Anchorage's Holly Brooks did exactly that Friday in the second SuperTour cross-country ski race of the season Friday at West Yellowstone, Mont., topping 87 athletes -- including seven of the skiers she coaches at the Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center -- to win the 10-kilometer freestyle event in 24 minutes, 36.7 seconds. She earned $750.
Two Canadian skiers, Dasha Gaiazova and Madeleine Williams, were second and third respectively.
Olympian James Southam of Anchorage finished seventh for the best result from an Alaskan in the men's 15-K. He finished in 32:25, more than 46 seconds behind winner Leif Zimmermann of the Bridger Ski Foundation of Montana.
Brooks is aiming for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team that will race at the Winter Games in Vancouver, but that effort may be a long shot even if she piles up victories on the domestic SuperTour. World Championship medalist Kikkan Randall of Anchorage will be on the U.S. team, and Morgan Arritola and Liz Stephen are considered likely prospects.
None of those three raced Friday, and it could be that the U.S. only sends three women to the Olympics. John Farra, nordic director of the U.S. Ski Association, said the team could have as few as three women or as many as seven. Four years ago, seven women and 10 men earned spots on the U.S. cross-country team competing in Torino, Italy.
The U.S. national championships will help determine the team, and they're being held on Brooks' home turf at Kincaid Park in early January.
Piling up some SuperTour wins before the U.S. championships can't hurt. Brooks finished fourth in a season-opening sprint on Wednesday.
"I felt great," she said Friday. "My skis were rockets, total rockets. But you have to ski smooth out there. It's constant work; there are no big hills to rest on. You have to find every second. The course is good for big gliders."
West Yellowstone sits at 2,000 feet, but Brooks and her APU teammates have acclimated after arriving a week ago.
"U.S. Ski Team coaches are here, and they're looking for people who stand out," Brooks said. "I think having a decent-size U.S. Olympic team is really important for development. We've seen the level of U.S. skiing stepping up of late, and that's got to continue."
Expect the powerhouse APU team, which claimed four of the top eight U.S. finishes here Friday, to be in the mix.
Reach reporter Mike Campbell at mcampbell@adn.com or 257-4329.
SuperTour 10-K Freestyle
Friday at West Yellowstone, Mont.
Men's 15-K Freestyle Top 10 -- 1) Leif Zimmermann, Bridger, 31:38; 2) Garrott Kuzzy, USST, 31:53; 3) Noah Hoffman, USST, 31:57; 4) Gordon Jewett, Alberta World Cup, 32:14; 5) Matthew Liebsch, CXC, 32:20; 6) Brian Gregg, CXC, 32:23; 7) James Southam, APU, 32:25; 8) Drew Goldsack, Canadian National Team, 32:27; 9) Andrew Johnson, Steinbock, 32:39; 10) Marshall Greene, Alpina, 32:42.
Other Alaskans -- 17) Mike Hinckley, APU, 33:08; 20) Mark Iverson, APU, 33:14; 21) Bart Dengel, APU, 33:19; 27) Brent Knight, APU, 33:31; 37) Zach Violett, XC-Oregon, 34:07; 40) Anders Haugen, APU, 34:19; 48) Tyson Flaharty, Fairbanks Ski Team, 34:48; 68) David Besh, Alaska Winter Stars, 35:34.
Women's 10-K Freestyle Top 10 -- 1) Holly Brooks, APU, 24:37; 2) Dasha Gaiazova, Canadian National Team, 24:41; 3) Madeleine Williams, Alberta World Cup, 24:47; 4) Brooke Gosling, AWCA, 25:02; 5) Kristi Trygstad-Saari, Bridger, 25:05; 6) Ekateri Vinogradova, Auburn Ski Club, 25:10; 7) Joanne Reid, Sugar Bowl, 25:27; 8) Taz Mannix, APU, 25:29; 9) Becca Rorabaugh, APU, 25:30; 10) Laura Valaas, APU, 25:31.
Other Alaskans -- 14) Nicole DeYong, SVSEF, 25:44; 25) Kasandra Rice, 26:22; 27) Kate Fitzgerald, APU, 26:27; 33) Katie Ronsse, APU, 26:52; 68) Jamie Bronga, UAA, 28:57.
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