Young Alaska nordic skiers battle altitude

But while some Alaskans faltered, the 14-to-15-year-old boys skiing in the J2 division prospered. Not without pain, though.

"The qualifying round was the worst," allowed Isaac Lammers of Chugiak High and Anchorage Nordic Racing. "In the first race, my legs were on fire. I kept thinking to myself, 'One more, just one more.' "

Such self-motivation paid off as Lammers finished second to Logan Hanneman, the Lathrop High skier who competes with the FAST club of Fairbanks. Alaskans took three of the top six spots in that final, with Sam Dougherty of Alaska Winter Stars fifth. It was the Alaskans' best result in any division.

"The final was just crazy," Hanneman, 15, said by phone. "After I started pouring it on, some people got tangled up. When I passed the leader, he went down -- but I really don't know exactly what happened behind me."

More important, Hanneman was finally skiing strong.

"The qualifiers got me really nervous because it felt so terrible. But eventually it started smoothing out," he said. "Not going out too hard at the start was the key. People just died out there."

Like Hanneman, Dougherty won his quarterfinal and semifinal leading to the A Final.

Skiers negotiated a 930-meter course shaped like a lollipop. After leaving the start area, they descended a fast downhill into a wide corner. A short flat that turns into a gradual uphill and then a steeper uphill led back to the stadium.

Hanneman's brother Reese finished second among the OJ boys, with fellow Fairbanks skier David Norris fifth in that race.

Becca Rorabaugh of the APU Nordic Ski Center was fourth among the OJ girls.

Skiers have today off with a skate mass start on Wednesday.

Cross Country Junior Olympics

A Finals Monday in Truckee, Calif.

OJ Boys (18-19 year olds) -- 1) Doug DeBold, Mountain West; 2) Reese Hanneman, FAST, Alaska; 3) Miles Havlick, Sun Valley, Intermountain; 4) Chase Marston, Middlebury Ski Team, New England; 5) David Norris, FAST, Alaska; 6) Tom Smith, Bend Nordic, Pacific Northwest.

OJ Girls -- 1) Tyler Parker, New England, University of Utah; 2) Corrine Malcolm, Mountain West; 3) Briana Perkins, Rocky Mountain, Summit Nordic; 4) Becca Rorabaugh, Alaska, APU; 5) Gretchen Sellegren, Intermountain, Bridger Ski; 6) Lauren Rantala, Mountain West, Mountain Valley Ski Club. Alaskans in B Final -- 1) Sarah Tegeler, Alaska, Alaska Nordic Racing; 3) Rebecca Konieczny, UAF; 4) Rachelle Kanady, AWS.

J1 Boys (16-17 year olds) -- 1) E. Dreissigacker, New England, Craftsbury Nordic; 2) Erik Bjornsen, Pacific Northwest, Methow Valley; 3) Nick Michaud, New England, Maine Winter Sports Center; 4) Scott Lacy, Rocky Mountain, Aspen Valley Ski Club; 5) Skyler Davis, New England, Stratton; 6) Austin Cobb, New England, Stratton. Alaskans in B Final -- 1) Tyler Kornfield, AWS; 2) Kelsey Boyer, FXC.

J1 Girls -- 1) Jessie Diggins, Mountain West; 2) Elizabeth Guiney, Intermountain, Park City; 3) Katie Gill, Intermountain, Bridger Ski; 4) Joanne Reid, FW, ASC; 5) Megan Killigrew, New England, Stratton; 6) M. Markvardsen, Intermountain, Blackjack. Alaskans in B Final -- 4) Alyson McPhetres, Alaska Nordic Racing.

J2 Boys (14-15 year olds) -- 1) Logan Hanneman, Alaska, FAST; 2) Isaac Lammers, Alaska, Alaska Nordic Racing; 3) A. Mayfield-Carucci, Intermountain, Bridger; 4) Will Wicherski, Intermountain, Bogus Basin; 5) Sam Dougherty, Alaska, AWS; 6) Jackson Rich, New England, Cambridge Sports. Alaskans in B Final -- 1) Travis Semmens, ANF; 4) Robert Hovda, FAST.

J2 Girls -- 1) Stella Holt, Intermountain, Glacier NST; 2) Corey Stock, New England, Cambridge Sports; 3) T. Geraghty-Moats, New England, Craftsbury; 4) Anika Miller, Intermountain, McCall; 5) Elena Luethi, New England, Green Mountain; 6) Hannah Smith, Rocky Mountain, Crested Butte. Alaskans in B Final -- 5) Annie Liotta, AWS.