Nineteen-year-old David Norris of Fairbanks opted against competing in Wednesday's 10-kilometer junior race and chose to compete against the seniors in the 30-kilometer mass-start classical race at Kincaid Park.
He made his presence known.
Norris, a Fairbanks Alaska Ski Team member, was in third place and more than 10 seconds ahead of Bryan Cook of Rhinelander, Wis., nearing the final kilometer of the race before the 26-year-old Cook caught him on a hill and held on to earn the bronze medal.
"I knew I could do well. I had high hopes for the race," said Norris, who was able to compete in the senior race instead of the shorter junior race because he had already qualified for the team that will represent the United States at the World Junior Championships later this season.
After sitting back in 25th early, Norris sprinted up toward the head of the pack, vaulting into third place by the start of the third of four 7.5-K laps.
"I was just picking people off the whole way," he said.
At the start of the race Cook tried to stay with leaders James Southam and Kris Freeman, but fell off their pace and thought he had settled comfortable into third when Norris caught him.
"At the start of the third lap David came just flying past me. I thought I was in no-mans land and all of a sudden I hear the crowd cheering for David," Cook said. "He definitely had the hometown crowd, even though he's from Fairbanks."
But Cook caught up on the final climb when Norris hit a wall.
"I was just trying to stay on my feet," Norris said. "I was falling apart."
Cook saw his opening and took advantage.
"He started skiing a little sloppy and I said 'This is it,' " Cook said. "I gave it everything I had."
Still, it was a great finish for the native of Fairbanks.
"I'm totally happy," Norris said. "I raced as good as I could."
WINTER WONDERLAND
Temperatures rose to near-freezing at the start of Wednesday's mass-start races and wet snow was falling at a steady rate.
But the weather didn't end up being a problem for skiers as temperatures dropped slightly during the day and the snow tapered off.
"Thankfully, waxing wasn't too hard," said women's champion Kikkan Randall, adding that it would've been more difficult if the temperature was just a few degrees warmer.
Skiing in the snow did slow the leaders down a little.
"It was kind of fun racing in the snow," Randall said. "There was snow falling on the track, which was a definite disadvantage to leading."
Weather hasn't been an issue this year, a huge change from last year when two of the four scheduled reaces were canceled because of sub-zero temperatures. The mercury hovering around 30 for part of Wednesday, marking a swing of about 40 degrees from the coldest days of last year's championships.
MOOSE SIGHTING
Monica Bascio has made plenty of trips to Alaska, winning the Fairbanks-to-Anchorage Sadler's Ultra Marathon handcycle event five times and competing last year in the 2009 U.S. Ski Championships.
But it wasn't until Wednesday that she encountered a moose.
Warming up for the women's 5-K adaptive sit-ski race, Bascio, who is paralyzed from the waist down, saw a young moose on the trail just outside the stadium area.
"It was just a baby," she said. "I was hoping it would bring me luck. I've been up here enough and I've been in some wilderness, but that's the first one I've seen."
JUNIOR TEAMS NAMED
The U.S. Ski Team named its 2010 World Junior, Under 23 and Scandinavian Cup teams after Wednesday's races, and lots of Alaskans soon will be packing for overseas trips.
The teams were selected based on the top two results out of the athlete's three races during the U.S. Championships.
Five Alaskans made the 12-person World Junior team, four made the 12-skier U23 team and five made the 12-skier Scandinavia Cup team.
The World Junior and U23 Championships are Jan. 24-31 in Hinterzarten, Germany. The Scandinavian Cup is Jan. 29-31 in Kuopio, Finland.
WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM
Caitlin Patterson, Anchorage; Sophie Caldwell, Vermont; Anne Hart, Minnesota; Joanne Reid, California; Adele Espy, Maine; Jessie Diggins (coaches' discretion), Minnesota
Scott Patterson (pre-qualified), Alaska Winter Stars, Anchorage; David Norris (pre-qualified), Fairbanks Alaska Ski Team, Fairbanks; Tyler Kornfield, UAF, Anchorage; Eric Packer, Anchorage; Erik Bjornsen, Washington; George Cartwright, Wyoming
Under 23 Team
Rebecca Rorabaugh, APU Nordic Ski Center, Fairbanks; Kate Fitzgerald, APU Nordic Ski Center, Palmer; Elizabeth Stephen (pre-qualified), Vermont; Ida Sargent, Vermont; Sadie Bjornsen, Washington; Rosie Brenna, Utah
Patrick Johnson (pre-qualified), Anchorage; Reese Hanneman, Fairbanks Alaska Ski Team, Fairbanks; Noah Hoffman (pre-qualified), Colorado; Tad Elliott, Colorado; Simi Hamilton, Colorado; Peter Kling, Vermont
Scandinavian Cup Team
Kinsey Loan, Alaska Nordic Racing, Eagle River; Kate Backstrum, Alaska Winter Stars, Anchorage; Annie Liotta, Alaska Winter Stars, Anchorage; Karina Packer, Alaska Winter Stars, Anchorage; Katie Gill, Montana; Isabel Caldwell, Vermont
Logan Hanneman, Fairbanks Alaska Ski Team, Fairbanks; David Sinclair, Vermont; Bridger Tyler, Vermont; Will Wicherski, Idaho; Michael Vigers, Colorado; Austin Cobb, Vermont
Find Richard Larson online at adn.com/contact/rlarson or call 257-4335.
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