Nikiski's Merissa Osmar, the 15-year-old granddaughter of 1984 Iditarod champion Dean Osmar and daughter of Tim Osmar, captured the Junior Iditarod championship Sunday in Willow.

At one minute past noon, Osmar and her team of 10 dogs reached the finish line of the 150-mile race from Willow to Yentna Station and back. Eight minutes later, runner-up Anitra Winkler of Cantwell joined Osmar at the finish line.

Winkler led a field of 13 teenage mushers to the halfway point Saturday, reaching Yentna at 5:29, eight minutes ahead of Osmar. Osmar made up the difference on the race back to Willow to win a $5,000 scholarship, which she said she hopes to use to become a veterinarian.

A sophomore at Skyview, Osmar placed fourth in last year's race and Winkler finished fifth.

Rebecca Ruzicka of Anchor Point claimed third place -- the same spot she nailed down last year -- by reaching Willow at 12:26 p.m. Jeremiah Klejka of Bethel was fourth, arriving at 12:42 p.m., with Guillermo Anoton of Madrid, Spain, following at 1:14 p.m. in fifth place.

Other finishers and their arrival times, as of 6 p.m. Sunday: Meredith Mapes of Wasilla, 1:44; Jeff Holt of North Pole, 2:59; Tobin Sworts of Palmer 3:12; Emily Krol of Wasilla, 3:21; Kaye Berg of Eagle River, 3:27. Still on the trail were Ilsa Schwazburg of Wasilla, Yuta Takagi of Anchorage and Jonathan Biggerstaff-Myers of Talkeetna.

The race began at 10 a.m. Saturday and had a mandatory 10-hour layover at Yentna.