Fellow Anchorage and Alaska Pacific University cross-country skier Holly Brooks posted her second top-30 finish in two days, finishing 28th. Justyna Kowalcyk of Poland moved up one spot from Friday's 10-kilometer race to win. Ida Ingemarsdotter of Sweden was second and Sarah Renner was third in front of her cheering countrymen.
The race was the final one for skiers headed to Vancouver for the Winter Olympics beginning next week.
Sprint specialist Torin Koos of Leavenworth, Wash., led the American men, finishing 11th. Mike Hinckley of Anchorage, the former state Skimeister, was 45th, while Reese Hanneman of Fairbanks was 70th. Emil Joensson of Sweden won.
Other Anchorage finishers in the women's race included Laura Valaas (36th), Katie Ronsee (51st) and Becca Rorabaugh (60th).
Fairbanks skiers claim Besh Cup races
Skiing on the home course at Birch Hill, Fairbanks skiers Julia Pierson and Tyson Flaharty won their respective races during the fifth Besh Cup race of the season.
Pierson, a UAF skier, won the women's 5-kilometer race in 14 minutes, 41 seconds, edging UAF teammate Raphaela Sieber by three tenths of a second. APU skier Celia Haering was third in 15:02.4.
Flaharty, competing for the Fairbanks Alaska Ski Team, won the men's 10-K race in 25:55.8. APU's Dylan Watts placed second in 26:17.7.
Besh Cup Race No. 5
Women
5-K -- 1) Julia Pierson, 14:41.0; 2) Raphaela Sieber, 14:41.3; 3) Celia Haering 15:02.4; 4) Marisa Rorabaugh, 15:10.1; 5) Hannah Boyer 15:12.9; 6) Jessia Yeaton 15:18.8; 7) Kryston McPhetres, 15:24.0; 8) Mackenzie Kanady 15:40.7; 9) Tristan Ramey 15:43.2; 10) Davya Flaharty 15:51.4; 11) Heather Edic 15:52.4; 12) Emily Rogers 15:55.1; 13) Rebecca Konieczny 16:03.0; 14) Allison Ross, 16:03.6; 15) Stephanie Kirk, 16:06.0; 16) Great Anderson, 16:11.1; 17) Marion Woods, 16:11.3; 18) Morgan Bender 16:15.5; 19) Anna Price 16:19.2; 20) Bree Mucha 16:20.0
Men
5-K -- 1) Austin Hess 14:08.0; 2) John Glen 14:20.2; 3) Kyle Hanson 14;23.7; 4) Douglas Watts, 14:29.0; 5) Jake Prince 14:31.4; 6) Jan Grzeda 14:37.5; 7) Riley Troyer 14:37.6; 8) Schyler Knopp 14:43.4; 9) Erich Hoefler 14;43.7; 10) Eric Backstrum, 14:44.5
10-K -- 1) Tyson Flaharty 25;55.8; 2) Dylan Watts 26:17.7; 3) David Norris 26:30.0; 4) John Parry 26:38.4; 5) Nick Treinen 26:45.9; 6) Logan Hanneman 26:47.6; 7) Forrest Mahlen 26:55.9; 8) Jack Novak 27:02.3; 9) Henri Soom 27:04.6; 10) Silas Talbot 27:14.2; 11) Isaac Lammers 27:23.4; 12) Bobby Miller 27:23.6; 13) Ray Sabo 27:24.8; 14) Cole Talbot 27:38.0; 15) Carl Smith 27:45.7; 16) Patrick Nugent 27:53.7; 17) Erik Soederstroem 27:57.7; 18) Don Haering 27:58.5; 19) Neil Liotta 28:00.7; 20) Kyle Barnhart 28:01.00.
UAA struggles again in New Mexico meet
The Seawolves continued to struggle on the slopes and the tracks on Saturday, finishing seventh in the New Mexico Invitational.
Facing Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association foes, the Seawolves totaled 573 points in the two-day meet. New Mexico won the meet with 961 points. Colorado was second with 801.
Freshman Petra Gantnerova had the Seawolves top performance, placing seventh in the women's slalom. Freshman Kayla Fry finished 18th and sophomore Sandra MacDonald was 21st in the Seawolves best event of the meet. UAA was fifth in the women's slalom with 80 points.
Sophomore Laura Rombach led the Seawolves women in the 10-kilometer Nordic freestyle with an eighth-place finish.
Junior Egil Ismar finished 16th to lead the UAA men in the slalom and senior Tor Christopher was the top men's finisher in the 10-K, placing 21st.
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.