36, good for 11th place in Men's 25-29. Winning the Men's 50-54 class was 50-year-old Jon Engen of Ketchum in 2.18:07. He led 508 men in that class.
In the women's freestyle division, Swedish-born Kristina Strandberg of Bend skied to a second-place finish in 2:24:22. In fourth overall and the winner of Women's 25-29 was Ketchum's Nicole DeYong, 25, in 2.24:24, 41 seconds behind Dong.
Placing 5-6-7 were this year's Boulder Mountain Ski Tour winner Kate Arduser, 28, of Alaska in 2.25:18, Sun Valley's Kate Whitcomb, 27, in 2.25:36 and Kate Underwood, 26, of Ketchum, 2.26:34.
Other local men finishing were:
Bruce Rogers, 355th overall and 47th in Men's 45-49 in 2.44:58; Christiaan Cook, 357th overall and 40th in Men's 35-39 in 2.44:59; and Peter Maier, 67, 1,704th overall and 11th in Men's 65-69 in 3.42:59.
Honorary starter Barb Klippel, a 19-year Birkie skier from Cable, Wis., sent 4,665 Birkie skiers and 2,081 Kortelopet skiers on their way at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Temps hovered at 10 degrees and climbed as 18 waves of skiers left the start.
The Birkie is the largest and most prestigious Nordic ski marathon in North America. It is part of the Worldloppet series of 14 international races and of the 14-race American Ski Marathon Series that includes the Boulder Ski Tour.